WordCouture1

Greetings,

I will be in Florence in early September and have two or three days before I have to end up in Paris. We want to taste wines. Ideally reds (Cabs are my favorite but I like everything.) We are already looking into doing a day trip from Florence in order to go wine tasting, so my questions are:

1) Where should that day from Florence trip be, and through whom should we book? Most of the tours I've found are expensive, cater to retirees and only visit one vineyard -- ideally we'd do more of a "tour." Also open to hiring a driver and flying solo.

2) If we have two additional days, where is our time best spent? We could either stay in the Tuscany region or head up to France. Beaune/Burgundy? Alsace? Bordeaux? Something outside of Paris? I'm looking at trains and flights and everything seems difficult to get to, so I'm open to suggestions not only on location but also on transportation, lodging, tours, logistics, etc.

Thank you!

kybourbon

Many vineyards in Italy require appointments. If you want to taste wines, you might try one of the many enotecas. In Florence, try Fuori Porta.
http://www.fuoriporta.it/

In Greve at Le Cantine, they have an automated systems and you can taste as many wines as you want.
http://www.fuoriporta.it/

If you make it as far south as Montalcino, try either the Fortezza or enoteca Osticcio.
http://www.enotecalafortezza.com/
http://www.osticcio.it/

If you want to hire a driver, Lucca of Hills and Roads gets good reviews on this board.
http://www.hillsandroads.com/

Michael

Although French wines sold in the States are often identified by the grape, this is not the case with traditional wines in France. If partial in the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, look for a tasting room in Paris that emphasizes Bordeaux wines.

WordCouture1

Thank you to kybourbon (great name -- I was just at the Maker's Mark and Jim Beam distilleries) and Michael.

I don't necessarily need to taste Cabs -- I was just using that as a point of reference. I have a vision of renting bikes and tooling around French wine country -- but maybe that's not feasible and we should just go right to tasting rooms in Paris? I'd really like to get to Burgundy or Bordeaux or Alsace, but I need help...

StCirq

Tooling around Bordeaux with only a couple of days and coming from Florence really isn't an option unless you can find a flight, which will cost you a day, and then it's another half a day to Paris. Tooling around Burgundy is a little more feasible, but still poses logistical issues. Alsace is probably more do-able, but you're not going to find cabs or much like them there. I think your best bet is to get to Paris.

WordCouture1

I found a flight from Florence to Geneva and then a train from Geneva to Beaune. I'm assuming I'd want to stay in Beaune?

What's the wine tasting potential really like in Paris? No rolling hillsides or vineyards.

Am I better off staying in Tuscany for an extra day for the rolling hillside experience and then heading straight to Paris for tasting rooms? I hate to miss out on French wine country, but maybe I'm building it up too much in my head.

Michael

A proper wine bar (in Pris or elsewhere) would have many varieties and vintages to choose from. A wine maker would usually give you a taste of only his wines; the scenery might be better, but the choices more limited.

Michael

A proper wine bar, in Paris or elsewhere, would have a wide variety of wines and vintages to choose from. A winemaker would generally offer only his production; the scenery might be better, but the choice more limited.

kybourbon

If you are interested in reds, I would day trip to Montalcino from Florence for the Brunellos, but it's a long trip (1 1/2-2 hours).

In early September you might encounter the Chianti festival in Greve. Check the dates for that. I went last year. Booths were set up in the piazza and you paid 10€ for a wine glass with a tasting card. One set of booths had dozens of wines (at least 75) from various vineyards. The other booths were hosted by a particular vineyard and had their wines along with other farm products such as oil.

StCirq

Yes, you're better off staying in Tuscany. There's a vineyard in Montmartre, by the way.

Michael

and a vineyard in the parc Georges Brassens.

china_cat

kybourbon beat me to my suggestion. We went to the Chianti festival in Greve quite a few years ago, and it was really fantastic. I looked up the dates for you, and its Sept 6-9 2012. Thats a great way to taste red wines. you just don't want to be driving afterwards!!

WordCouture1

Darn, I'll be in London by then. That was a great idea, though!!

OK, now I'm leaning toward skipping French wine country and instead going from Tuscany to Paris. I'm bummed, but I don't want to bust my tail getting to Beaune and have it not be worth it.

Must-sees in Tuscany? Must-visit wine rooms in Paris?

Sampaguita

Why not come from Florence up to Piedmont, renown for its big reds, spend a few days on the area around Asti and Alba and then head over to Paris. If you haven't booked, there is high speed train from Turin to Paris. Early September is a good time to be in Piedmont, harvest is beginning and the smell of freshly crushed grapes is in the air.

avalon

try O Chateau in Paris or any wine bar. Spring also has tastings

travelgourmet

Bear in mind that wine as tourism is not as developed in Europe, save for a few scattered pockets (Champagne, especially). It isn't like Napa or Sonoma where you can hop from vineyard to vineyard tasting wines. A lot of places do a very formal tour, which I find tiresome by the end of the day (wow, you have a lot of oak barrels...).

Given the extra logistics involved, I find it easier to find a really good wine bar.

WordCouture1

Haha travelgourmet, thank you. Yes, I've done Sonoma a few times so I probably have unrealitic expectations.

Sampaguita, I'm not familiar with Turin but I'm interested. What advantages might Turin have over sticking around in Tuscany?

kybourbon

Near Turin,the Barolo wines.

melania_fusco_92

I have been on the Amalfi coast and had a great experience with a private wine tasting by <a href="http://www.swirltheglass.com">Cristian Fusco</a> the sommelier of a michelin star restaurant in Positano.

Judy

We like O Chateau in Paris http://www.o-chateau.com/