Costanti was our first tour in Montalcino. We had a late morning tour that lasted a little over 1.5 hours. We got to see the estate, vineyards, barrel rooms, tanks, etc. We also got to try a bunch of the wines. Very enjoyable, and a wealth of great info. TN's on the wines will be posted next week.

Fuligni was our next stop. We were supposed to meet with Roberto, the owner. However, he had to cancel at the last minute. He set us up with a tour with his aunt, who knows not 1 word of English. Terra (the new wife) knows some Italian, but the aunt had a thick accent, and spoke very quick. We got a little info from one of the winery workers, as well as a taste of the 2000 BdM (still in tanks... very cool) while we were waiting for the aunt. After the info about the winery in Italian, we only tried one wine (I don't even remember what it was). In my broken Italian, I asked for a sample of an open bottle of their 1999 BdM, and got to try it; however, it was oxidized. Actually, I found this at a few locations. The wineries just vacu-vin the wines, and leave them out (not even refrigerate them) between tours and even over night. I had 1 suspect wine at both Costanti and Fuligni, none at Altesino, and 2 at Terrabianca. I didn't want to say anything because the tastings and tours were free (although I did buy a bunch at each winery... more in another post).

Altesino was a blast. First was the tasting of 3 wines (again, notes next week) in a nice cool "dining room" at a big wooden table. With us was a couple from CA, and their driver. The tour guide was extremely nice. We all sat their, tried the wines and talked. It was like we were all friends sipping wine, eating bread w/ Altesino's olive oil and chatting about our stays... really fun. Next we had the tour of the estate which was also nice. They just got a new shipment of oak barrels in, so we got to see them brand new, and smell the inside. A great experience for me.

Terrabianca was probably our favotire visit. Our guide was so nice, and they gave us a free bottle of olive oil since we were just married. We saw the estate, rooms, barrels, etc. However, we actually got to see the bottling process in action. The already bottled wine was being labeled and foiled, then packed into boxes. Additionally, we saw a lady hand making the wax stamps that go on the Campaccio Riserva wines. After, we got to try a bunch of their wines, even Campaccio Riserva and Ceppate (which they normally don't open for tours).

It was a wonderful time at all the wineries. I want to thank everyone for their recommendations, and especially futronic for helping us with the planning of our visits.

Matt,

It was my pleasure. I'm very happy to hear that your trip was a great one. It's too bad that Roberto wasn't able to meet you personally, but he's a busy guy. I won't forget the story he told my father and I about the origins of the house on the property.

Can't wait to see your notes and hear what you brought back!

TN next week... purchases just posted.

I told Roberto that you spoke very highly of him, and that Terra and I would have to make another trip back just to visit him (and the estate again). It's a win-win for all!!!

By the way, Annalisa loved the ice wine. She was telling me she had it with a bunch of friends one weekend. Very thoughtful of you.

Definitely get in contact with Roberto next time you plan on visiting. I'm sure he'd be delighted to meet you and Terra. A win-win is an understatement!

Speaking of Annalisa, I've been exchanging e-mail with her over the past couple days and she mentioned that her friends enjoyed the ice wine. Very lovely woman.

Sounds like a great trip. I'm jealous. Do be sure to post your TNs. I'm especially curious about the '99 Costanti Brunello, on which opinions seem to range widely.

I was in Tuscany for a couple of weeks in late July, 3 days of which were spent in Montalcino. A
ltesino was the first visit. We didn't have any reservations that early in the morning and thought we would drop by. The tasting given by a young woman was excellent, as were the wines. A very nice atmosphere and a pleasant surprise. We also stopped by Tenuta Caparzo on the way back to the main road and though less formal, they were very generous to give us a tasting without an appointment.

I would second Terrabianca. The woman who gave us our tasting was extremely nice and the tour was great, including everything you mentioned. We also got to take a peek at the kitchen where they were making pestos.

Of the many wineries that I would reccommend visiting, my top choice would probably be Donatella Cinelli Columbini. The wines were just amazing. Both the Primadonne and the regular bottling were superb, though the aging capabilities seemed much higher for the Primadonne. Also, the size of the winery was very comfortable, as was the philosophy of Donatella.

As for Chianti near Siena, I would highly recommend visiting Casa Emma. The wines were great, the tour very fun, and the scenery was awesome.

There are so many more, but those are the ones that stuck in my mind more than the others. I've hesitated to post a detailed description of the trip, and the many wineries we visited, but maybe I'll get around to it soon. All in all, we came out with entirely too much wine (some 2 cases), though taking into consideration the quality of the wine, it was well worth it.

monkeylug

As we are planning a similar trip in November,also with much helo from Futronic, could you let me know how you brought wine back (I was reading that only 1 lIter per person is allowed duty free!) and what the duty is on more than that. Or were you able to have it shipped?

Thanks!

MLV

One liter per person is duty free, the rest is taxed. However, the tax depends on the state you fly back to. For NYC (I flew out of JFK), it was $0.10 per gallon. So, even when you declare it on customes, it isn't worth their effort to collect. As far as bring wine back, read this. It's long, but you'll get the idea.

Next time we go, I won't buy 21 bottles. Probably no more than 12. I'll bring an extra suitcase padded with old clothes (or items that can get stained), and pack the wine real safely.

I haven't personally brought any wine into the US as I'm living currently in the Republic of Georgia and haven't been back to the US since I was in Italy. From what I can find on the net, however, the cost of bringing in more than 1 liter of wine shouldn't be much more than $0.50 cents per bottle depending on the state. (it's possibly considerably less.) Anyone else have any experience with this? I've never actually done it, so I can't say for sure what the actual rules/rates are.

Thanks for the info. Paying the duty, I can certainly handle, but I will need to find out specifically about Florida. I seem to think it won't be as painless as NY!

The duty you pay on bringing wine into the country (the amount over your limit, that is), should be based on its dollar value, not volume.

I would be very surprised to hear if there isn't a formula that you pay x% tax on the value of the wine.

well, it is Florida, so nothing would really surpirse me.