Wine Tour Maremma & Bolgheri Wine gems steeped in history

Day 1: Switzerland – Maremma

Journey past Livorno into southern Tuscany to Marina di Castagneto Carducci. (6 nights at the Tombolo Talasso Resort*****).

Day 2: Tenuta Ornellaia – Bolgheri

Tenuta Ornellaia stands for the pursuit of perfection. Part of the Ornellaia estate was once covered by the Mediterranean, and sandy deposits, marl and marine fossils bear witness to this prehistoric past. At slightly higher elevations, clay soils emerge, interspersed with limestone gravel of varying sizes. At lunch in the Osteria del Tasso, you will get to know further wines of the region. In the afternoon, enjoy a stroll through the village of Bolgheri. Strictly speaking, the small strip of the Bolgheri appellation is part of the Maremma, but, given its great importance as the home of the famous wines Sassicaia, Ornellaia and Masseto, it emphasises its independence.

Day 3: Giardino dei Tarocchi

Drive into the hilly hinterland near Grosseto. Here, the programme includes a visit to the Fattoria Le Pupille, with a guided tour, lunch and wine tasting. Later you will visit the Tarot Garden near Capalbio, designed by the French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle. The figures that Niki de Saint Phalle devised for her Tarot Garden in Tuscany are gigantic, brightly coloured and thoroughly fairytale-like. Adults and children alike stand in awe before the 22 fantastical figures, whose appearance can inspire pure exuberance in the viewer, yet can also frighten and unsettle. The day concludes with the Monteverro winery. Georg Weber found the perfect mineral-rich terroir for his top winery, Monteverro. He discovered the ideal climatic conditions in this spot, set in a natural bay, for producing world-class wines. A Premier Grand Cru from Tuscany: Monteverro. With his young and highly motivated team, he began producing unique and authentic wines in which you can taste the outstanding terroir. Passion and love of nature make Monteverro unique.

Day 4: Tenuta Argentiera

A highlight is the visit to the Tenuta Argentiera winery, where, in addition to a walk through the vines, you will taste exquisite wines. The Argentiera estate covers a total of 153 hectares. Lined by pine avenues, olive trees and woodland, the land boasts a unique biodiversity that offers the vines ideal growing conditions, as they are largely protected from harmful insects and wild animals and are not exposed to climatic stress.

Day 5: Castiglione della Pescaia

In Castiglione della Pescaia, the Le Mortelle winery awaits you, another distinctive estate, which passed into the ownership of the Antinori winemaking family twenty years ago. A leisurely stroll through the charming little town of Castiglione della Pescaia, with its striking castle offering far-reaching views to the island of Giglio and Monte Argentario, rounds off the day.

Day 6: Follonica - Petra Winery

Visit to the weekly market in Follonica. The Petra winery is a spectacular, newly built structure by the famous Swiss architect Mario Botta. Most of the production consists of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon vines. Smaller plantings of Sangiovese and Syrah are also present. All plots are planted at maximum density, and some are farmed according to organic principles (in conversion). Mario Botta designed the building's outer shell so that its most striking feature, a staircase, points from earth to sky. The interiors, with all the wine-specific facilities, were developed by Vittorio Moretti and his team of advisers themselves. Afterwards, you will stroll through Campiglia Marittima, perhaps the loveliest little town on the Etruscan Riviera.

Day 7: Maremma - Switzerland

Journey home to Switzerland.