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EVERY QUEST HAS A BEGINNING
Leaders Club Romantic Journey Through Italy
 

Two Landmark Hotels, One Italian Wine Authority, Seven Days for a Once in a Lifetime Experience

The Leading Hotels of the World - Leaders Club Member Exclusive:  An unprecedented food and wine adventure at VILLA D’ESTE and VILLA LA MASSA with SERGIO ESPOSITO, author of Passion on the Vine: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Family in the Heart of Italy. Inspired by the pages of this provocative memoir, for seven extraordinary days you will experience a program of the utmost in luxury and sophistication, the hallmark of the Villa d’Este Group, designed in collaboration with Italian Wine Merchants. The connections that you’ll make with Italy’s most prominent wine and food personalities will live on in memories forever… Due to the rare access that will be granted by the author and featured winemakers, this exclusive program is limited to only 14 guests.
 
 

Itinerary

October 26 to November 1, 2008


 
 
DAY 1

Sunday, October 26
* Arrive at the luxurious Grand Hotel Villa d’Este (Cernobbio)

* Leisure time: Choose from an array of indoor and outdoor activities, including the award-winning Beauty Center, pools, golf, tennis and the fitness center. You may also choose to go shopping or sight-seeing on the lake by boat.

* Welcome reception: enjoy an aperitivo with General Manager, Danilo Zucchetti, meet author Sergio Esposito and fellow travelers.

* Welcome dinner - a special Passion on the Vine five-course dinner at the Veranda restaurant, Villa d’Este’s award-winning restaurant (jacket and tie required), presented by Executive Chef and “King of Risotto”, Luciano Parolari. Wine pairings and remarks by Sergio Esposito.

 
  
 
DAY 2

Monday, October 27
* Leisure Time: Choose from an array of indoor and outdoor activities, including the award-winning Beauty Center, pools, golf, tennis and the fitness center. You may also choose to go shopping or sight-seeing on the lake by boat.

* Enjoy an evening dedicated to the region of Piedmont to celebrate the traditional winemaking of the Langhe. Join Sergio for a special wine dinner with guest producer Roberto Conterno of the GIACOMO CONTERNO estate, known for their long-lived Barberas and famed Barolos, Cascina Francia and the legendary Monfortino Riserva.







 
 
 
DAY 3

Tuesday, October 28
* Leisure Time: Choose from an array of indoor and outdoor activities, including the award-winning Beauty Center, pools, golf, tennis and the fitness center. You may also choose to go shopping or sight-seeing on the lake by boat.

* Enjoy an evening dedicated to Friuli Venezia Giulia and its more radical approaches to winemaking. Join Sergio for a special wine dinner with guest producer Aleš Kristancic of the MOVIA estate (at the border with Slovenia). Learn from this exciting and revolutionary winemaker, "a disco-dancing vintner who bases his farming on the rhythm of the moon".
 
 
 
 
 
DAY 4

Wednesday, October 29
* Transfer by Mercedes vehicles to train station. Travel to Tuscany by 1st class high-speed train

* Arrive at luxurious VILLA LA MASSA (Candeli, Firenze)

* Leisure time in the afternoon to relax and enjoy indoor and outdoor activities at the property. Or take the Villa’s free shuttle to explore the historic center of Florence.

* Welcome reception: enjoy an aperitivo with General Manager, Marco Montagnani

* Welcome dinner - a special five-course dinner at the Il Verrocchio restaurant, presented by Chef Andrea Quagliarella featuring wine pairing and remarks by Sergio Esposito.
 
  
 
DAY 5

Thursday, October 30
* Group transportation by Mercedes vehicles to Radda in Chianti * Private visit with Sergio to the small estate of MONTEVERTINE, followed by a casual lunch with owner Martino Manetti with a tasting of Le Pergole Torte, the first single-vineyard Super-Tuscan to be made from 100% Sangiovese grapes.

* Return to hotel. Leisure time in the afternoon.

* Group transportation by Mercedes vehicles to Pelago

* Special five-course private dinner at the Castello di Nipozzano, the Chianti Rufìna estate of MARCHESE DE FRESCOBALDI. Join Sergio and estate staff to taste from the company's diverse expanse of vineyards, the largest in Tuscany (jacket and tie required).












 
 
 
  DAY 6

Friday, October 31
* Group transportation by Mercedes vehicles to Montalcino

* Join Sergio for a private visit of the CASE BASSE estate, usually not open to the public. Meet owner GIANFRANCO SOLDERA and daughter, Monica, for a guided tour of the estate and celebrated gardens, followed by a barrel tasting.

* Join the Solderas for a private lunch and tasting at their favorite local restaurant located in Sant’Angelo in Colle.

* Visit to TENUTA GREPPO, the legendary estate of the Biondi Santi family, where more than a century ago, Ferruccio Biondi Santi earned the title of "Father of Brunello" for isolating the strain of Sangiovese Grosso best suited to making this age worthy wine. Join Sergio for a memorable vintage tasting with owner FRANCO BIONDI SANTI.

* Drive back to Candeli to Villa La Massa. Relax & change for dinner.

* Farewell dinner: a special five-course dinner in honor of the food & wine of Italy with a surprise special guest. Menu by Chef Andrea Quagliarella, featuring wine pairing and remarks from Sergio Esposito.
 
 
 
 
 
DAY 7

Saturday, November 1
* Breakfast – END OF PROGRAM

* Leisure morning. Independent check-out and departure.
 
  
 
Program Cost:


Rates start at EUR 5,048 Single and EUR 8,941 Double.


For reservations, please call 1-800-650-CLUB, your local Leading Hotels of the World reservations center, as featured on www.lhw.com/contactus.aspx, or your travel advisor. Please be sure to reference code X9 when making your reservations. To contact us via e-mail, please send an e-mail to theleadersclub@lhw.com.This offer is subject to availability.



Disclaimers:

Principal winemakers in attendance and/or featured wineries are subject to change. The organizers, Italian Wine Merchants and the Villa d’Este Group, reserve the right to make substitutions to the itinerary with activities/venues of similar value as those described on the official itinerary description. Space is limited to 14 guests. For more information about Passion on the Vine and Italian Wine Merchants, please visit www.italianwinemerchant.com.