In Search of a Rare Tuscan Wine Tasting Experience in Italy?

With so many great wineries in Tuscany and never enough time to track down some of the most beguiling blends, what's a wine lover visiting the area to do? Understanding this dilemma, Borgo Santo Pietro sommelier Mirko Favalli has developed a program introducing rare and exclusive Tuscan wines to the guests of Borgo Santo Pietro.

Held in the Borgo's wine cellar, Favalli hand selects wines from chosen Tuscan vintners who are generally too small or too exclusive to open their facilities to the many visitors who come to Tuscany each year to sample some of the world's finest wines. During the off season, Favaili spends five months sourcing and meeting with local vintners from more than 50 wineries in the area.

Guests who have a passion for wine can sign up for the daily session offered between 3:30 and 6:00 p.m. Lasting approximately 90 minutes, guests taste between five and 11 organic and biodynamic wines from around the region. All wine selections are accompanied by cheeses and cold cuts from Borgo's salumeria. The number of wines chosen depends upon the guest's specific needs as each session is customized to match each guest's desires.

A native of Asoala, in the Mantova region of Italy, Favalli has been involved in the hotel and restaurant business for eleven years, with six years as a sommelier. He has worked at the three-Michelin star Dal Pescatore in Canneto Sull' Oglio (north of Parma) and the two-Michelin Star Le Manior Quatre Saison in Oxford, England.

"One of my greatest pleasures is meeting with small and large vintners who create some of the world's best Tuscan wines and bringing these finds to our guests," Favelli tells us. "Many of these wineries can only be discovered through an insider's knowledge of the region."

According to Borgo Santo Pietro's owner Jeanette Thottrup, the wine tasting sessions are part of Borgo Santo Pietro's philosophy of introducing guests to the nuances of Tuscany through products and practices that define the region. On-site cooking classes, wine tasting sessions and gardening classes along with featuring a locally produced bath amenity line from Santa Maria Novella and custom designed Italian bathrobes (to resemble a monk's habit), are just some of the features that encompass the Tuscan lifestyle and create the quintessential Borgo Santo Pietro experience.

The cost of each wine tasting session starts at Euro 50 per person, but can vary depending upon number of wines tasted. For guests who would like to purchase specific wines, Favalli can arrange for shipping. Room Rates for 2011 (through the end of October) range from Euro 335 per night for the Sir Vincent room up to Euro 1760 for the Grand Suite Santo Pietro. Breakfast and tax are included. Exclusive hire of Borgo Santo Pietro can be arranged on a weekly basis.

For further information or to contact Borgo Santo Pietro, e-mail info@borgosantopietro.com or phone 011 39 0577 75 12 22. For more details visit www.borgosantopietro.com

Hotel Profile: Borgo Santo Pietro