VIP: Bistecca day, wine and truffle tasting in San Miniato

HISTORY AND FOOD IN SAN MINIATO
Arianna & Friends offers an exclusive VIP full-day tour departing from Livorno port, exploring the enchanting region of San Miniato and spotlighting three of Tuscany’s finest products: T-bone steak, wine, and truffles. Begin your day with a visit to a historic winery for a delightful wine tasting experience and a light snack. Indulge in a sumptuous lunch at a renowned butcher shop, featuring the iconic Tuscan steak. Conclude your gastronomic adventure with a truffle tasting at a local shop in San Miniato. It’s the perfect day tailored just for you!

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Details of our shore excursion:

– Private transfer by minivan (up to 8 people) or minibus (9 people or more) from the port of Livorno. In case of minivan our driver meets you directly at the ship in the morning and drives you for the whole day. In case of minibus our driver meets you at a bus parking area near the ship that you will reach by a fast free shuttle service organized by the port. On the way back our mininus will drop you off directly by the ship.

– Within 45 minutes we reach a historical winery in the area of Pontedera, located in a timeless place, where intellectuals, famous personalities from the international and Italian artistic, cultural, and business world have stayed over the years. From the Florentine family Capponi, through the writer Alessandro Manzoni, to the actor Marcello Mastroianni—this place is even connected with the history of the Agnelli family (Fiat) and the Piaggio family (Vespa) in the 50s. We will explore part of the private historical villa and its typical Italian Renaissance Garden. we will visit the modern cellars and the captivating historical cellars where their finest wines age, and savor three distinctive wines where Sangiovese and Syrah grapes take the spotlight.

– After the wine tasting we will reach the area of San Miniato.  We take you on a journey to one of the region’s most distinguished butcher shops specialized in the art of crafting high-quality meats, succulent steaks, and flavorful cold cuts. We will enjoy a delectable lunch experience, savoring the exquisite meats and hams meticulously produced on-site, accompanied by other authentic dishes. Highlights include an unforgettable T-bone steak paired with a glass of premium local wine, ensuring a truly memorable culinary adventure.

– After lunch, we will reach the heart of San Miniato for a leisurely stroll through the charming town, unveiling its medieval allure and historical treasures. We will reach the top of the town where a majestic tower awaits, offering breathtaking panoramas of the Tuscan countryside. San Miniato, steeped in rich history, captivates with its medieval charm and is renowned for hosting the central Italy’s most significant Truffle Festival, a November spectacle not to be missed.

– Our journey concludes with a visit to a local café in town, where you’ll have the opportunity to savor the distinct flavors of San Miniato’s truffle products. Delight your palate with truffle-based crostini and bruschettas, perfectly paired with a glass of exquisite local wine.

– Return within the early evening, depending on the docking time of the cruiseship.

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In our tour we like showing you places off the beaten track and introducing you to Tuscan people with their personal stories, careers and characters.
You will have one of our guides with your party during the whole tour. Please, see below all the guides who can be with you.
During this experience you can also meet some of the Tuscan friends involved in the events. Please, see below which friends you are likely to encounter.

Moira

guide

Moira

Pisa city tour guide & and tour leader at Arianna & Friends'

Ciao a tutti! My name is Moira and I'm the "foreigner" here at Arianna & Friends! In fact I come from the north west of Italy, from the town of Turin, and I moved to Tuscany in 2012, falling immediately in love with the culture, the arts and foods and of course - my favourite! - wines of this beautiful region. I started working at Arianna & Friends' back in 2013 as an assistant at the Tourist Information Office of a small hilltop village, where our office was initially located; then I got my licence as tour guide and I am today the city tour guide in the team for the main towns of Pisa, Volterra, San Miniato, but also for all our less famous tiny villages, which hide lots of secrets and such a loooong history! Last year, together with my colleague Luca, we got a licence as official truffle hunters, but I'm still mainly a truffle eater! When I'm not walking around in our amazing places talking about arts, culture and history, or discovering together with our guests the local specialties, you find me in the office, taking care of bookings and reservations. I really hope to meet you soon to show you around our beautiful land, and as I come from another region, I can also reveal some of the secrets that Tuscan people will never confess!!

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Massimo

guide

Massimo

Co-founder and owner at Arianna & Friends'

Ciao a tutti! It’s Massimo here. I’m the “first one” of the friends of Arianna in order of appearance, as we first met me when we were… ehm … at the high school! Well, the first “activities” we arranged together were those many teenagers do, like going to rock concerts (long live Metallica!), barbecuing, drinking inexpensive wine, mainly with no understanding of it. In over 25 years we became more serious adults; so serious that we finished university together and we then decided to start a business from scratch, back in 2007, in an area where nothing like this existed before. I am a natural born teacher, as I’ve always liked sharing knowledge on the beauties of the world with other people. When I started sharing the wisdom of the local cuisine with visitors to Tuscany or showing them the rooted traditions behind a wheel of local pecorino cheese, I realized how fantastic my job is. In fact I discovered that being a wine & food guide is a sophisticated way of being a good teacher, so I can’t help but love it! In the A&F team I’m the multi-language guide or assistant in all activities we offer, from cooking classes, to wine & food tours, from Italian language classes to vespa tours. In the low season I deal with the website development and content management. As I am very curious, I spend all my free time travelling all over the world and of course going on learning as much as I can: over the last few years I took part in several seminaries on extra virgin olive oil, I started a three-year course to become a sommelier, I experienced a professional training to become gelato maker and I decided to never give up in learning the Arabic language. Stay connected as we will soon come up with some new great ideas for your entertainment and enjoyment of our beautiful region! Ci vediamo in Toscana!

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