Saffron, Mediterranean herbs & Vernaccia di San Gimignano
Wine & Food ToursDuration:5 hours
Rates
SAFFRON AND WINE IN SAN GIMIGNANO
Join our private tour to an organic farm, skillfully managed by two women, nestled in the breathtaking countryside between San Gimignano and Volterra. Enjoy their unique saffron production and the cultivation of various herbs, emblematic of Mediterranean vegetation. Delight in the aromatic presence of sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, and bay leaf.
The adventure continues in the afternoon with the visit to a winery in the San Gimignano region, producing the best Vernaccia wine!
A small family-run farm in heaven!
Tired of crowdy and touristy places in Tuscany? This is the tour for you! A half-day dedicated to marvellous setting of rolling hills, unspoiled woods of authentic Mediterranean vegetation and elegantly farmed fields, only surrounded by peace, fresh air and fragrant perfumes of plants, herbs and flowers!
A wonderful lady and her family
During the visit to this small organic farm you have the chance to meet Elena, a gracious lady who inherited a middle-sized property from her parents and who had the vision of rising her kids in such a spectacular context. She leads the business partly helped by a sister and a brother and she is particularly good at creating delicious organic products with all the plants and vegetables she grows.
An alternation of colors and perfumes
Hardly anywhere else in our region you can find such a large variety of different spontaneus plants growing right next to a stunning vegetable garden and to a field of Mediterranean aromatic herbs! The visit to Elena’s farm allows you to familiarize with a huge variety of typical plants of the Mediterranean scrub, a thick and bushy vegetation growing in the coastal areas of Southern Europe dense with flowers, berries and aromatic leaves. You will learn about the mutliple uses of it that locals have been making for centuries.
Elena will be happy to show you the seasonal vegetables that she is growing in her garden and that will be brought to the table for your lunch: zucchini, eggplants, tomatoes, lettuce, bell peppers in the Summer but also cauliflower, pumpkins, leek in Autumn.
Furthermore,you will see how typical Mediterranean herbs grow and you will experience how they wonderfully smell. You will see sage, thyme, oregano, bayleaf, rosemarey and many more…
A delicious lunch al fresco
In the end of our visit to Elena’s organic farm you will sit in a little patio by her house and you will taste a series of mouthwatering delicacies made by her in person. You will have a bruschetta with her extra virgin olive oil and fine herbs, a salad of farro, or spelt, dressed with her fresh tomatoes, a selection of pickled vegetables, several delicious and very original sweet & sour jams that will pair a delicious local pecorino cheese, fresh and grilled vegetables of the season and a little dessert with saffron. It will be a great buffet of produce cultivated within the property!
Visit to the winery and wine tasting
The journey continues with a visit to one of the most appreciated producers of the celebrated white Vernaccia di San Gimignano where to enjoy a guided tasting of a curated selection of 4 wines and an interesting visit to their wine cellars.
After the visit to the winery you can extend your day by visiting the town of San Gimignano on your own
Please note that saffron flowers grown in October and November only.
What you taste
This is a list of specialties that you are likely to sample as part of the program of this tour. Please, note that the specialties of the tasting session and/or lunch may vary according to the season and the availability of the products in the day of the tour.
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.
Elena and Elisa are two very experienced and enthusiastic farmers of Sardinian origin who produce saffron, herbs, olive oil, grains and fruits in a spectacular farm in the woody hills between Volterra and San Gimignano. Their property is in one of the most panoramic locations in Tuscany, the quintessence of the Tuscan landscapes. 
The total rate for this activity varies according to the number of people in your party.
Check rates in the table below.
Saffron, Mediterranean herbs & vernaccia di san gimignano
|
|
|---|---|
NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN YOUR PARTY |
TOTAL RATE |
| 2 persons | € 460 |
| 3 persons | € 550 |
| 4 persons | € 640 |
| 5 persons | € 730 |
| 6 persons | € 820 |
| 7 persons | € 910 |
| 8 persons | € 1000 |
| Extra adult | € 90 |
| Extra teenager (12-17 yrs) | € 80 |
| Extra child (4-11 yrs) | € 60 |
Rates include
- Private English speaking tour guide for the whole tour – German, Russian, French or Spanish also available
- A visit to the herbs garden, to the vegetable garden and to the saffron field
- A lunch with all products of the farm and saffron scented specialties
- Visit to a winery in the are of San Gimignano
- Wine tasting with snack
- Tax
Rates do NOT include
- Transportation
- Tips to the staff, not included, not obligatory but very much appreciated
Transportation is not included in the rates above. For more info on transportation, please see the box “Transportation options”.
This tour takes place in the rural area between Volterra and San Gimignano.
MEET-UP LOCATION:
Unless differently specified, the tour guide meets you at a meeting point near Volterra or San Gimignano.
DURATION:
This program takes 3 hours. Time for transportation not included.
AVAILABILITY:
Available all the year through, from Mondays through Saturdays.
LANGUAGE:
This tour is available in English language. German, French, Spanish, Russian or Italian are also available with no surcharge.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL:
Easy
CHILD FRIENDLY:
Ideal for children
CLOTHING:
Comfortable shoes and clothes recommended.
FOOD RESTRICTIONS:
The foods served during this tour might contain gluten, lactose, nuts and alcohol. If you have any food restriction, please inform our personnel during the enquiry process.
TRANSPORTATION:
This program and its rates do not include transportation and are set on a self-driving base. For further information see the box "transportation options".
The destinations reached during this activity are in the Tuscan countryside, in areas off the beaten track that cannot be reached by public transport. We highly recommend renting a car or a scooter in order to reach them. As an alternative, we can offer a valued service by chauffeured car, van or minibus. Any cost of transportation is to be added to the rates displayed on the rate table of this page.
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