This CORK & FORK sample itinerary for independent travel has been developed based on a group of 4 or 8 and is provided merely as a glimpse of the sort of customized travel experience CORK & FORK would delight in developing for your group of 2 or more. It would be our pleasure to customize a program based on your preferences.   Highlights: •   12 days/11 nights of epicurean immersion in Italy’s leading wine region (Piemonte), its leading gastronomic region (Emilia-Romagna) and its most beloved countryside (the Chianti Hills of Tuscany) •   Exceptional accommodations: an 11th-century castle in a picture postcard village in the heart of Piemonte wine country, Bologna’s leading luxury property and a boutique resort with destination spa set within a 12th-century castle in the Tuscan countryside •   Private guided wine tours showcasing the very best of Piemonte, including sensational Barolos and Barbarescos and Chianti Classico or Montalcino,home of world-class Brunellos. Regional wine tasting at a hilltop castle in Piemonte wine country •   Hands-on culinary experiences including a traditional lesson at a farmhouse and family-run Moscato winery in Piemonte and a lesson at a fabulous restaurant in the Tuscan countryside •   Customized day excursion to Torino with epicurean stop-offs and tastings,as well as a cultural highlights tour (chocolate lovers will be in heaven!) •   Walking tour of the charming wine town of Alba with tastings of white truffles and other specialties and visits to Tuscan wine towns •   Scenic drives through the impossibly-beautiful Italian countryside •   Private car and driver service for the duration of the program •   Opinionated dining recommendations (CORK & FORK will provide detailed restaurant reviews, customize a dining program to suit your preferences and enable you to experience the range of cuisine in your destinations).   Contact Jim Dondero at CORK & FORK to discuss this itinerary. 919.536.3200 • jim@corkandfork.net Day One: Arrival to Milan Malpensa Airport. Airport meet-and-greet and private transfer 1 hour 45 minutes to your hotel in the Langhe region, where outstanding Nebbiolo and other wine grapes flourish on the region’s steep slopes. Afternoon leisurely walking tour of the small, well-heeled town of Alba. Accommodations: Castello di Sinio, a small, stylish and thoroughly delightful 11th-century castle located in a charming village virtually untouched by tourism. Day Two: A Day in Wine Country with private guide. Introduction to the wines of the Langhe at the enoteca of Grinzane Cavour, an imposing hilltop castle, to include private tastings of a range of local wines including Barbaresco, Barolo, Dolcetto and Barbera, or a mix of reds and whites such as Arneis, Gavi and Moscato d’Asti. Private guided visit to two celebrated Barolo producers featuring private tours, tastings and winemaker/estate-owner meetings. Lunch with your guide featuring the refined and very unique cuisine of the region. Late afternoon at leisure at your hotel. Accommodations: Castello di Sinio Day Three: A full-day, customized private excursion to the Piemontese capital of Torino (private transfer: 1 hour), former capital of the Duchy of Savoy, the first capital of a unified Italy and host of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. Underrated Torino is also a great food city. Some options for your customized program might include a tour of the city’s exceptional baroque piazzas, exposure to Torino’s rich café tradition and exploration of some of the gastronomic hot spots of Torino (think chocolate!) including Eataly (a poorly-named gastronomic emporium), food markets and shops featuring exceptional Italian pastries, chocolates and cheeses. On the cultural front, visits could include the cathedral, the National Museum of Cinema, the Museo Egizio, one of the world’s most important museums of Egyptian art, or the Royal Palace and its beautiful gardens. Lunch with your guide is included. Accommodations: Castello di Sinio Day Four: Morning at leisure at your castle hotel. After lunch on your own, your wine guide will escort you to private tours, tastings and winemaker/estate owner meetings at two outstanding producers of Barbaresco, where you’ll have opportunities to sample other regional reds, such as Barbera d’Asti, and whites, such as Moscato d’Asti. Accommodations: Castello di Sinio Day Five: Morning transfer to the village of Santo Stefano Belbo for a hands-on cooking lesson with Mrs. Anna and her daughter Luisella at their farmhouse. You will prepare homemade Agnolotti del Plin, a small stuffed pasta typical of the area, along with antipasti and nocciole, a chocolate and hazelnut concoction that pairs very well with the Moscato d’Asti produced by the proprietors. Included in the antipasti course will be a lecture on some of the fabulous local cheeses of the area such as Murrazzano or Toma. Following lunch of your creations, return to your hotel for an afternoon at leisure. Accommodations: Castello di Sinio Day Six: Morning private transfer 3 hours 30 minutes to Bologna, one of our favorite cities in Italy. The gastronomic capital of the country will also inspire you with its stunning architecture, highlighted by miles and miles of arcades, and its lively nature (Bologna is home to the oldest university in Europe). En route, enjoy private visits and tastings (with guide) to a family-run producer of certified Parmagiano-Reggiano and a producer of traditional balsamic vinegar, where product is aged for as long as 25 years and is much more dynamic than commercial balsamico, with which most people are familiar. Lunch, featuring these specialties and the famous prosciutto di parma and culatello di zibello of the region, is included. Late afternoon at leisure in Bologna. Accommodations: Grand Hotel Baglioni, an elegant old-world property situated in close proximity to the main square, Piazza Maggiore. Day Seven: Full-day Epicurean Walking Tour of Bologna with a private guide. Visit key cultural sites such as the great leaning towers of Bologna (Torre degli Asinelli and Torre degli Garisenda), the Basilica di San Petronio, and the National Picture Gallery, featuring Renaissance masterworks, as well as epicurean venues such as the Mercato di Mezzo and the finest food shops and heavenly delis of Bologna. For lunch with your guide, we suggest a family-run establishment where you can sample sensational regional specialties such as tagliatelle al ragu, lasagna or tortellini. Time will be allotted for shopping on your own. Optional evening cooking lesson with dinner. Accommodations: Grand Hotel Baglioni Day Eight: Morning at leisure. Late morning transfer 1 hour 45 minutes to the lovely Chianti Classico region between Florence and Siena. Afternoon at leisure. Accommodations: Castello del Nero, a five-star boutique resort ideally situated in the Chianti Hills Day Nine: A day in Wine Country: We’ll customize a wine program for you in the Chianti Classico region or in Montalcino, our favorite wine village in Tuscany and the epicenter of exceptional Brunellos. Lunch with your private guide is included. Accommodations: Castello del Nero Day Ten: Practically Nothing! Day of leisure at your castle hotel. Perhaps you’ll venture out to one of the nearby villages. Optional private guided excursion to one of the arts cities of the region such as Florence, Siena or Arezzo. Accommodations: Castello del Nero Day Eleven: Start with a traditional Tuscan culinary lesson at a Michelin-star restaurant in Southern Tuscany. Lunch is included. Late afternoon at leisure at your castle hotel. Accommodations: Castello del Nero Day Twelve: Private transfer to the Florence airport for departure. What’s Included: •   Airport meet-and-greet and private hotel transfers •   11 nights’ deluxe accommodations, as specified •   Two half-day culinary sessions with lunches, as specified, at a farmhouse in Santo Stefano Belbo/Piemonte and a Michelin-star restaurant in Southern Tuscany •   Three private guided wine tours with private visits and tastings, as specified, in the Piemonte (Barolo and Barbaresco tours) and Tuscany (Chianti Classico or Montalcino recommended). •   Private wine tasting in the hilltop castle entocea of Grinzane Cavour •   Artisan food producer visits in Emilia-Romagno to a family-run maker of Parmagiano-Reggiano and traditional balsamic vinegar •   Epicurean walking tour of Bologna, Italy’s gastronomic capital, and of the wine town of Alba •   Customized day excursion from Piemonte to Torino to include epicurean and cultural touring •   11 breakfasts at your hotels and 7 lunches as part of culinary lessons or private guided tour programs •   Ground transportation via luxury vehicle for all transfers specified within this program •   All CORK & TEE fees, taxes and gratuities for program elements specified in this itinerary •   Detailed CORK & TEE travel guide and “take-with-you” itinerary, opinionated restaurant recommendations and booking •   24/7 phone availability of a CORK & TEE representative during travel   Price Per Person (based on a group of FOUR, double occupancy): $8295 Price Per Person (based on a group of EIGHT, double occupancy):): $7195   Pricing and arrangements are subject to availability and price fluctuation. Pricing will be guaranteed prior to final booking. For More Information: Contact Jim Dondero at CORK & FORK to discuss this itinerary: 919.536.3200, jim@corkandfork.net