Wine Media Conference

Writing and Social Media for the Wine Industry

2022 Excursions

In 2022, we will be offering a number of optional pre-conference excursions and post-conference excursions. One-day excursions will cost $15 and two-day excursions will cost $30 (not including lodging).

Click here to register for an excursion today!

Please note:

  • Excursion information is not final and might change. Please check back here for the most up-to-date information.
  • All 2022 pre-conference and post-conference excursions are open to registered attendees and their family members or significant others. Please contact us if you have questions about this.
  • If you must cancel your spot, your excursion fees are not refundable.

Pre-Conference Excursions

Consorzio Tutela Valcalepio & Consorzio Tutela Moscato di Scanzo

Scanzorosciate is a hillside wine-growing area located on the slopes of the Orobic Prealps. Thanks to the ideal geographical position, the DOCG winds along the ridge of the hills from west to east with an ideal southern exposure, enjoying a particularly mild microclimate, a characteristic also demonstrated by the widespread presence of olive trees in the area. The particular morphology of the territory has vineyards that thrive between 300 and 500 meters above sea level, unraveling from Monte Bastia to the easternmost area, Colle dei Pasta.

Tuesday – September 27, 2022 | Price $15

  • Max capacity: 20
  • Pickup: Tuesday, Sept. 27, 12:30 PM at the Milan Airport
  • Drop Off: Tuesday, Sept. 27, 10:00 PM at Desenzano del Garda
  • Itinerary:

VISIT MOSCATO DI SCANZO DOCG WINE AREA

  • 13.30 PM Guests’ arrival and Welcome drink at Martinì Col di Paste with different Moscato di Scanzo pairing with local cheeses and cured meats. Via Collina Alta, 90 – 24020 Scanzorosciate (BG) www.martinicoldipaste.com
  • 30 minutes walk through the vineyards in Tribulina with explanation of Moscato di Scanzo grape: history and characteristics (in case of bad weather we will stay at Martin Col di Paste cellar).
  • 14.30 PM Arrival, tasting of different Moscato di Scanzo during a light lunch with special food pairing at Cascina San Giovanni cellar.
    Via San Giovanni, 1 – 24020 Scanzorosciate (BG) www.moscatomartinelli.com
  • 15.45 PM Transfer with bus to Scanzo along the vineyards of Rosciate area
  • 16.00 PM – Arrival at Villa Pagnoncelli Folcieri. Tasting of different Moscato di Scanzo with some sweet special food pairing and institutional greetings with Francesca Pagnoncelli Folcieri, President of Consorzio di Tutela Moscato di Scanzo, in her seventeenth-century villa. Pagnoncelli Folcieri Via F. Martinengo Colleoni, 38 –  24020 Scanzorosciate (BG) www.moscatopagnoncelli.com
  • 17.00 PM Transfer to Valcalepio area

VISIT VALCALEPIO WINE AREA

  • 17.30 PM – Arrival at Medolago Albani Winery in Trescore Balneario owned by the President of the Valcalepio Protection Consortium the DOC Terre del Colleoni as protagonists
  • Story of the wine-growing area that sees the DOC Valcalepio and the DOC Terre del Colleoni as protagonists
      • Screening of a short film about the area and visit to the vineyards and cellar
      • Visit to the Historical House
      • Tasting of DOC wines from various Bergamo wineries
      • 19 AM – dinner at Villa Redona (located inside Medolago Albani estate)
      • 21 AM – departure for the hotel

Sold out! Consorzio Tutela Lugana DOC

Lugana DOC is one of Italy’s oldest protected wine-growing areas. Lugana is also one of the few Italian wine regions that crosses over two provinces, Brescia and Verona, and the two regions of Lombardy and Veneto. The vines are grown in an area of morainic origin, which rises from the shores of the lake towards the first hills.

Wednesday – September 28, 2022 | Price $15

  • Max capacity: 25
  • Pickup: Wednesday, Sept. 28, 9:00 AM at Desenzano del Garda
  • Drop Off: Wednesday, Sept. 28, 10:00 PM at Desenzano del Garda
  • Itinerary:
    • 9:30-10:00 AM: Arrive at Cà dei Frati where the President of the
      Consortium, Fabio Zenato, will welcome you introducing the Lugana
      denomination. Are you ready to taste Lugana?
    • 10:00-11:30 AM: Cà dei Frati guided visit of the winery and wine tasting of
      its signature Lugana wines. Here we prepared a little surprise to make
      our tour more fun, are you curious? Sign-up and dive into Lugana!
    • 12:30-3:00 PM: Your Lugana experience goes on, a “mysterious winery”,
      is waiting for you to be discovered. The host will guide you through an
      unforgettable Lugana tasting and later on you will have lunch at the
      winery, obviously with gastronomic food of the territory!
    • 3:30-5:00 PM: Visit and tasting at our third “mysterious winery” of the
      day. We can’t reveal the name of the winery yet, we can only say you’ll
      love it!
    • 5:00-7:00 PM: Visit of renowed touristic sites of the denomination.
    • 7:30-10 PM: Guided visit of Selva Capuzza winery. After a long day of
      touring the Lugana doc territory, delight yourself with amazing food and
      wines from Selva Capuzza estate.
    • 10 PM: transfer to Hotel Acquaviva del Garda

Consorzio Valtènesi 

Valtenesi vines grow on a hilly area of morainic origin that extends on the Brescia side of Lake Garda. The hills are gentle, at times interrupted by small flat areas. This is an area whose climate is mitigated by the proximity to the lake, this Mediterranean between the Alps that manages to soften an otherwise pungent climate.

Wednesday – September 28, 2022 | Price $15

  • Max capacity: 30
  • Pickup: Wednesday, Sept. 28, 9:30 AM at Desenzano del Garda
  • Drop Off: Wednesday, Sept. 28, 9:00 PM at Desenzano del Garda
  • Itinerary:
    • 09:30 a.m. Pick up at Acquaviva del Garda Hote
    • 10:15 a.m. Visit and tasting at “Le Chiusure” Winery
    • 11:00 a.m. “Vittoriale degli Italiani”
      • Visit at the home of poet Gabriele D’Annunzio and the exclusive vineyard managed by Valtènesi consortium
    • 12:45 p.m. “Casa del Vino” (House of Wine)
      • Visit and light lunch at the “House of Wine” of Valtènesi area where guests will be able to taste all the different wines under the protection of “Valtènesi” and “San Martino della Battaglia” consortia. Alessandro Luzzago, The President of Valtènesi Consortium, will introduce guests to the wine producers.
    • 2:45 p.m. Visit and tasting at “Pasini San Giovanni” Winery
    • 4:15 p.m. Visit and tasting at “Costaripa” Winery
    • 6:00 p.m. Visit and tasting at “Cà Maiol” Winer
    • 7:30 p.m. Dinner at “Cobue” Winery
    • 9:00/9:30 p.m. Drop off at Hotel Acquaviva del GardaGuests will be able to taste “Valtènesi Riviera del Garda Classico DOC” rosé (both still and sparkling),
      “Valtènesi Riviera del Garda Classico DOC” red and “San Martino della Battaglia DOC” white.

Post-Conference Excursions

Consorzio Vini Mantovani

This excursion will explore Mantua, a UNESCO masterpiece of northern Italy, and the guardian of ancient winemaking traditions. The quality of Mantuan wines is linked to traditions going back thousands of years. Suffice it to say that the Roman poet Publius Virgil Maro, who was born in Mantua, wrote about the wild vitis labrusca over 2,000 years ago. The Morainic Hills are a chain of soft slopes stretching from Lake Garda to the outskirts of Mantua along the course of the Mincio River. This hillside region is famous for white and red full-bodied still wines and excellent dessert wines with denomination of origin D.C.O. (denomination of controlled origin) and T.G.I. (typical geographical indication), as well as the more recent evolution of the prestigious “metodo classico” sparkling wines.

Sunday – October 2, 2022 | Price $15

  • Max capacity: 20
  • Pickup: Sunday, Oct. 2, 10:00 AM at Desenzano del Garda
  • Drop Off: Sunday, Oct. 2, 9:00 PM at Desenzano del Garda
  • Itinerary:
    •10.00 AM pickup at Hotel Acquaviva del Garda, Desenzano
    •10.30 AM Arrive at Cantina Colli Morenici. The winery, founded in 1959, has determined the development of viticulture on the Mantuan hills. Guided tour of winery and panoramic vineyards – Strada Monzambano 75, Ponti sul Mincio. www.cantinacollimorenici.it
    •12.30 PM Arrive at Villa Mirra, prestigious original villa of the 16th century in the picturesque village of Cavriana. Tasting of the wines of the Mantuan hills (white, rosé, red, passito and spumante wines) in the ancient cellars of the villa with pairing of typical dishes: Mantuan risotto, chicken from the Gonzaga’s recipe, Mantuan cured meats with schiacciata (typical flatbread), Grana Padano with mustard, sbrisolona (traditional cake with almonds) – Via Porta Antica 32, Cavriana.
    •15:30 PM Arrive at Cantina di Quistello, historic winery founded in 1928. Guided tour of winery and vineyards to learn about the native grape variety of “Lambrusco Grappello Ruberti”, present in the province of Mantua only – Via Roma 46, Quistello. www.cantinasocialequistello.it
    •17.30 PM Arrive at abbey of San Benedetto Po, ancient convent of the Benedictine monks who in Middle Age favored the spread of viticulture. Visit to the ancient cellars of the abbey and tasting of various types of Mantuan Lambrusco (white, rosé, red, spumante) in the cloister in combination with typical dishes: macaroni with duck sauce, Parmigiano Reggiano with pears from the floodplain of Po river, ciccioli (typical pork greaves), sugolo (wort pudding) with almond sweets – Piazza Teofilo Folengo, San Benedetto Po.
    •19.30 PM: Transfer to Hotel Acquaviva del Garda, Desenzano

Consorzio Tutela Vini Oltrepo Pavese

Lombardy is not only plain, paddy fields and wheat. Just look up and the soft and harmonious hills have always promised much more, they are promises of evocative wine-growing areas and in this “regional field” the bunch of grapes from the Oltrepò Pavese territory affirms its leadership. Here a wide range of high quality wines of sure origin are produced. A complete range that satisfies every eno-gastronomic combination from appetizer to dessert. On the hills of Oltrepò the most representative vines are: Pinot Nero, Croatina, Barbera and Riesling. But we could add: Uva Rara, Ughetta / Vespolina, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Cortese Bianco, Moscato, Malvasia and even Müller-Thurgau. Very often the grape variety is identified – even in the name – with the wines of Oltrepò Pavese. On these hills, made different also by the exposure and nature of the soil, they become unique and unmistakable.

Sunday – Tuesday | October 2 – 4, 2022 | Price $30

  • Max capacity: 20
  • Pickup: Sunday, Oct. 2, 10:00 AM at Acquaviva Hotel in Desenzano del Garda
  • Drop Off: Tuesday, Oct. 4, by 8:00 AM at the Milan Airport
  • Itinerary:
  • Hotel Information: Please contact the hotel directly to book.
    • Recommended hotel: Albergo Ristorante Selvatico

SOLD OUT! Consorzio Tutela Vini di Valtellina

Valtellina is a Lombard Alpine land, influenced by winds, mountain currents, breezes from the valley bottom and nearby Lake Como, by the exposure of the vineyards to the south, by a geometry of dry stone walls that extends from the bottom to the the high for 2500 kilometers. All elements that come together in the art of cultivating the vine, Nebbiolo, one of the greatest Italian vines.

Sunday – Monday | October 2 – 3, 2022 | Price $30

  • Max capacity: 20
  • Pickup: Sunday, Oct. 2, 10:00 AM at Desenzano del Garda
  • Drop Off: Monday, Oct. 3, 7:00 PM at Desenzano del Garda
  • Itinerary:
    • October 2
      • 10:00 a.m. Pickup at Hotel Acquaviva del Garda (Desenzano, BS) and transfer to Valtellina area.
      • 12:30 p.m. Light Lunch with President Danilo Drocco and wine tasting with local producers.
      • 7:00 p.m. Dinner at Hotel Campelli with local wine producers.
    • October 3
      • 10:00 a.m. Pickup at Hotel Campelli and visit to local wineries and vineyards, wine tasting and lunch: guests will be split in groups for multiple visits.
      • 4:30 p.m. Gathering at Hotel Campelli and departure for Desenzano.
      • 7:00 p.m. Drop off at Hotel Acquaviva del Garda (Desenzano, BS)

 

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