Activities & Tasting

Enjoy all the experiences in Tenuta Torciano

LIVE THE EXPERIENCE OF THE HARVEST

Harvest Experience in San Gimignano Vineyards

Harvest Experience – With stomping

A “vendemmia” (Italian for grape harvest) is one of the most fascinating experiences you can enjoy in Tuscany during the harvest season. It is a wonderful way to learn a lot about the local wine & food traditions but also about the local culture.

Those who tried it report that the atmosphere in a working winery is something definitely unique! You can participate to a vendemmia on a charming wine estate and taste some excellent local wines served with lunch.

If you visit Tuscany right at the beginning of the harvesting season you may coincide with the grape stomping. This is a habit in one of our wineries in the very first day of the vendemmia to facilitate the fermentation of the grape juice. Hopefully you will coincide with it! 

Grapes & Vineyards – Ageing of the Grapes

Nothing is sadder for a farmer than to watch his grapes spoil on the vine – and though some wines call for grapes that have aged (on or off the vine) to produce the prized vin santo or other liqueur wines, the major part of the harvest is destined for a normal or reserve wine to be shared among friends.

The actual harvest requires very little in the way of tools: a sharp pair of garden shears or a small knife with a hooked point, a small to medium sized wicker basket, a few larger bins or large wooden poles, a customized grinder and of course, large stainless-steel vats.

Contrary to popular belief the picked grapes are no longer “stomped” – even if the image is folkloristic the truth is, it is not very hygienic. However, the large lunch and comradery that are also associated with these events is still very much in vogue! After a morning of harvesting, pummeling, pouring and turning there is sure to be an invitation to sit down to a table that overflows with the colors and flavors of the season!

The Experience – Grapes Harvest with Lunch and Winetasting

An experience in the vineyards with the harvesters

Our grape harvest experience takes place in the morning for about one hour. You meet our local guide and have an introduction to the world of vineyards before acting! The guide gives you a lot of information about the plants and the cultivation of the vines as well as the weather conditions of the seasons and how they affect the fruits. Then you get your scissors and your crates and you start collecting grapes assisted by your guide and when possible, with other winemakers around.

After collecting some grapes, you will follow your guide and the tractor to the operational areas in the winery, where you see all the machinery involved in the process, to understand the wine-making process in detail. From the destemming to the fermentation casks, you will learn in detail how the grape juice is transformed into wine. Finally, you rest in the tasting room of the property and sample some great wines produced by the winery, served along with a full lunch.

Harvest Experience with Lunch and Wine Tasting

  • Harvest in the Vineyard: Cut and harvest the grapes
  • Learn about the harvest techniques and machinery
  • Participate in the historical stomping of the grapes (when possible)
  • Tuscan Lunch with a four-course meal
  • Tasting of wine and other products

The Tuscan Lunch will follow this Menu:

  • Appetizers: Tuscan cheeses and salami, Bruschetta and snack
  • First Course: Truffle lasagna or Tuscan ribollita soup
  • Second Course: Roasted meat with roast vegetables
  • Dessert: Cantuccini with dessert wine

Available on request, vegetarian, vegan and gluten free menu.

This menù may vary according to seasonality and by the choices of the chef.