Holidays & Tours
Holidays and Tours from Olivaverde
Olivaverde as well as offering fine extra virgin olive oil and pasta from Italy and other parts of the Mediterranean region, now also offers olive oil and wine appreciation tours, cookery courses and culinary holidays in four very different regions of Italy.As part of our love for fine olive oil and pasta we wished to offer our clients the opportunity of visiting our Italian friends in Italy who produce all these wonderful products. This would allow them to experience first hand the hospitality, knowledge and love of olive oils, wines and pasta that all the Italian artisans are famous for.
Based in Le Marche in eastern Italy we can offer a wide selection of olive oil and wine appreciation tours both in central Le Marche, mainly in the Senigallia area on the Adriatic coast and also in the southern provinces of Le Marche where we are based.
The other regions in which we offer holidays, courses and tours are Umbria, Sicily and Tuscany, where we can offer a wide selection of different holidays and tours ranging from a single day at a olive oil or wine producer to a week visiting producers and attending courses offered by both Italian and other talented cooks in wonderful surroundings.
All of Olivaverde’s partners in Italy have many years of experience in offering the outstanding and memorable tours and visits in their particular part of Italy and we are pleased to working closely in conjunction with them to offer these wonderful holidays to our clients.
For more details of our range of tours, holidays and courses please do contact us at Olivaverde in Italy or the UK at info@olivaverde.co.uk.
Olive Oil and Wine Appreciation Tours in Le Marche
Olivaverde is based in the beautiful region of Le Marche in eastern Italy and in the southernmost province of Ascoli Piceno.
Over many years of working in Le Marche I have made many good friends and colleagues and now we offer both food, wine and olive oil appreciation tours and holidays of high quality in southern and central Le Marche.
The tours range from a one day in duration with lunch to up to a week in length visiting the two different areas of Le Marche we cover, and they are all organised and overseen by talented local Italians who are fluent in English. They are passionate about this beautiful region of Italy and have an in depth knowledge of the areas in which they live and work. They help bring alive both the produce and history of their particular area of Le Marche and enjoy sharing their knowledge with visitors and students who are from outside of the region.
The tours and holidays on offer by the Olivaverde team are mostly in and around the villages of Monterubbiano, Carassai and Campofilone in the south of the region and the resort of Senigallia and villages of Ronticelli and Corinaldo in central Le Marche.
Visits to small olive oil producers include visiting their olive groves as well as the mills where the oil is produced and tastings of the oils where they are pressed and made.
There is also the opportunity to attend tastings which will be run by professional olive oil tasters and where many of the local olive oils will be available to try.
Visits to producers of olive oil made by organic methods as well as biodynamic oils will be available in a select few of the tours and holidays, and we hope to increase the number available over the coming years.
In the case of the wine tours and tastings, both the local white and red wines will be available to sample as well as visits to the vineyards and the producers. The white wine of the Le Marche region which is most widely known is Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and these high quality white wines are produced around the area of Castelli di Jesi and Matelica. The wines are noted for light green appearance from which they derive their name and their high acidity and a characteristic almond flavour and are now widely available in the UK and Ireland.
But Le Marche is not known as a region of Italy which produces good red wine, but in fact there are many fine red wines available, including Rosso Conero, Rosso Piceno and the wonderful Lacrima di Morro d’Alba.
Visits to the producers of all these notable wines as well as many other fine wines produced in Le Marche are available on the tours offered by Olivaverde in Le Marche.
Over many years of working in Le Marche I have made many good friends and colleagues and now we offer both food, wine and olive oil appreciation tours and holidays of high quality in southern and central Le Marche.
The tours range from a one day in duration with lunch to up to a week in length visiting the two different areas of Le Marche we cover, and they are all organised and overseen by talented local Italians who are fluent in English. They are passionate about this beautiful region of Italy and have an in depth knowledge of the areas in which they live and work. They help bring alive both the produce and history of their particular area of Le Marche and enjoy sharing their knowledge with visitors and students who are from outside of the region.
The tours and holidays on offer by the Olivaverde team are mostly in and around the villages of Monterubbiano, Carassai and Campofilone in the south of the region and the resort of Senigallia and villages of Ronticelli and Corinaldo in central Le Marche.
Visits to small olive oil producers include visiting their olive groves as well as the mills where the oil is produced and tastings of the oils where they are pressed and made.
There is also the opportunity to attend tastings which will be run by professional olive oil tasters and where many of the local olive oils will be available to try.
Visits to producers of olive oil made by organic methods as well as biodynamic oils will be available in a select few of the tours and holidays, and we hope to increase the number available over the coming years.
In the case of the wine tours and tastings, both the local white and red wines will be available to sample as well as visits to the vineyards and the producers. The white wine of the Le Marche region which is most widely known is Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and these high quality white wines are produced around the area of Castelli di Jesi and Matelica. The wines are noted for light green appearance from which they derive their name and their high acidity and a characteristic almond flavour and are now widely available in the UK and Ireland.
But Le Marche is not known as a region of Italy which produces good red wine, but in fact there are many fine red wines available, including Rosso Conero, Rosso Piceno and the wonderful Lacrima di Morro d’Alba.
Visits to the producers of all these notable wines as well as many other fine wines produced in Le Marche are available on the tours offered by Olivaverde in Le Marche.
Holidays and Food Tours in Tuscany
We at Olivaverde are please to work in co-operation with the well known Italian based tour company, Personalize Italy.
Personalize Italy is a long established tour company based in the Tuscany region of Italy that organizes customized tour packages and events for clients. For individuals and groups looking for an Italian cultural experience their tours give you a chance to meet locals and enjoy memorable excursions in places off the beaten track.
All the tours by Personalize Italy are offered to our clients at Olivaverde and on the tours they will see a side of Italy that is only rarely available to the outsider and clients will come away with many wonderful memories of the places and people that they see and visit.
Personalize Italy is owned and the tours are organised by Linda Sorgiovanni, a professional guide, chauffeur driver and sommelier who has a vast wealth of in depth knowledge of this wonderful part of Italy.
Linda lives with her family in the historical centre of Florence and comes with over 10 years of experience of working with Travel Agents and clients from all over the world. This includes areas such as that Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, India, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States.
Linda’s tours incorporate culture, cuisine, history and also sport and as part of her extensive co-operation with Olivaverde she also specialises in tours and visits to specialist olive oil producers and small artisan farmers producing wonderful oils, wines and pasta.
An example of one of the culinary tours that Linda now offers is a visit to a Noble Florentine wine estate where you can enjoy a tour of the ancient cellars, castle and beautiful large formal gardens. After which there are tastings of selected wines, cheeses, meats, honeys and specially selected extra virgin olive oil.
So please do contact Dermott at info@olivaverde.co.uk for more information or visit Linda’s website at www.personalizeitaly.com.
Personalize Italy is a long established tour company based in the Tuscany region of Italy that organizes customized tour packages and events for clients. For individuals and groups looking for an Italian cultural experience their tours give you a chance to meet locals and enjoy memorable excursions in places off the beaten track.
All the tours by Personalize Italy are offered to our clients at Olivaverde and on the tours they will see a side of Italy that is only rarely available to the outsider and clients will come away with many wonderful memories of the places and people that they see and visit.
Personalize Italy is owned and the tours are organised by Linda Sorgiovanni, a professional guide, chauffeur driver and sommelier who has a vast wealth of in depth knowledge of this wonderful part of Italy.
Linda lives with her family in the historical centre of Florence and comes with over 10 years of experience of working with Travel Agents and clients from all over the world. This includes areas such as that Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, India, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States.
Linda’s tours incorporate culture, cuisine, history and also sport and as part of her extensive co-operation with Olivaverde she also specialises in tours and visits to specialist olive oil producers and small artisan farmers producing wonderful oils, wines and pasta.
An example of one of the culinary tours that Linda now offers is a visit to a Noble Florentine wine estate where you can enjoy a tour of the ancient cellars, castle and beautiful large formal gardens. After which there are tastings of selected wines, cheeses, meats, honeys and specially selected extra virgin olive oil.
So please do contact Dermott at info@olivaverde.co.uk for more information or visit Linda’s website at www.personalizeitaly.com.
Olive Oil, Tours and Accommodation in Sicily
Sicilianexperience.com is based in northern Sicily was founded by Carmelina Ricciardello who is a native of Sicily and passionate about her land and promoting its beauty, culture and people to a wider world. Her goal is to promote the island to visitors who wish to experience Sicilian life in a way that is underpinned by sustainable tourism, whilst supporting the local economy of the island she loves. All the tours in Sicily conducted and arranged by Carmelina are tailored to the individual clients or groups personal requirements and tastes, so each tour or visit is unique to that person or group and a truly memorable experience.
The company offers a range accommodation, tours, walks and visits to vineyards and olive oil producers, as well as clients being able to attend cookery classes overseen by talented Sicilian chefs.
We hope to expand the culinary tours with the food and appreciation courses over the coming years and we are very excited about being involved with Carmelina and the wide range of produce on offer in this wonderful country.
As well as organising visits, tours and walks, Carmelina is also responsible for sourcing small olive oil producers for our range of fine oils at Olivaverde and also finding artisans who produce other local foods which are typically Sicilian.
Sicily is a vibrant island surrounded by clear seas, blessed with magnificent mountain scenery, ancient monuments and traditional villages where the way of life has changed little over the centuries. It is an island with its own unique character, still relatively untouched by tourism.
Sicily is so well known for its coastline and historic monuments, but very little for its magnificent countryside, mountains and medieval towns, abandoned by their populations seeking more prosperity. With its magnificent climate one can visit Siciyly at any time of the year and apart from the very hot summer period walks are available from September to end of May early June.
Sicily's produce is wonderfully abundant, the powerful sun and rich volcanic soil, combined with an irrigation system introduced by the Arabs, means that a wonderful variety of crops can be grown, all with a pure, intense flavour. Much of the main valley stretching west from Catania is now intensively farmed and Sicilian markets display an incredible wealth of produce. Since very little fruit or vegetables are imported the markets also display only what is in season and can be grown locally and therefore Sicilian cuisine and Sicilian recipes change noticeably from season to season.
Sicily is also home to more than one third of Italy's organic farms. There are over 7,000 organic farms in Sicily, making up the widest organic cultivation area in Italy. Sicilian organic wine has been very successful in its production, as well as also producing some very fine extra virgin olive oils. Many of the Agriturismo on Sicily run their kitchens solely off the produce from their own farms. Sicilian food is always very fresh!
The company offers a range accommodation, tours, walks and visits to vineyards and olive oil producers, as well as clients being able to attend cookery classes overseen by talented Sicilian chefs.
We hope to expand the culinary tours with the food and appreciation courses over the coming years and we are very excited about being involved with Carmelina and the wide range of produce on offer in this wonderful country.
As well as organising visits, tours and walks, Carmelina is also responsible for sourcing small olive oil producers for our range of fine oils at Olivaverde and also finding artisans who produce other local foods which are typically Sicilian.
Sicily is a vibrant island surrounded by clear seas, blessed with magnificent mountain scenery, ancient monuments and traditional villages where the way of life has changed little over the centuries. It is an island with its own unique character, still relatively untouched by tourism.
Sicily is so well known for its coastline and historic monuments, but very little for its magnificent countryside, mountains and medieval towns, abandoned by their populations seeking more prosperity. With its magnificent climate one can visit Siciyly at any time of the year and apart from the very hot summer period walks are available from September to end of May early June.
Sicily's produce is wonderfully abundant, the powerful sun and rich volcanic soil, combined with an irrigation system introduced by the Arabs, means that a wonderful variety of crops can be grown, all with a pure, intense flavour. Much of the main valley stretching west from Catania is now intensively farmed and Sicilian markets display an incredible wealth of produce. Since very little fruit or vegetables are imported the markets also display only what is in season and can be grown locally and therefore Sicilian cuisine and Sicilian recipes change noticeably from season to season.
Sicily is also home to more than one third of Italy's organic farms. There are over 7,000 organic farms in Sicily, making up the widest organic cultivation area in Italy. Sicilian organic wine has been very successful in its production, as well as also producing some very fine extra virgin olive oils. Many of the Agriturismo on Sicily run their kitchens solely off the produce from their own farms. Sicilian food is always very fresh!
Tours and Accommodation in Umbria
Agricola Faena in Umbria
In Umbria Olivaverde can offer two wonderful venues for both olive oil, wine tours and accompanying appreciation holidays. Both venues are in central Umbria and located not too far from the beautiful cites of Perugia and Todi.
The first of these is a large estate producing both olive oil and wine, but also having several luxury apartments and rooms available for both holiday lettings and longer stays. There is a small restaurant area and also a large industrial kitchen area where cookery courses are held. Our olive oil appreciation classes are also held in the large canteen as well on the large terrace overlooking the Umbrian countryside.
Olivaverde can offer food, wine and olive oil appreciation holidays at this wonderful venue, deep in the beautiful green Umbrian countryside and are very pleased to be in cooperation with this world class estate.
Agricola Faena set in the beautiful Umbrian countryside has been since 1700 the property of the family of the Count Faina di Civitella dè Conti, it is currently managed by the brothers Sebastiano and Alessandro Faina, and covers an area in San Venanzo, Monte Castello di Vibio and Fratta Todina, in Umbria.
At the centre of the farm stands the historical Castello di Collelungo estate, this is also the property of the Faina Family. The farm is just over 400 hectares, 50 hectares of which are used for the finest quality olive oil production. The remainder of the land is given over to vines, walnut groves and some arable land.
Villa Sobrano in Umbria
Villa Sobrano is just the place if you are looking for wine tasting tours, olive oil appreciation holidays or even that fairytale Italian wedding, set in spectacular surroundings near Todi in Umbria. Castello Villa Sobrano can offer all of these and much more. Set amongst green rolling hills, the estate covers 30 hectares, just a five minute drive from beautiful medieval city of Todi in central Umbria.
The estate is made up of the Villa Sobrano, an historic country residence with beautiful courtyard, Italianate garden, pool and its own private chapel.
The imposing 13th century Castello, which was an important fortification at the time and the road alongside the estate was the major road that led to Rome from Florence over many centuries, and is where Cantina Sobrano is located. The 50 metre “bottaia” holds the ancient oak barrels for storing and ageing the wine. Below the gallery are the cellars where guests and wine-tasting excursions taste the fantastic wine produced on the Villa Sobrano Estate. Wine has been produced at the Castello for almost 100 years. The wine produced at Castello Villa Sobrano is “Bartolomeo” and “Donna Sabina” and is available for sale.
In the surrounding countryside there are several small producers of fine extra virgin olive oils and one in particular is a excellent oil which shows off to the best the ancient Umbrian skills of making fine olive oil.
This olive oil is the centre of our olive oil tour and appreciation holiday in this particular area of Italy and the courses are also held at the Villa Sobrano, either in the ancient cantina or outside on the sun drenched terraces.
The villa has available 4 double rooms and 3 suites complete with their own sitting room and all furnished in the style of the period.
There is also “San Filipo” a wonderful and tastefully restored country house on the estate, set amongst its vineyards with panoramic views, available for rental - short or long term and also available for weddings.
Olivaverde is pleased to offer this to clients as a perfect Italian setting with everything to offer, holidays, take a break for a few months and rent the country house and inhale the region, the countryside and everything the estate has to offer, wine-tasting, weddings. The estate is perfectly situated centrally with Assisi, Orvieto, Montefalco, Spoleto, Perugia within a 40 minute drive and Rome in under two hours and Florence two hours way by car.
The Wines
To compliment the Villa Sobrano’s top range of wines, namely their Bartolomeo and Donna Sabina and in their pursuit of excellence Cantina Sobrano believe it is of paramount importance to offer a great choice, top quality and value across the range. For this reason they have invested time and energy to develop a new line of varietal wines.
These new and exciting wines will be introduced from February 2010 and the wines will represent the expression of their great terroir and will widen the choice of wines on offer to fulfil customers demands for younger and more approachable wines.
The Villa Sobrano will always strive to achieve the highest quality as well as the best value throughout its whole range of wines it offers and we at Olivaverde are pleased to be involved in their ongoing programme of growth and expansion into other markets outside of Italy.
Visit Villa Sobrano's website at www.cantinasobrano.it.
