This tour is dedicated to the Itria Valley, an area of Apulia well renowned for its landscapes, made of little villages scattered among vineyards and olive trees, for its lavish and abundant food, and for its excellent wines.
Your first stop is Locorotondo, an ancient village member of the Italian Board of Historical Towns. Here, together with the typical Apulian white-washed houses, you will also see some notable examples of Baroque architecture.
After your time there, head for Martina Franca. This little town is a pearl of Baroque style, with an aristocratic flair given by the bedecked churches and palazzi, but it also with a very strong bourgeois identity, revealed by the multi-story houses whose underground floors were storehouse, ground floors shops and upper floors family spaces. Some time at leisure will give you the chance to pop in one of the food shops to get some capicola, a delicious a cold cut made from pork neck, smoked with Maquis shrubs, exclusive to this area.
Your journey resumes for a family-run wine estate. A great part of their land is dedicated to the farming of native grapes, such as primitivo, negramaro, and verdeca, but they also train international grapes that, thanks to the soil and the climate, acquire distinctive characters. At your arrival a member of the family welcomes you, and, before starting a tour of the premises, tells you about the estate and their wines; then, in their winery, you will taste their most representative wines, accompanied by morsels of local foods.
A short drive takes you now to Alberobello. Its distinctive trulli date back to somewhere between 15th and 17th century, when the Kingdom of Naples had reign over this region, was entitled to collect taxes from its inhabitants, and hit especially hard on home owners.
Apulian farmers were poor, but resourceful: they built their trulli without using mortar, so, when the tax collector was en route for the village, they pull the keystone from the archway and the roof would collapse; they would then dismantle part of the wall, so that it appeared like a pile of debris to the unsuspecting collector. Wander through the trulli and try to spot the differences between them, while listening to the interesting commentary delivered by your guide.
Dietary restrictions must be communicated at the moment of booking
Inclusions: Private vehicle with driver + private guide + wine tasting paired with local food
Duration: 8 hrs
Pick up time: 09:00 a.m.
