The Terre di Toscana is one of the most important of the many wine tasting events where Tuscany wineries gather and which is held each year around this time. It was held over a two-day period at the UNA Hotel in Lido di Camaiore along the coast of Tuscany.

Being a tasting event of the largest scale in Tuscany, with a total of 130 wineries gathering and offering samples of more than 600 kinds of great wines, more than 3,000 general wine lovers, close to 1,000 people in the restaurant industry, buyers from Brazil, Canada, Germany and England, as well as about 100 wine journalists in Italy came to the tasting event during the two days despite the inconvenience of transportation due to rain.


Although I used to travel to the venue for two days from Florence in previous years, it does take both time and energy for traveling even if they’re both in Tuscany. So this year, I participated from the day before the festival in which buyers, journalists and wineries gathered for the opening event called “Aperitivo” and a dinner party, and stayed all three days at the hotel used as the venue for these events. I used the other two days to the full from the start to just about closing time, going around listening to the producers’ stories as I tasted various wine.


The venue offered wine that had been made available, wine currently in the market, previews (anteprima) of wine coming from this spring onwards, and old vintage wine aged for a long time and direct from the cask. I had a hard time deciding which ones to taste due to the large number of such fascinating wine, but I went around trying to taste as many as I could.


In addition to wine, Tuscany’s finest gastronomy were present in another room at this tasting event. High-quality, carefully-selected cheese, ham, salami, chocolate and much more made by the chefs and which are hard to find at supermarkets could be bought, eaten on the spot, or taken home. I had lunch here during the two days, and I had a platter of assorted cheese and salami as well as warm meat dishes.


Further, the restaurant at the back of the tasting event was visited by six chefs from Tuscany’s popular and famous restaurants. Cooking shows by each of the chefs were held each day at different times. The event was packed with not only wine tasting but also enjoyable contents of Tuscany’s wine and food that provides continuous fun, causing the two days to pass by quickly.


The schedule of the Terre d’italia to be held next has already been announced. It is a tasting event for wine from all over Italy and not just Tuscany on May 15 to 16, 2016.

As for transportation, get on the train from Santa Maria Novella Station at the center of Florence or from the station in Pisa to the Viareggio direction. After getting off at Viareggio, a free shuttle is always running from the station to the venue on Sundays only, so you don’t have to worry even if you don’t have a car.
Starting time is 11 am and not that early either, so there is no need to rush as you take the train on Sunday morning. Why not immerse yourself in the charms of Italy by enjoying a full day all about Italian wine?