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Wines and wine regions of TuscanyWine Regions in Florence, Italy Famous for it’s olives, elegant cypress trees, hilltop villages the colour of burnt orange, artistic culture and beautiful architecture, the Tuscan region has been producing wines for thousands of years. Grape vines grew naturally on the sunny hills and these natives were later refined into the Sangiovese and Lambrusco grapes found here today which are blended with local Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo and other varieties to create local staples like Chianti, Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino. White grapes don’t account for much of Tuscany’s annual harvest, but there are some good Chardonnays and the famous Vin Santo dessert wine. The Chianti region runs from Florence to Siena. One of the best Chianti Classico producers to visit is Badia a Coltuono. To Florence’s south lie the medieval towns of Montalcino and Montepulciano in the vineyards surrounding which their namesake wines are bred. Tuscan mixes, or Super Tuscans (wines not able to receive a region and blend specific qualification due to their blending with French varieties.) like Ornellaia and Tignanello are produced around Maremma. Many visitors will miss this region out because it doesn’t have the named varieties of it’s neighbours but the area, especially around San Gimignano, is classic Tuscany, with rows of vines separated by neat lines of cypresses and there are many interesting traditional boutique wineries to visit. Some of the great producers in the Tuscan region are Schiena d’Astino, Brunelli and Siro Pacenti for Brunello de Montalcino, Del Cerro and Boscarelli for Montepulciano and Fonterutoli, Antinori and Castello de Brolio for Chianti. This is a large region with plenty of other draw cards including beautiful towns and villages and traditions of good food and exceptional art, so probably top of the list for people wanting to taste wine in beautiful surroundings.
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Review by Photo by flickr user roblisameehan |
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Banff and Lake Minnewanka Cycling TrailsCycling in Alberta, Canada This is a beautiful cycling region with many paths and itineraries for the adventurous rider and the view is the main reward. One of the main trails is the Lake Minnewanka Trail in Banff National Park which circuit’s the bright blue lake and the nearby Ghost Lakes via Devil’s Gap. If lucky you’ll see elk and mountain sheep as well and the stunning mountain scenery. The going can be bumpy and rocky and this is the wilderness so you need to bring everything you need on your bike. Banff is a good centre for cycling trips, there are lots of day trips you can take out from there to interesting local, natural sites and you’ll enjoy comfortable accommodation.
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Review by Photo by Mike Lyvers |
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Mountain Gorillas in the mists of RwandaWildlife in Ruhengeri, Rwanda Dian Fossey was one of the many admirers of this volcanic rainforest region and its primate inhabitants, most famously the rare Mountain Gorilla. Visitors and guides track the gorillas, who roam freely though the dense jungles, to see close up how they live and socialise in their families. There are around 320 Mountain Gorillas living in the park and visitors are able to approach only four family groups. Only eight visitors per group, per day are allowed, so it’s better to arrange your permit in advance. As well as Mountain Gorillas, visitors will also see the odd Spotted Hyena or buffalo and if lucky a rare golden monkey or elephant. The area's unusual environmental mix of bamboo forests, jungles and evergreen forests, and areas of grassland and swamp make it difficult terrain to travel through, but ideal for primates. Dian Fossey’s Karisoke Research Centre is also located within the parks grounds, as is her gravesite.
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Review by Photo by flickr user mrflip |
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The Waterside Inn, BrayRestaurant in Cotswolds, United Kingdom Modern French cuisine at The Waterside Inn is served up by staff with a mission to “use their knowledge and skills to enhance your pleasure and spoil you” (waterside-inn.co.uk), and spoiled is certainly how you will feel, sitting in the establishment of the celebrated chef Michel Roux (now run by son, Alain) next to a tranquil river. Not only a restaurant, The Waterside Inn features 11 bedrooms, “beautifully kitted out: feminine and elegant in the French manner” (telegraph.co.uk). The cooking is “unashamedly French” (waterside-inn.co.uk) with each dish delicate and “carefully structured”(guardian.co.uk). The menu changes throughout the year to incorporate the finest offering of the season with the best of Scotland (beef, scallops, langoustines, lobsters and wild salmon) essential to the menu. Guests can choose between Le Menu Exceptionnel, a 6 course affair with wine to accompany, or A la Carte.
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Review by Photo by Andrea Meyer |
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PartnachklammCanyons in Tyrol, Austria Partnachklamm Gorge is dramatic throughout the year - during winter the river at its base often freezes, creating stalactite icicles, and in the summer the rapids, waterfalls and whirlpools are a feisty, whirling sight. The gorge is carved along an 800 metre stretch of mountain, at some places is as deep as 80 metres into the rock. A trail has been cut into the rock to make it safe to view up close, but the park guides warn that you will probably get wet. There are numerous hiking and climbing paths in the area and though the gorge has been tamed since it was first proclaimed a natural monument in 1912, there are still some adventurous trips you can take along its route. In winter Partnachklamm has the additional draw for visitors of being close to the nearby Olympic Ski Stadium.
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Review by Photo by mikelyvers |
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