Itinerary to discover food, wine and nature
The most typical and splendid Tuscan landscape welcomes visitors as they arrive in Cortona: a stunning countryside surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, where the Cortona Wines Trail winds its way, a food and wine route that allows to explore this territory and its flavors.
In Cortona you can admire works by artists such as Pietro Berrettini, Luca Signorelli and Gino Severini, and architectural works such as the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie al Calcinaio, designed by Giorgio Martini, or the Church of San Francesco, conceived by Frà Elia da Cortona and first Franciscan church built outside Assisi.
But Cortona and its territory also boast a very long winemaking tradition, with the first documented traces of wine production in Cortona dating back to the third century BC; the Tabula Cortonensis, a sort of contract that testifies to the transaction of a vineyard, is kept at the Etruscan Academy Museum. Since then, over the centuries, Cortona has enriched its excellent wine production, also with the recognition of the DOC Cortona.
Suggested route
To discover the typical features of the Cortona Wines Trail, we suggest following this itinerary, starting from the Museum of Rural Culture in Fratticiola, which conserves historic carts and tools and traces the history of rural culture in the area. Indeed, in the surrounding countryside, you can visit the pig farm and a salami factory.
After the museum, head in the direction of Cignano. Along the way, you’ll come across and visit sheep farmers that produce percorino cheese. Once in Barullo, you can see how yellow saffron is grown and taste wines from the local agriculture school.
Next is a visit to an extra-virgin olive oil producer, before arriving in Cortona,with its wide range of taverns, wine bars, restaurants and trattorias, offering traditional dishes from the area.
Typical products
Alongside the production of wines of the highest level, the area offers many other unique gastronomic products, such as the famous Chianina steak, Cinta Senese cured meats and typical cheeses, such as pecorino.
Along the Wine Route, to welcome guests who explore these places, there is a wide choice of accommodation facilities, from agriturismi, to stay in a typical stone farmhouses, to luxurious villas, from Bed&Breakfasts to refined hotels.