Announcing Divino Tuscany 2012 Wine Packages

FOOD & WINE TRAILS of Santa Rosa, California announces its ULTIMATE DIVINO TUSCANY 4-NIGHT PACKAGE wine adventure May 13-17, 2012. This tour was designed to precede Divino Tuscany 2012, a four-day festival of Tuscan wine being held May 17-20, 2012 in Florence, Italy, but can be purchased independently or as a seamless addition to the event.

According to Larry Martin, President of FOOD & WINE TRAILS, "last year's Divino Tuscany event was an over-the-top food and wine experience, with dinners and tastings hosted by some of Tuscany's most noble wine-families in historic Florentine buildings. The one thing missing was a way to connect with those families and visit their wineries in the countryside. So this year we are offering the opportunity to stay overnight at the estates or hotels owned by the Ferragamo and Banfi families, plus what we are calling the ULTIMATE DIVINO TUSCANY tour; a four-night, small-group wine adventure that will connect you to the best of the best."

The ULTIMATE TUSCANY tour will visit three of Tuscany's most famous wine regions: The Super-Tuscan region of Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast; Montalcino, a region famous for Brunello; and Chianti Classico. Some of the tour highlights will include: professional escort services by an English speaking Italian-sommelier, 2 nights at the Hotel Plaza Lucchesi, 2 nights at the Hotel Fonte de Medici, winery-hosted meals, and multiple opportunities to taste 90 to 100 point wines, such as Tua Rita's Redigaffi 2007, Ornellaia 2008, Sassicaia's Sant Antimo 2007, Castello Banfi's Poggio all'Oro 2004, and Castello di Brolio's Chianti Classico 2008. All wineries were personally selected by James Suckling, the former long-time Senior International Editor of Wine Spectator Magazine.

On the ULTIMATE TUSCANY tour, guests will visit medieval villages, acclaimed wineries, enjoy winemaker led vineyard tours, wine-paired lunches and dinners, and a gala farewell dinner at a castle owned by one of Italy's top wineries, before progressing on to Divino Tuscany 2012 where guests will have the rare opportunity to drink 90 to 100 point rated Tuscan wines from such famous wineries as Sassicaia, Ornellaia and Valdicava and to meet and mingle with Italian wine royalty. Some of these producers have noble lineage dating-back hundreds of years whose ancestors planted vineyards that now produce some of the world's most sought-after wines.

As was done last year for the inaugural of Divino Tuscany, the 2012 finale will be a traditional Tuscan barbeque at the private Chianti villa of music industry superstar Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler. For many, the opportunity to meet and mingle with Sting was the highlight of the 2011 event.

The price for the ULTIMATE DIVINO TUSCANY PRE PACKAGE is $3,429 usd per person, double occupancy, with a $330 usd supplement for single travellers. The tour can be purchased as part of Divino Tuscany 2012 or independent of the event.

The ticket price to attend Divino Tuscany 2012 is 1,900 Euros (approximately $2,660 USD), not including taxes or the cost of accommodations or airfare to Florence. The ticket price includes admission to all wine tastings, dinners and parties in some of the most historic buildings of Florence, all overseen by James Suckling. FOOD & WINE TRAILS is also offering optional 2-night pre or post event hotel packages, and various hotel options in Florence, for the event.

"Don't put off purchasing your Divino Tuscany 2012 event tickets as only 500 or so tickets are available," says Martin, "it's a first-come, first-serve situation so we suggest that any wine or lover of all things Italian, get their foot in the door now. We also highly recommends you round out the experience by extending with the ULTIMATE DIVINO TUSCANY wine adventure.

For more information, visit www.foodandwinetrails.com/ultimate_tuscany or call the toll-free 800-367-5348 to book.