The wine region Ticino, located in the South of Switzerland, offers a variety of exciting wines, such as Nebbiolo, Bondola, Kerner, Completer, Viognier, etc., in addition to Merlot, and so Armin – The White Glove Sommelier is very pleased to invite you to a culinary and scenic wine discovery journey in the heart of the most beautiful wine-growing regions of Ticino. The Ticino region is the Mediterranean soul of Switzerland, and in Ticino, the culinary specialties are as diverse as the landscape, which stretches between the Gotthard massif and the border town of Chiasso.

The selected hotel, a restored palace from the 17th century, offers an elegant ambiance with contemporary comfort and design. During this gourmet wine trip, we will get to know Ticino, the wines, and the cuisine of Ticino in a way that is usually closed off to the average tourist – and even to many connoisseurs of Ticino. Travel with us from Zurich in a modern coach to Ticino and discover exciting wines.

• Round trip by comfortable and modern coach
• 2 overnight stays in a double room including breakfast at the 4**** Hotel La Tureta
• 2 dinners in selected restaurants and 3 quick lunches
• City tour with guided tour in Lugano

Transfer by coach from Zurich to Monte Carasso in Ticino. Upon arrival, we start with an introduction to the Settemaggio winery, as well as a tasting and a light lunch. One of the specialties of this winemaker is the ‘Marselan’, which is made from 100% Marselan grapes and is also a very interesting rarity that you will probably not find again as a pure varietal wine in Switzerland.

Next, there is a short transfer to the winery Azienda Mondò of Giorgio Rossi. Giorgio took over the vineyards from his grandfather in 1993 and treats the soils, the vines, and their surroundings with the utmost respect. The vineyards are strictly cultivated according to integrated production methods. In particular, he loves the grape variety La Bondola, which has been grown in Sopraceneri for three centuries but has almost fallen into oblivion. One of the wines we will be tasting here is the ‘Bondola del Nonu Mario’, a sensational wine from vines over 80 years old.

Now we continue our trip to Ascona to the winery Cantina alla Maggia. After the cellar tour, the tasting begins. Various white and red wines from the Terreni alla Maggia winery are served. Of course, we look forward to dinner, Ticino specialties, paired with the wines. In the end, we will also try fine spirits from the house. The Terreni alla Maggia is particularly proud not only of its own wine and rice but also of the first whisky produced in the canton of Ticino. The base of the Ascona whisky is a malted barley that was also grown in the Maggia delta. Afterwards, the whisky matured for five years in oak barrels in a vaulted cellar from the 17th century. The result: a refined-sweet yet full-bodied single malt.

After a short drive, we arrive at the lovely boutique hotel 4**** Hotel La Tureta. The hotel is located directly at the Piazza of Giubiasco. You will see, that this hotel has been crafted with great attention to detail, and the warmth of the owners surpasses everything. If the fatigue from the good meal has not set in yet, we can have a glass of wine at the bar.

In the morning, after breakfast, we will go to Cassina d’Agno to the top winery Tenuta San Giorgio by Mike Rudolph. The annual production is only about 60,000 bottles. Motto: Small, but fine. To welcome us, there will be a sparkling wine made from white vinified Pinot Noir and some Chardonnay using the classic Champagne method. This will be followed by an introduction to the winery and a tasting of the wines from Tenuta San Giorgio.

Now we are going to the winery Tenuta Castello di Morcote. The vineyard of Tenuta Castello di Morcote is described as one of the most beautiful in Ticino. It is located about 200 meters above the picturesque village of Vico Morcote and offers a stunning view of the mountains and Lake Lugano. In the midst of this vineyard are the ruins of the Castello di Morcote. The program includes a winery tour, tasting and a quick lunch.

The restaurant Vicania, located in the middle of this winery, has emerged from the restructuring of the former buildings. The original structures and the old stone walls of the building have been preserved and lovingly restored. In this charming restaurant, a fine cuisine of high quality is offered today, inspired by Mediterranean flavors. Here we enjoy our quick lunch.

We will have a transfer with our bus to the center of Lugano, the largest city in the holiday region of Ticino, where a guided city tour of the old town of Lugano follows. During a walk through the center of Lugano, we will admire palaces, churches, statues, and squares, and gain insight into the very interesting history of this beautiful city that is over 1,000 years old..

After the city tour, we will head back to the hotel. For dinner, we will have a multi-course menu in La Tureta hotel’s vaulted cellar. There will be exciting wines from the region to accompany it. After dinner, we can briefly meet at the bar before going to bed.

After breakfast, we will check out and drive to the Trapletti winery in Coldrerio. Enrico Trapletti gained attention in 2004 when he won the Grand Prix du vin Suisse with his sensational Merlot Culdrée 2000. This win brought him his success and reputation in the Swiss wine scene.

Mr. Trapletti cultivates several different grape varieties. Among other wines, we will taste a Nebbiolo that one would expect to find in Piedmont. Yes, you read that right, Trapletti grows Nebbiolo in Ticino. 100 years ago, the Piedmontese grape variety was cultivated in Mendrisiotto, and Elio Altare, the renowned winemaker from the world-famous Barolo community of La Morra, convinced Trapletti that it would be worthwhile to try growing Nebbiolo again. Said and done, and we will taste the Nebbiolo. There will be a wine tasting with a quick lunch at the winery.

Complete address and mobile number,

Please register via email: amueller@gourmetwinetravel.com

In case of questions: Tel: +41 76 3377722

After booking you will receive a confirmation email. Regarding the proposed program above, this is not a binding schedule, as program changes are possible to various reasons.

Payment: The money transfer to all means is at the same time a binding booking. In the case of a cancellation of a single date or the whole course, each participant is herewith advised, that there is no refund.

So it is recommended to have either an annulation/cancellation insurance or to provide another participant as substitute. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us.

Best regards

Armin H. Müller

Diplom Sommelier