ITALIAOUTDOORS INVITES WINE LOVERS TO ‘BIKE THE WINE ROADS OF THE VENETO’ THIS FALL

Custom Tours Mix Chef-Led Cycling with Food & Wine in Northern Italian Wine Region

Newburyport, MA, July 2011 – Italiaoutdoors introduces a new way to see Northern Italy this fall with their eight-day “Bike the Wine Roads of the Veneto” from September 25-October 1, 2011 and October 16-22, 2011.  Showcasing Italiaoutdoors’ expertise in custom recreational programming and the culinary arts, the program offers an in-depth exploration of the wines and wine regions of the Veneto, beginning in Verona and Lake Garda, and ending in Treviso and the province of Venice.  The tour is priced at $3100 per person, double, and covers 30-60 mile routes, meandering through the vineyards-rich area at the foot of the Dolomite Mountains overlooking the Adriatic Sea.  Included are all breakfasts, lunches, and snacks, and all but one dinner. A single supplement of $600 is available. 

Additionally, for cyclists who love cooking, Italiaoutdoors' fourth “Chefs on Bike” Tour is scheduled in the Veneto region from September 11-17, priced at $4500 per person, double.

Bicycle the Wine Roads of the Veneto Tour – Sept. 25-Oct. 1 and Oct. 16-22, 2011

Italiaoutdoors showcases their distinctive ability to create custom active hiking, biking, and skiing lifestyle adventures with these two eight-day fall tours, offering cyclists an in-depth exploration of the Veneto’s wines and cuisine, and culture.  The Veneto area, home to the largest number of quality DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) wines in Italy, produces world-renowned vintages -- some only familiar to travelers within Italy – and includes Valpolicella, Bardolino, Soave, Gambrella, Prosecco and Lison-Pramaggiore.  Participants will enjoy a selection carefully curated by Chef and Italiaoutdoors founder Kathy Bechtel, who is an avid writer about “undiscovered wines.” Chef Bechtel, together with co-owner and recreation specialist Vernon McClure, will personally lead the tours.  A small group size, with a maximum of 8 participants, allows for daily itinerary customization and refinement based on participants’ interests, pacing, and real-time “finds.” Biking routes are designed for exploration of both the back roads and the cities in the area. This tour is through the rolling hills of the wine country, with routes ranging from 30 to 45 miles per day.

Beginning on the eastern shore of Lake Garda, the excursion dives into the world of wine with a lesson in wine tasting and selection, followed by a welcome dinner at a local “slow food” osteria. The trip introduces guests to savory wines including Amarone, Vapolicella, Soave and the most popular sparkling wine, Prosecco. Guests will also learn about lesser-known but equally distinctive wines rarely seen outside this region including lighter-bodies reds such as Marzemino and Tai Rosso, and the intense Raboso. Tour highlights along the rolling hills of the bike routes include visits to picturesque vineyards, churches and convents in Bardolino, Valpolicella, Bassano del Grappa and the walled city of Soave. The adventure ends with a farewell dinner at a trattoria in Treviso, a historically rich hub of the Veneto.

Chefs on Bikes Tour – Sept. 11-17, 2011

A fourth offering of Italiaoutdoors’ “Chefs on Bikes” program, the fall tour combines a week of biking in the Veneto with cooking instruction. Details can be found at www.italiaoutdoorsfoodandwine.com/index.php/our-programs/2011-05-28-14-29-27

Commented Rialto Restaurant’s Chef Jody Adams about her experience as Italiaoutdoors’ 2010 guest “chef on a bike,” “There are many beautiful back roads and hidden treasures in this wonderful area of Italy. Biking was a wonderfully paced way to discover and converse as we explored. Our evenings were wonderful as well, with great meals and wines, and lots of laughter.”

For more information on each tour or to receive Italiaoutdoors’ newsletter with recipes and wine information, visit www.italiaoutdoorsfoodandwine.com  or Chef Kathy Bechtel’s blog at www.chefbikeski.com . 

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