Honest Review: Montalcino & Pienza Olive Oil Tour, Tuscany

Tuscany, is that amazing region in Italy, is very well known for its breathtaking landscapes, really top-tier food, and, just a little, rather special olive oil. If you find yourself daydreaming of, too, wandering through rolling hills and also sampling some liquid gold, the Montalcino and Pienza Olive Oil Tour, in some respects, might be just what you’re looking for. But, before you pack your bags and hop on the next flight, let’s, arguably, take a peek at what this tour offers and if it truly lives up to the hype. Is it very that real taste of Tuscan heaven, or will it just be another tourist trap? Let’s, apparently, get right to the heart of it.

What’s the Deal with the Montalcino & Pienza Olive Oil Tour?

The Montalcino and Pienza Olive Oil Tour, really, typically whisks you away on a scenic adventure through, you know, the Val d’Orcia. The Val d’Orcia is, maybe, actually a UNESCO World Heritage site, showcasing, arguably, some unreal views, as a matter of fact. Typically, the tour focuses on two places: Montalcino, usually pretty famous for its Brunello di Montalcino, and Pienza, which could be a very charming town famous for its Pecorino cheese. This isn’t, actually, just any normal sightseeing trip; the main pull is that you could get up close and personal with the making of one of Italy’s, honestly, most cherished products: olive oil. It is just that neat!

Peeking at the Itinerary

Most tours follow a, maybe, fairly standard routine, though there could be minor changes depending on who you book with. Generally, expect this: A, as I was saying, picturesque drive through the Tuscan hills. The drive itself, more or less, could be half the experience, really, with unreal photo opportunities around every turn. Then, you can often visit a local olive oil farm, or, sort of, frantoio, where you’ll probably get to see the, kind of, whole process, from olive to oil. You might have, literally, a guided tour of the olive groves, and sometimes an explanation of, pretty much, how they harvest and press the olives, really. Naturally, is that possible they will talk, too, about different types of olive oil and what makes Tuscan olive oil very unique. This usually follows, you see, with an olive oil tasting session, possibly paired with local bread or other goodies. You could get time to wander around Montalcino and Pienza. The exact amount of time might vary, but expect to have at least an hour or two in each town. A, well, typical tour may include a lunch stop at a trattoria. This might sometimes be included in the tour price, you know, but often you could be paying extra, alright?

What I really thought of my Olive Oil farm Visit

My visit to the olive oil farm, actually, ended up being, very, very cool and super insightful, if you want my opinion. The family who owned the farm had clearly been making olive oil for generations, by the way. You get the feeling the information runs pretty deep. Getting to watch them, literally, working felt so special. Walking through the groves was wonderful. I felt so in touch with nature. I tasted various oils, you see, and, in fact, I could really pick up all the, like, subtle differences between them. You could totally tell which ones, actually, were high-quality. However, at the same time, a chunk of the charm felt, sort of, rehearsed, so you may see where someone might think it’s lost sincerity, even just a bit. Some of the details they give can be a little generic, you know, as they might tell all the tourists who come along to the spot. It really relies on getting into the little convos and talking face to face, if you are to have a nice and pleasant interaction.

Montalcino and Pienza: Quick Looks

Montalcino, is that hill town is, frankly, pretty awesome! Brunello di Montalcino is pretty darn renowned and well known, honestly, for a really good reason: You may have not heard of this wine. But if you do, it lives up to that reputation! Getting to stroll through, like, the old fortress and enjoy a bit of wine tasting (okay, the tour did include wine, but really I skipped that bit), it just feels super old-school and kinda romantic in some way. Pienza is known, really, for its yummy pecorino cheese. Besides all that dairy-related splendor, though, the town itself gives you postcard-worthy spots that have pretty killer views that span, very, very far. Get your camera ready because those panoramic vistas are worth keeping.

The Good and The Bad

So, alright, every trip has things you, sort of, love and things you maybe could go without. Here’s what I learned about the Montalcino & Pienza Olive Oil Tour:

The Good Stuff:

• Gorgeous scenery: The Tuscan landscapes, you know, are definitely straight out of a storybook. You will almost definitely find it pleasant on the eye.
• Real olive oil experiences: Getting a peek, like, at the farm really opens your eyes.
• Yummy tastes: Is that Pecorino cheese or, obviously, olive oil, it’s pretty fantastic!

The Maybe Not-So-Good Stuff:

• Time Crunch: Doing two towns in one day, anyway, you might feel a bit hurried at each spot.
• Cost: These tours, as a matter of fact, might vary in price, really, but they’re not always very wallet-friendly.
• Potential Tourist Traps: Especially, anyway, in the main spots, shops tend to mark everything way up, arguably.

Tips for a Great Olive Oil Tour Experience

Want to make sure you get the best out of your Olive Oil Tour, anyway? Try this: Research tours well, alright. Reading all those reviews may help to find the one that’s basically for you. Think about tour group sizes, for sure, which can, clearly, change everything. Smaller could give you better chances to get more intimate with the guide and locations you will, kind of, encounter. Try the local places away from central locations for a much better deal, arguably. Also make sure to have very comfy shoes, or you might be regretting every moment.

How to Know if This Tour is Really Your Thing

You might want to ponder these questions. Think of if your traveling group…

• Are excited about seeing Tuscan hills?
• Appreciate the authentic cooking/growing process?
• Don’t get overly flustered when schedules are hectic?

If the questions were all answered to the affirmation then this is the tour for you!

The Montalcino & Pienza Olive Oil Tour offers a real nice peek into Tuscany’s core, very, very beautiful scenery, and fine local crafts and flavors. Is it actually perfect? Perhaps not, but with that right hopes and thoughts, so you could certainly have a memory of a lifetime.

Overall, this is going to be a memory that sticks with you. The tour brings you through Tuscany in a manner that, yet, feels fairly authentic with little touches of local living seeping through. Don’t think about it like a plain sightseeing and start thinking about a personal introduction with one of the most awesome settings you could picture.