Peaks of Gastronomy
Tour
A healthy, fine food
& wine walking tour through the Tyrolean Dolomites.
$2,995 (All inclusive
land price, per person.)
* 6 days – Each week in August, 2012.
“Peaks of Gastronomy” is the new and
innovative summer trend, offered for the first time by Dolomites guide Gary
Scott. This trip is set in the heart of
the South Tyrolean Dolomites - known as the most beautiful mountains in the
world - and now classified as a UNESCO natural world heritage site. This trip is perfect for people of any age and fitness levels who love Italy, love being outside, love great food and great wine, and most of all love having a great time.
You’ll
enjoy a leisurely walk then stop at some of the best mountains lodges for an
amazing lunch, then move on to stay the night at a luxurious and unique
mountain lodge or a hotel in a fascinating village. You’ll carry a light day pack and your luggage
will be moved from lodge to lodge so you can relax, enjoy the magnificent
scenery and not worry about a thing.
We’ll
walk each day, as easy or as hard as you like, stopping every hour or so for a
break at a refugio (mountain lodge), while we enjoy one of the most spectacular areas of the Dolomites. Each night you’ll be able to relax in
luxurious accommodations with private rooms, attached bathrooms, and every
amenity you require for a comfortable stay, and often rejuvenating spa
facilities.
Walking
has always been one of the most natural forms of exercise creating benefits for
both body and soul, as proven by various medical studies. Walking in the mountains allows you to find
time and space for yourself, in the midst of the colors, light, silence, and
sounds that nature has to offer.
Right
Path Adventures would like to give your holiday even more flavor, by further
strengthening and enhancing it’s winning combination of enjoyable walking in
the fresh, healthy air and the pleasures of incredible cuisine. All this is achieved by special invitation
only gourmet events, all based on the quality of local organic produce of the
South Tyrol region.
A
number of different and distinct mountain refugio’s (mountain lodges) will
serve you gourmet yet simple dishes; the perfect choice during and after a
healthy walk in the mountains. The
recipes, using the best South Tyrolean produce, have been created by local
Michelin-Star chefs, together with five other award-winning chefs from
Switzerland, Austria and Germany. Each mountain refuge will prepare different dish perfectly paired with a South Tyrolean wine.
Top Ten Highlights
include:
·
Michelin-star cuisine in quaint mountain lodges·
Healthy breakfasts among the peaks
·
Lunch and local wine on sun-kissed balconies
·
Aperitifs while watching the sunset
·
Tyrolean cooking classes and demonstrations
·
Wine tasting opportunities
·
A visit to a local farmers markets and art fairs
·
Picnics in spectacular places
·
Meeting and learning from friendly and interesting locals
·
Relaxing and rejuvenating wellness spas
Here,
is some of what you might well experience…
An
exquisite, exceptional and above all personal and down-to-earth dining
experience awaits all guests as you relax on a sun-drenched terrace protected
from the wind. The official chef of the
German football team – Holger Stromberg - combines “pucia” (the traditional dry
bread of the south Tyrol region) with a dish of fresh cheese, mushrooms and
caramelized apple. The suggested wine is
Alto Adige Moscato Giallo.
This
next refugio takes its name from the Ladin word “tabla”, the barns used by
farmers to store hay during the winter.
Traditionally decorated and offering guests a warm and hospitable
welcome, sun lovers can take advantage of reclining chairs to take a nap after
lunch. A memorable feature of this
refugio is it’s homemade Grappa. Often made with berries and herbs, Grappa is a traditional and strong Italian drink
taken after a meal to aid digestion (and for the fun of it).
Of
course you can always order whatever you want to eat and drink - the choice is
always yours, and you’ll work it off with the fantastic walks we do each day.
We’ll stay in a combination of fabulous mountain lodges and specially picked
luxury hotels in select villages where we personally are friends with the owners and staff. Single travelers, and we get many, are very welcome, they do not
have to pay a single supplement fee and will get their own room as well.
One
word is enough to describe gourmet dining: delicacy. Delicacy in the light, colors, perfume and
taste of the dishes served. The honey
produced in the South Tyrol region forms the basic ingredient for the exquisite
“knuckle of pork in honey and pepper, with thyme-seasoned polenta and
chanterelles.” Chef Arturo Spicocchi will take great care of us and suggests
the Alto Adige Pinot Nero with this amazing meal.
Chef
Norbert Niederkofler, one name, two stars.
When asked to describe his dishes: “the end result must stand out for
both taste and overall appearance”.
Simple yet surprising, South Tyrol speck forms the the basis of the
“Tortelli pasta stuffed with spec pate and bufala ricotta cheese on a bed of
green beans and balsamic vinegar.” The suggested wine is a local Pinot
Grigio. This refugio is an ideal place
to discover fascinating alpine customs and traditions. From the panoramic balcony you will feel like
you can reach out and touch the Marmolada – the highest peak in the Dolomites.
One
of the wineries I have enjoyed is Bottega Vinaia. Bottega Vinaia is a
collection of estate-bottled artesian wines from single vineyards in the
Dolomite Alps, north of Lake Garda, where the microclimate and soil conditions
are ideally suited to the production of high quality Pinot Grigio. In the afternoons, a warm, dry breeze called
the “Ora del Garda” sweeps off the lake, keeping the fruit healthy and free of
excess moisture. Cool nights promote
singularly fragrant and intense aromas uncommon in a wine like this.
Built
at 2050 meters, the unique Las Vegas Lodge is a contemporary Alpine structure
with elegant and refined furnishings and designer rooms that you will
thoroughly relish during our overnight stay.
Chef Johannes King uses traditional dairy products, fresh ingredients
and aromatic mountain herbs and spices that will give your senses a treat. An Alto Adige Valle Isarco Kernere wine will
perfectly compliment the potato ravioli with sheep’s milk cheese.
Our
next lunch spot is closely linked with the history of tourism; it is situated
on the Alta Badia’s showcase mountain, “Col Alt” - where the first chairlift
in Italy was built in 1947. This
restaurant has a vision to unite people with its alchemy of food and wine. Using local produce - the
charismatic and artistic Chef Claudio Melis creates “Shepherd’s cheese soufflé with
grilled courgettes and a crispy milk roll wafer with pumpkin seeds.” A local Riesling from the nearby biodynamic Alois
Lagader winery prepares the palette for this luncheon.
For
those who adore tranquility and 360-degree views, this next
lodge is the place. The chef – Bobby
Brauer – pays a lot of attention to his main ingredients. Just the right balance between aromas, spices
and unusual combinations of herbs helps to create surprising dishes that are imply
delicious. The dish “Fresh sheep’s milk
wrapped in speck with mountain honey” is made exclusively with South Tyrolean
produce and paired with a local Sudtiroler Sauvignon.
A
spectacular breakfast buffet that is like nothing you have ever experienced
begs us to take our bodies on a pleasant and short but invigorating walk. We’ll head through the woods to a lodge with
great views of the Val Mezdi and the Sella mountains. “Savoir-vivre” is the order of the day for
Chef Reto Mathis whose success is all about his exclusive and creative
cooking. Always in search of top quality
products without losing the authenticity of his dishes, his traditional South
Tyrolean apple tart will be well worth a stop. A Sudtiroler Gewurztraminer wine or a hot cappuccino compliments this desert.
A
walk over the world-famous Gardena pass will overwhelm your senses and you’ll
be ready to relax at the panoramic terrace to spend some time reveling in the
views and enjoying the sunshine. Covered
in wood, this refuge reflects the simplicity of mountain architecture. You must try the “Caramelized speck on a bed of potatoes with
dried green beans” – a specialty of Chef Martin Dalsass, who combines products
from sea and land with creativity and passion, transforming them into works of
art.
We’ll
be sure to catch, as many times as we can, the world famous “Enrosadira” – the
red and pink and sometimes purple colors the Dolomites turn at sunset. And we’ll celebrate it with a traditional and
very refreshing Italian aperitif “Spritz” made with prosecco, aperol orange liquor,
soda and a twist of orange.
We’ll
visit a nearby farmstead to learn some secrets of Tyrolean cookery and taste
turtres, apples strudel and other succulent and traditional dishes. And we’ll
go to a farmers market where you can taste and buy biological and organic
products, locally made speck and breads, as well as handmade goods, handicrafts,
arts and crafts. You will certainly get
a taste of local customs and flavors and learn about the history of the area. And you can always do whatever you want,
whenever you want - after all - this IS your vacation!
This
trip includes:
*
All transportation for the week and to and from Venice; 6 nights at 3/4 star
hotels; 6 breakfasts, lunches, and dinners and table wines; all cable cars, all
entry fees and all guiding charges; with NO single supplement, NO hidden costs
and NO surprises - a really great value!
* Ready to sign-up for this trip, click here.
Right Path Adventures
*******************
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Europe, Guide Gary Scott.
