Your wonderful day exploring the Brunello wine region begins when you are picked up at your hotel and taken on a scenic drive through the beautiful Tuscan countryside comfortably seated in a luxury vehicle with English-speaking driver. Your first stop will be to a cutting-edge Brunello winery where you will taste a amazing Brunello wine and sample the spicy, intense extra virgin olive oil the estate produces. You will visit the winery's grounds and most importantly, the historic cellars. Next stop is the charming town of Montalcino, where you can enjoy lunch in a typical Tuscan restaurant and then have time to explore the town's narrow winding streets filled with artisan food and wine shops. The unspoilt character of the town of Montalcino and the surrounding countryside is impressive, and nowadays rather rare. No visit would be complete without a look at Montalcino's famous fortezza, the fourteenth-century fortress to which Sienese forces withdrew when Siena was definitively conquered and annexed by Florence in 1555. The view from the ramparts is spectacular. On the ground floor there is a well-stocked wine shop where it is possible to sample Brunello by the glass. Later in the afternoon you have a visit to another top rated Brunello winery. You can compare styles and techniques while learning more about this excellent wine. A short visit to Sant'Antimo Abbey may also be part of this wonderful excursion, depending on your time constraints.