Review By Peter and Jacquie - Fethiye, Muğla - TR (July 2015)
The Real Deal
This was a truly outstanding experience. I won't say much more about the activities themselves - just check out the website - it's all true!
| Written By: | Peter and Jacquie |
| Rating: | |
| Location: | Fethiye - Muğla - TR |
| Review Source: | Trip Advisor |
| Type of Traveler: | Couple |
| Itinerary: | Chianti Tuscany |
Full Review
We searched around for a long time to find what we were looking for. We know Italy fairly well, and wanted to get to know a couple of our favorite regions in greater depth, particularly the local food & wine. Until we found CDV, this seemed surprisingly difficult. Most "gastro/wine" tours seem to rush around the country, covering great distances, with a different hotel nearly every night. CDV have a different approach - you stay in a single location, and travel out from there, but no great distances. Exactly what we were looking for. Having checked their (very impressive) website, my first reaction was: "this is just too good to be true".
We booked for a week in Umbria (based at Norcia) and a second week in Chianti (based at Radda). The Chianti trip included a visit to the Palio in Sienna. All in all, quite an ambitious schedule. Not only was my initial skepticism unfounded, I can honestly say that my expectations were greatly exceeded. In two weeks of excellence, the Seneca hotel in Norcia, and it's new chef Emanuelle, deserve a special mention. This was a truly outstanding experience. I won't say much more about the activities themselves - just check out the website - it's all true!
Why is it so good? The secret of the CDV success seems to be the fact that all activities are under the direct supervision of the company owner, Michael Kovnick and his team. Not only is he a great Italian foodie and wine lover, he has the drive, charisma and networking skills to pull such a complex operation together. Also - No subcontractors for the tours. No backhanders to the restaurants/wine cellars, etc. It's entirely Michael's team and his personal contacts, built up over the last couple of decades since he married a (very beautiful) Italian lady and spent his time turning what he loves about Italy into a very successful business.
Needless to say, we'll be booking again for another trip next year.
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| Sample Photo from this Itinerary |