Fall colors in the Barolo wine country Dear Amy, We are so glad we decided to tour Italy with you again. What a joy it was to discover the wines and food of Piemonte (and the Tartufi!) and the friendly people. It would have been impossible to experience the best of this amazing region without someone like you leading the way. Stefano also made our days a visual experience rather than a driving nightmare – he’s the best!! Thank you so much for matching our personal tastes with your knowledge of the wines and the region, as well as access to first class wine makers like Luciano Sandrone, Guiseppe Cavallotto and Paolo Manzone. Once again you have given us an unforgettable experience. Mille grazie! Much Love, Carol & Tom
Montalcino vineyards - Pertimali Harvest in Montefollonico Hello Amy, Vince and I are just about over jet-lag but NOT OVER OUR TERRIFIC MEMORIES of our marvelous tour with you. How does it feel to know you will be part of our memory forever of wonderful Tuscany? We cannot think of one thing that could have gone better! You really have something going there. Your idea to entertain us with your cousin and her beautiful voice AND your mother-in-law's marvelous cooking were such personal touches and enjoyed by us all so much. Thanx for sharing so passionately your love of wine, cheeses, history, language, villages, churches, monasteries and even finding a fellow who loved little white belted pigs. What an unusual, fun day that was. Good call. The bottle of olive oil you had waiting for us in our rooms at the villa is sitting on our kitchen island, too pretty to use right now. The chocolates are long gone
God Bless you always -- please stay in touch. Much love, Pat Trosino
ps Everyday you are in my mind and the tremendous education you gave us reverberates. I know you shared with Stefano, your mother-in-law, your cousin, the villa's owner and Livo and Linda in Florence and all the good people you introduced us to (Andrea) how great our enjoyment was. However, none of this would have happened without your creative mind and hard work. Much applause.
walking at Pacina winery Erik, Amy & Tom at Capannelle Dear Amy, What wonderful memories Erik and I share of our trip to Italy! Your attention to detail and knowledge of Italy combined to give us the trip of our lives. And to receive the beautiful CD of pictures yesterday was just another glorious example of how you go “above and beyond” to make your clients happy. We are raving about diVino to all of our friends. Thank you for all you did to make our first trip to such an amazing and rich country truly special.
All the best, Elisabeth ****
View from Sant'Antimo, photography by Tom Thompson Dear Amy, It is difficult to know where to begin in expressing our appreciation for all your efforts. Throughout the months of preparation and planning for our travel to Italy, the patience dimonstrated during our numerous changes in plans, while providing friendly yet professional travel council was invaluable. Your advice on restaurants, hotels and villas was of the highest quality and standards. Both you and your assistants were professional, knowledgeable and flexible. The feeling that we were traveling with good friends was the aspect we loved most about diVino. You are a rare find in the travel industry and we were so fortunate to have you as our guide in Tuscany. Also, share our appreciation to Noris & Stefano, who made our trip to Montalcino unforgettable. I will never forget that fabulous homemade lunch by Marusca and the love the family shared for wine and their beautiful town of Castelnuovo dell'Abate. That experience was just one example of the lovely families introduced to us that made our trip so special and stand apart for all other travel experiences we have ever had. Finally, please tell Paola how very much we enjoyed our fabulous dinner that she prepared for us at the villa. It was certainly the highlight of our entire trip and I cannot thank her enough for all her hard work in preparing that most special dinner. I have a saying that "love enters through the kitchen" and we certainly felt the love Paola has for local ingredients and fine Tuscan cuisine... my mouth waters just remembering that dinner! With sincere thanks and appreciation, Tom & Sue
Tuscan antipasto buffet Dear Amy, We could never have planned such an amazing week long party for eleven couples in Tuscany without you. The hilltop villa, gourmet dinners, custom wine tastings, lovely day trips were first class. You truly possess the rare combination of professionalism and relaxed service. Your pre-trip planning skills and flawless execution of the details made for an incredible experience for our whole group. We left Tuscany not only with wonderful memories of a unique experience but feeling we had made lifelong friends of you and your team. We so enjoyed spending time with Noris and Giacomo and dancing with Stefano and we’re still talking about Paola’s cooking. We thank everyone at diVino for making this vacation and birthday celebration one that was way beyond our wildest expectations. We look forward to traveling with you again in Italy but we sincerely hope you will come visit us in Virginia! Sincerely, Karen and Ed Keller **** Hi Amy, **** Dear Amy and Noris,
Colosseum Hi Amy! We just returned home today and I wanted to say thank you for helping to make everything we did go so smoothly. We truly had a wonderful vacation with many memorable moments (such as the Palio!). It was fun to do the wine tasting with you and the kids said that Gianni's in Rome was their favorite restaurant. The guides in Rome, Siena & Venice were fabulous. We will definitely recommend diVino to friends and family members looking for travel planning services for Italy. Thank you again Amy - you are really good at what you do! Alice P.S. We agree that Stefano is the best driver ever!
Mary Tony & Marc "After contemplating the perfect Tuscan vacation for nearly three years, our expectations for an unforgettable trip were already extremely high. But not surprisingly, Amy’s tour far exceeded all of them. From start to finish no detail was overlooked and Amy did an exceptional job of taking all our passions, interests, and requests into consideration when developing a completely customized itinerary. From arranging a delectable 5 course wine pairing luncheon and olive oil tasting at one of Tuscany’s most exclusive wineries to a private guided tour of Siena by night, Amy ensured this would indeed be the trip of a lifetime. Her tour even took us to hidden hilltop villages and quaint little towns off the beaten path, providing us with a glimpse of the true Tuscan life that most tourists never have an opportunity to experience. Often times, traveling with family whose varying ages span generations makes it difficult to find activities that everyone will enjoy, but Amy planned visits and activities that appealed to everyone –especially the rambunctious 20 and 30 year olds. Kudos also go to Amy’s steadfast and loyal driver, Stefano, who was always punctual, informative, going leaps and bounds above the call of duty and keeping us laughing from Florence to Rome and everywhere in-between. For me, the greatest thing about touring with Amy, is that is doesn’t seem like a tour at all. It’s more like traveling through Italy with your best friend…only your best friend happens to speak flawless Italian. So whether you’re a wine connoisseur and have never visited Italy or you’re practically a native Italian but can’t tell a Pinot Grigio from a Pinot Noir, there is no one to whom I would not highly recommend diVino tours. By the end of the trip, I knew Tuscany had impacted me in a way that I have never experienced anywhere else around the world and I greatly look forward to visiting Amy and Stefano in Italia again very soon" Marc
Vernazza To view a testimonial from the owners of the California-based, Ophir Winery, please click here
Fattoria di Felsina Dear Amy: Our day with you touring was truly a highlight of our trip. We could not have asked for more. Each of the three wineries hold their own special memories. The lunch at Felsina was a real treat and we thoroughly enjoyed your friend, Summer. But it was your passion for wine in every aspect that made the tour so special. We will never forget the walk through the vineyards learning about the grapes, the different soils and the government restrictions and best of all tasting the grapes. - Charlotte Cerruti
Tuscany vineyards "Amy Wadman's wine tour was superb. She is also a rare find - energetic, intelligent, gracious and knowledgable. Amy's tour appealed to me because it was personalized and gave a great window into the real Italy. The wineries were intimate places where we met with real Italians (who also ran wineries). It was as close as you could get to visiting family in Italy, even if you're not Italian. She arranged a winery tour with lunch with an Italian family's home/winery. The talk was as good as the wine and food. It was a great chance to experience the country and people as much as learn about Italian wines. She interacts well and seems well regarded by the staffs we visited. I thought that day was truly memorable....." Becky Zuurbier
Livio Sassetti - Pertimali Want to know how great a trip is with Amy and Noris……… I have now recommended her to my niece from Arizona who is getting married next March, a good friend and associate from New Jersey, a close friend I work with here in the Philadelphia area, and the President of our company. You know I must think they are good! That says it all!!!! This was the trip of a lifetime. Because of my role, my wife and I have had the opportunity to travel extensively. During our European trips we have had many great memories from France, Germany, Austria, UK, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ireland and other great countries. But trust me, nothing could match Tuscany in the Spring with Amy and Noris. Brian
Siena One word to describe our trip to Tuscany last summer - PERFECT! There is nothing we would have changed, especially meeting Amy, Noris, and Stefano.You made the difficult task of managing all 26 of us look so easy! From planning our tours, to providing our transportation, to planning the most magnificent 50th anniversary party for my parents, it was more than we ever imagined. Not only did we learn about the countryside, the history, and most important, the wine but we made some very special friends. From my parents, their children and their grandchildren we thank you from the bottom of our hearts and hope you come visit us in Washington D.C. soon. We have already been spreading the word to anyone that will listen - if you goto Italy you must contact diVino! Thanks again for great memories that will last a liftime.
Monteriggioni Dear Amy and Noris, First and foremost, I want to thank you again for making our trip to Italy the experience of a lifetime! Your expertise, charm and flexibility created a vacation that was fabulous, educational, stress free and filled with gourmetfood and wines! I know that we could have never experienced Italy this way without you. I am already recruiting for a ladies wine, sign, hike spa, whatever!!!! Second, you need to know what a fabulous time we had at Sora Margherita in Rome. Our trip couldn't have ended on a better high than this. Sora Lucia was the "grandma" in the kitchen and she was warm and friendly and continually spoke to us in Italian. The food was great...we got artichoke appetizers, tortellini, fettucine with a red sauce, and for our main dishes they brought a taste of everything...meatballs (unbelievable!), a veal dish, steak, fried fish filet, lamb, chicken (Rich thought it was the best ever!) grilled vegetables andI'm sure I am missing something…We drank three carafes of wine and laughed all night. It was truly an Italian experience and we loved every minute of it! thank you somuch for everything! - Fran
Pici & Casanova di Neri Brunello My husband, our dear friends and I just returned from the most wonderful trip in Italy we have ever had and I had to write about the one special person wefound that made the trip perfect- Amy Wadman. Planning a trip can be very time consuming and a friend and client gave me a referral to Amy. Now, I plan to give her name to everyone. She is absolutely the best and we are already contemplating our trip next year and Amy will handle it all. Immediately, Amy did everything. She took it upon herself to understand our needs, likes and desires. She researched and found us the most beautiful villa in Tuscany and planned our entire week. She mixed wine tours with art and we grew very attached to her as we traveled through Tuscany. She shared her favorite places with us like the gorgeous Gulf of Poets on the coast. Each daywas a little different and created new and special memories for all of us. Each of us are busy executives who have no time to plan and Amy did it all. It was perfect. She has an incredible talent to give of herself and to show all who are with her all the beautiful aspects of Italy. Thank you is truly not enough for all Amy did. - Nancy Zsebo **** Dear Amy, I'm too happy for words as this week and Splendido day has made for the best anniversary that Tom and I could ask for. Thanks to You, Paola and all your friends we felt like we were part of you life and the Italian "Contrada". I speak for the both of us, we will never forget this trip! Most of all we will never forget you, your open heart and your friendship. - Grazie Mille! Carol & Tom
Portovenere My husband and I were looking for something extra special to celebrate myupcoming 50th birthday. Amy spent the better part of a year searching for the perfect villa for us, until we all agreed on one that was in a spectacular setting overlooking Lake Trasimeno.
She then organized an extraordinary week to be spent in Cinque Terre hiking the beautiful vineyard-terraced mountains. We ate amazing meals in incredible restaurants, visited unique vineyards, and Amy taught us about wine and food pairings on a lovely summer night on a patio filled with lemon trees. We would start our hike with a quick espresso overlooking the water and discuss the hike ahead of us. I remember one hike where we came upon an elderlyman selling his jug of wine to all the passers-by. We hiked another day through fields of wildflowers, stone cottages, ancient cemetaries, old monasteries and convents.
Amy is a fountain of knowledge and made herself available to us by phone even when she was on her own time. She made reservations at a restaurant for us that was an old castle where we dined and watched the sunset.
Our last night in Italy she insured that we had yet another wonderful memory in a fantastic hotel Castelletto di Montebenichi, in a tiny hilltop village (like in a movie!). Amy made everything very easy, interesting and took all the stress and worry out of traveling abroad. She orchestrated fabulous memories that we play over and over in our minds.
We very much look forward to having Amy help us plan and organize another trip in the future as soon as we possibly can!!
- Susan Kilman
Castelletto di Montebenichi My friends and I have fallen in love with Italy and have made four trips in the last six years. Best of all, we found Amy and Riccardo of diVino. My friends andI have takentheir cooking class as well as spent a wonderful dayhiking with them. We of course have spent many days exploring the wines of Tuscany. All of these great adventures were planned by Amy and Riccardo with perfection. They are knowledgeable about everything the region has to offer. They will customize your trip to fit exactly what you want and most importantly, they are fun to be with. On every return trip we have made to Italy, Amy and Riccardo make Tuscany the highlight of the trip! - Steven Blumenfeld
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