Antinori Estates-623 Years of Winemaking

60 Minutes aired a spot on the Antinori family vineyards of Italy last night. Since 1385, the Antinori family of Florence has been producing white and red wines according to traditional methods and using old-growth vines. They have estates all over Tuscany and Umbria, including Badia a Passignano where you can purchase wine and dine in the osteria (Italian wineries are not usually open to the public as they are in the USA). Their palazzo in Florence even has special wine-related art exhibitions from time to time (most recently on ancient Greek glassware). Their wines are distributed all over Italy and even the USA.

Castello di Reschio-Villa Rental in Umbria

Deep in the hills of Umbria is an 11th century castle surrounded by 2,700 acre private estate. On this estate, Castello di Reschio, are 50 farmhouses that have been painstakingly and luxuriously restored by the Bolza family. The villas are for sale to the public (don't ask the price) but if buying a villa in Italy is a little out of your reach, four of these villas are available for vacation rental! They definitely are not cheap, but the prices per night are comparable to the luxury hotels of Italy and you get your own pool, concierge service, gourmet kitchens and access to the estate's extensive hiking and horsebackriding trails. Castello di Reschio is just 20 minutes from Perugia and 2 hours from Rome and Tuscany, the perfect home base of an extended vacation in your own private Italy.

Cycling in Tuscany and Umbria

National Geographic Traveler's list of 50 Tours of a Lifetime includes a biking tour of the Italian countryside. The Tuscany and Umbria Insider tour will take you to Cortona, Todi, Assisi and Siena -cycling all the while. And you'll have cooking lessons, chocolate-making demonstrations, wine-tastings and picnics along the way. Backroads hosts the trip and offers 100 hiking, backpacking and cycling trips throughout Italy, many of them family-friendly.

GettingMarriedInItaly.com

Admit it-you have always dreamed of getting married in a villa in Tuscany. Who hasn't? Well, you can make that dream come true. Go to GettingMarriedInItaly.com and the Italian wedding of a lifetime can be yours. The website will take care of the Italian bureaucracy, the venue, the flowers, the music, the food (yum) and will help your guests with accommodations. They have resources for every region in Italy, so if you want a vineyard in Umbria or an ancient chapel on the Amalfi Coast, you can have it. The website has tons of great ideas and photos to inspire you. It makes me want to get married all over again!

More Day Trips from Rome: Orvieto

Just 90 minutes from Rome is the hillside medieval town of Orvieto. Once the refuge for popes when Rome was threatened, this tiny town boasts a huge Gothic cathedral. The town is perched on a huge cliff made of volcanic rock and is accessible by tram car. The site has been populated since the time of the Etruscans and there is a museum there devoted to the study of these ancient people. The wines and ceramics of Orvieto are well-known, so be sure to sample both while you are visiting. To get there from Rome take the A1 toward Florence or one of several trains a day that leave from Roma Termini.

Day Trips from Rome: Umbrian Monastery

The Wall Street Journal highlights the monastery Abbazia San Pietro in Valle in Umbria. The monastery is refashioned into a rustically simple hotel where you can relax and soak in the gorgeous Italian countryside. While you are there you can explore the ruins of the abandoned medieval village Umbriano, just a short walk away. The monastery also has an exquisite restaurant, Il Cantico, so even if you are not staying the night, be sure to stay for dinner.