swirl the glass

My husband and I visited Positano for the first time this summer. We had an amazing experience at the Tenuta San Francesco in Tramonti wine tour. The views were breathtaking, the wine was amazing, and the experience as a whole was perfect. Cristian is extremely knowledgeable and professional. Thank you, Cristian!

Our wine experience to Tenuta San Francesco in Tramonti was a highlight of our trip to Positano. We have done wine tastings and tours in wine regions of Australia, the USA, France and other regions of Italy, but this experience was something completely different. It was individualized and such a great experience because of that. Cristian is a sommelier at one of Positano's best restaurants and his knowledge is extensive, not just of his own region, but from wine regions across the world. He is very friendly and down to earth and spends a lot of time explaining the vineyards, the winery and the process in a very relaxed manner. After our walk through the vineyard and viewing the extremely old vines (believe me you won't see this anywhere else),we then sat down to a beautiful meal cooked by family members of the winery owner, all made with beautiful local produce from the farm. The home made pecorino was amazing and the pear and ricotta tarte was the best pastry/dessert we had in Italy. Our beautiful meal was matched with generous servings of the wine available from the boutique winery. The wine was very nice and reasonably priced (10 - 17 Euro). We took some home to our Villa. They are really lovely people at Tenuta San Francesco. Cristian arranges for you to be picked up and delivered back to your accommodation by Assunta, a fluent English speaking lady who is a very good driver. It will really add to your Positano experience if you do this wonderful day out. Highly recommended.

We took a wine tour of Tenuta San Francesco with Cristian and we loved every second of it, from the start they come and pick you up from your hotel or villa on a Mercedes car which is very comfortable:) Cristian knowledge was amazing we learnt so much on this tour about the Amalfi Coast wines, it was a great experience that I reccomend to any one who loves wines!Thank you so much Cristian....

We landed in Positano and decided to have a relaxed evening and tour the region with a private wine tasting. Christian arranged the tasting at Casa Mele next to the Eden Roc Hotel- high above the town. The wine experience that Christian offers is well presented and so entertaining. The restaurant prepared fresh meats, cheeses and bread to accompany the wine tasting. We did only 3 local reds as we wanted to have dinner after and enjoy the wines. Christian opened our eyes to the region and our taste buds - Wonderful. After we took a nice walk down the hill to town and windowed shopped - returning for dinner and to finish our wines. Cost was 90 Euros per person but remember you have 3 bottles of wine and plenty of antipasti. great experience. A must do if you like wines and Christian is agreat guide. A great way to start a Positano experience.

These reviews sum it up perfectly. From the time we got picked up until the time we got dropped off, it was an amazing experience. The best part is tasting the wines and sitting around the table at the kitchen on the vineyard. Great food, great wine, great history, great people!

My husband and I did a private wine tasting with Cristian one afternoon in Positano, where we were staying. Having come from the Tuscany region prior to the Amalfi Coast, we were anxious to taste the wines of Campania. Cristian offered four bottles, along with cheeses and meats. He spent 1.5 hours explaining, educating, and tasting with us. It was so much fun and the wines were delicious! Walked back to our hotel with the four bottles and continued to drink our wines for the next couple of nights! If in Positano, definitely contact Cristian and treat yourself to this amazing experience.

Before Swirl the Glass, all I knew about wine on the Amalfi Coast is that I really enjoyed the Aglianico varietal called Taurasi. So when I had the opportunity to take a wine tour with Cristian at Swirl the Glass, I was as excited to cultivate my wine knowledge as I was to taste it. (Okay, maybe I was a little more excited to taste...) ;) Swirl the Glass experiences include transportation to and from a local winery, tasting over a homemade lunch, and of course, Cristian's extensive knowledge on wine from production to consumption. My visit was to Tenuta San Francesco in Tramonti, a boutique winery with an impressive array of delicious small batch wines. My favorite was the "4 Spine" or "four thorns" red. Cristian took care to explain about each wine as we tasted, but not in overly technical or isolating terms. Instead his approach is to make wine accessible and enjoyable.This is an all-day experience, and a truly unique way to experience the glory of the Amalfi Coast. Jennyjenny@goodtravelerkarma.com

If you're thinking about scheduling a wine tour in Campania, do yourself a favor and schedule it with Swirl The Glass. I have been on many wine tours in the past, all over Napa Valley and they are all very similar.......You walk around in a large group, tasting various wines in different barrels, from different grapes, etc. Although very fun and somewhat informative, it is nothing like what Angelo and Cristian put together at "Tenuta San Francesco in Tramonti"Since we were on our honeymoon, and since my wife had never been on a wine tour before, I thought it would be nice to arrange something while we were in Positano. We arranged for a pickup, at the main bus stop in Positano, where a back Mercedes was waiting for my wife and I. (already starting off well, since we were the only ones who would be on the tour). Immediately, it felt personal. The driver, Assunta was the sweetest person in the world. She made the ride very informative, pointing out interesting places, as we passed by. She even allowed for my wife to sit up front with her, since she often gets motion sickness in the back of cars. As we drove, we chit chatted with Assunta about the culture, people and traditions of the area. It was enjoyable, since my family originates from that area, and we could share each of our family's little customs.When we arrived at the vineyard, we were met by Cristian and the owner of the vineyard. We walked the grounds of the vineyard together with them and were able to actually touch and feel the vines. As we stood between the rows of grapes, Cristian gave us a very informative description of the wine, soil, climate, etc.....everything that goes into making the wine unique. Amazingly, we were able to actually touch a vine that was over 200 years old (most of the wine in Europe was devastated by disease, so to find a vine that old is extremely rare.)As I took pictures, the owner of the Vineyard actually offered to take pictures for us and of us. He did an amazing job too!! some of the best pictures that we got during the honeymoon.After talking a bit more about grapes, it was time to actually taste the wine. We were invited to their beautiful, opened air farm house and given a brief tour of where the barrels were kept.We were then introduced to the owner's wife, who surprisingly was preparing a meal for us. I had no idea that was part of the package, but was delighted to find out. We sat at a big table, looking over the hills and hills of grapes. As the owner opened bottle after bottle, his wife served us the most amazing food I had ever tasted. The wine was excellent too!!! We spent hours eating and drinking wife, talking and sharing stories. It felt like a Sunday dinner at my grandmother's home. The experience was so memorable, that I will cherish it for the rest of my life.I winded up ordering a case of wine to send back home. The price was very reasonable and I received it in about 3 weeks. We even had the pleasure of visiting Cristian again at his restaurant, one evening, where we were treated with class and professionalism. He is very good at what he does and knows his wine.Throughout the trip, Angelo & Assunta helped us navigate our way around the region. They gave us great insight, helped us with restaurant reservations and even took us on other sight seeing tours.If you want to taste wine, you can really go anywhere. But if you want to enjoy a once in a lifetime authentic experience, do yourself a favor and book a tour with Swirl The Glass. They are really great people, and what we will remember most about our trip to Italy.

Our family traveled throughout Italy for two weeks - but by far our favorite day was traveling with Cristian to the wonderful “Tenuta San Francesco Tramonti” winery. Cristian was beyond knowledgable about the various wines, and the family owned winery made us feel right at home. The family cooked us course after course of delicious authentic italian food to pair with our amazing wine. A wine tour with Cristian is a DEFINITE MUST!!!! We will remember the experience for years to come. Thank you Cristian!!!-The Alvino Family

We had a wine tasting at Mamma Rosa with Cristian and we loved every second of it. Cristian professionalism and knowledge is just incredible. We learned so much...Thank you:)

My Husband and love leaning about new wines and enjoy tasting them more obviously. We came across Swirl The Glass and Cristian by asking in the local wine shop in Positano about any wine tasting we could do during our stay and she recommended Cristian. Well I have done a number of wine tastings in Australia and in my travels across the world and the wine tasting Cristian took us through was by far the best we have ever done. I have never met anymore more knowledgeable about not only his own country and regions wines but he also knew all about all other wines across the world including Australian wines and regions, from grape varieties, best year of make, how the wine makers make there wine including the type and shape of the barrels they use to age the wines. It was such a fun afternoon, we asked so many questions and he was friendly, progressional and so helpful in everything. We did the wine tasting course in a restaurant before it opened and it was just my husband and I, three wines from Campania, antipasto to try the wines with and Cristian one of the best things we did in Positano. If you are into understanding all about wine or just like drinking it this is a great experience. Plus, I also asked about a cooking class and Cristian organised for me to do a cooking class with the local chef in his new restaurant before it opened and that was also an fantastic experience, if you are planning a trip to Positano look up CASA MELE it should be opened by the end of the month. Swirl The Glass is a do not miss when in Positano.

My husband and I arranged a wine tasting with Cristian during our stay in Positano. We tasted three different wines--a sparkling Prosecco, a crisp regional white made with extremely rare 200-year-old vines not susceptible to phylloxera, and a spicy regional red made with Aglianico grapes. Cristian did an excellent job of sharing information about the wines we tasted and the region's winemaking tradition. He encouraged us to ask questions and answered them with care. He obviously loves his work, and he went out of his way to make sure we had a great experience not just because this is his job, but because he knows and appreciates Italian wine and he wants to share his knowledge and appreciation with others. Cristian's wine tasting was among the best we've had (and we've participated in wine tastings all over the world).A couple of days after the wine tasting, we arranged to go with Cristian to a nearby buffalo mozzarella farm and a vineyard practicing organic wine-growing and making. It was a fascinating day filled with friendly people eager to share what they do--produce outstanding products on a relatively small scale with an eye towards sustainability. After visiting Viticoltori De Conciliis and tasting the Naima, I have a new favorite red wine. Again, Cristian went out of his way to make sure we had a great experience. It was a real pleasure to spend a day with him. All in all, our time with Cristian made it difficult to leave Positano. We came to love the region the way Cristian does.

We contacted Cristian Fusco on Saturday and he pulled his strings with local wineries to arrange a tour the very next day. We had a private tour of the Tenuto San Francesca Winery with the owner Giordano whose passion for the land and the wine was very evident, and made for a special day.Highly recommend...but don’t skip breakfast!

I was in Positano in July for a short vacation with my husband. We both love our origin country and especially the unique flavors we taste every time we come back. We always try to have new experiences while we travel so, since my husband is a great passionate and wine collector we contact Cristian to participate to one of his wine tasting. Cristian is from Positano, he deeply knows about his land , and at the same time he traveled a lot to strengthen his knowledge on the wine culture with stages all abroad.During the meeting Cristian fulfill with great competence and passion every curiosity relating the winesHe offers which are all of an excellent quality. The atmosphere is peacefull and enjoyable ,the Location is cozy and at the same time very scenographic .The experience definitinely it’s a must finding yourself Feeling between old friends and in a true real sensual journey.We recommend all American that are in love with Italy to go.

Me and my wife took a wine tour of the Amalfi coast with Cristian (a Michelen star Sommelier) and it was one of the best experience we had, it was very well organized we had a Mercedes to pick us up and took us to Marisa Cuomo winery located in Furore. We took the winery tour plus the lunch at osteria Bacco which is part of the Cuomo’s family where we had the wine paired with the food and it was sublime. If you are a wine lover or you want to discover the winery on the Amalfi coast Cristian Fusco at http://www.swirltheglass.com/amalfi-coast-wine-tours it's the best choice.