PIPETTE MAGAZINE

the indie mag about natural wines

Since 2019, we have offered boutique tours that bring a small group to natural wineries in Italy and elsewhere. We are currently planning one retreat in May 2026 (details below), one group trip in Sicily for October 2026 (details to come). We offer custom “microtours” in Central Italy, Sicily, and elsewhere throughout the year, with the exception of August.

In May 2026 we are hosting a week-long retreat at the Pācina farm in Castelnuovo Berardenga, Tuscany. Details below.

Join the founder of Pipette Magazine for 6 nights at Pācina, an organic multi-purpose natural wine farm in Tuscany.

With cultural programming and natural wine tasting on each day, our free time will be spent walking amongst the vines and olive groves. We will share several meals with the enchanting, warm extended family of Pācina natural wine farm in their incredibly beautiful corner of Italy.

Over 6 nights, we will live and breathe natural wine with the Pācina family. Together we have created an itinerary that is mostly creativity, nature, and relaxation—surrounded by incredible beauty, with an enclosed swimming pool. We will sink into the rhythm of agriculture while enjoying freshly prepared breakfasts, lunches on the patio, dinners with the Pācina family and their wines, or at local trattorias. 

The Pācina farm is located right outside the charming town of Castelnuovo Berardenga, reachable by foot (20 min). We’ll enjoy the proximity of the town, and on other days, a professional local driver will bring us to other natural wineries for lunch or tastings. 

Our time at Pācina will highlight the passions of the Pācina extended family, including a hand-built ceramics workshop with Elisabeth Racine; a wild plant walk with a local herbalist; and a cooking class with the farm’s original custodian, Loriana. 

In Italian, there is a saying: dolce far niente. It’s about the sweetness of doing nothing. We propose the concept of dolce far vino to represent the sweetness of doing wine—the growing and making, the sharing, the connecting. 

During this week, we will experience life on a vineyard, surrounded by ancient forest, in one of the heartlands of wine culture since antiquity. Through tasting, drinking, and exploring natural wine with delicious, fresh food, we will encounter wine as part of a broader, Socratic “good” life. 

Meals will range from Tuscan BBQ with the Pācina family; to home-cooked, seasonal meals featuring pasta and vegetables and cheese; to a night around their outdoor pizza oven; to the simple elegance of a local restaurant or a local natural winery. There will be a cooking class, featuring fresh pasta and other dishes. We will be enjoying traditional Italian dishes, but dietary needs are accommodated. Your host, Rachel, will also prepare some lunches and dinners, and guests are welcome to roll up their sleeves. The simple, fresh breakfasts will be provided from local artisans, including bread, eggs, pecorino cheese, coffee, tea, homemade fig jam, and milk. 

Each day will include 1 or 2 activities, but we will make sure to have free time. There are 3 days off the farm which will include visits to other natural wineries in the area. Guests are encouraged to sit with a glass of wine, staring out over the hills of Pācina. The mornings are ideal for a stroll through the olive groves. In the afternoon, you might like to open some wine and paint with watercolors in a sketchbook. 

All attendees will receive two gifts during the week: a signed copy of Rachel Signer’s new book, How to Drink Natural Wine, and our signature dolce far vino cap (one of 50 made).

Please fill out the webform below to receive the full itinerary and pricing.

There is availability for 10 guests max. The spacious, handsomely decorated rooms at Pācina feature antique wooden furniture, comfortable beds, wooden floors, and large windows. Some rooms share a bathroom between 2 rooms, and there are a few rooms with ensuite bathrooms. 

We hope you’ll come thirsty for natural wine, hungry for Tuscan farm-fresh cuisine, and open to new friendships. We think you’ll leave with a belly full of incredible food and a heart full of laughter, as well as a fresh set of wine-loving contacts around the world, and deepened smile lines from all the beauty and good times. 

All are welcome. 

Interested in joining the 2026 retreat? Or, need a custom itinerary for your upcoming trip to Italy? Please fill out the form below and we will offer you a 15-minute video chat to discuss your interests.

Please fill out the webform below to receive information about microtours and group trips.