I will be traveling with a small group in the autumn. I would like to pre-book vineyard/winery tours with a wine tasting. I have read several appealing ideas, but haven't seen a thread where people recommend their favorite wineries to visit (sorry if I missed it).
So, my query is -
What is your favorite winery/vineyard to visit in or near Tuscany?
If you have an interest in Brunello, take a look at Dean's Brunello article on the main site. We also have a collection of FAQs regarding wineries, here, where there are some older threads with a lot of good information.
Another interesting small winery in the Chianti is Volpaia.
I agree with Megan about Verazzano and Casa Emma. Verazzano in particular was a very nice tour followed by a wonderful tasting and lunch.
Another great choice is Castello di Volpaia. It's a little off the beaten path, but is a fascinating tour - the winery is built in to virtually the entire village. There's a great restaurant - La Bottega di Volpaia - just as you enter the village.
Posts: 825 | Location: Virginia (but still missing Naples!) | Registered: 05 October 2005
I have been at Boscarelli Azienda Vinicola near Montepulciano. The owner is very helpful, I tasted a lot of wines (Montepulciano gran riserva), he is specialized in two three years of wood at least.
My favourite winery visit in Tuscany is with Vittorio Innocenti at his Azienda Vinicola Innocenti in the little hill town of Montefollonico half way between Montepulciano and Pienza.
His Vino Nobile is fabulous! In Montefollonico he has cellars in an ancient palazzo with that lovely wine perfume permeating all the walls and floors. In good weather, the tasting is outside in his little garden with an amazing panorama of the valley and Montepulciano on the other side. In cooler weather, you sit around an old table among some barrels in the cellar.
You'll taste Vino Nobile, Rosso di Montepulciano and Vin Santo. If you're really interested in wines, he'll bring out different vintages so you can compare.
He speaks no English, is a retired philosophy professor and a hospitable, quiet man. Some non Italian speakers go with an interpreter.
Originally posted by TomBirmingham: I will be traveling with a small group in the autumn. I would like to pre-book vineyard/winery tours with a wine tasting. I have read several appealing ideas, but haven't seen a thread where people recommend their favorite wineries to visit (sorry if I missed it).
So, my query is -
What is your favorite winery/vineyard to visit in or near Tuscany?
Thanks in advance for your input.
Tom
Do you know Eataly ? Yesterday I way buying some bread and I discovered they have their own travel agency. Maybe you could send them an email ( info@tournedostravel.com ) asking for some advice?
My favourite winery visit in Tuscany is with Vittorio Innocenti at his Azienda Vinicola Innocenti in the little hill town of Montefollonico half way between Montepulciano and Pienza.
Margaret, Does he have a website? We will be staying near Montepulciano in October and would love to visit his winery. Will we need a reservation?
Sharon J
Posts: 1141 | Location: Houston, TX USA | Registered: 01 November 2003
Dievole looks like a great place. I've never been to a wine tasting place and I was thinking of just that for our upcoming trip in August. Will they serve wine to the younger crowd? Underage for the US of course...say a 17 yo and even a 13 yo? We do allow them to have a sip now and then at home. Is there a difference of where to pick based on the number of people in your group? We are a family of 6 (and 1 guest)...so there are 7 of us. We'll be based in Florence so don't want to go too far.
JFraz - why did Casa Emma disappoint you? It looks quaint. What made Castello di Verrazzano commercial? Both of these were recommended.
I have been at Boscarelli Azienda Vinicola near Montepulciano
Margaet posted:
quote:
My favourite winery visit in Tuscany is with Vittorio Innocenti at his Azienda Vinicola Innocenti in the little hill town of Montefollonico half way between Montepulciano and Pienza.
and from a friend in Montepulciano
quote:
... would definitely be Podere Boscarelli - perhaps one of my favourite local wines
Are we talking about the same winery here, or is the similarity of name and location just coincidence?
Sheena, it looks like you might have stumbled across a language issue.
Boscarelli and Vittorio Innocenti are the winemakers' names. They are totally separate producers. "Podere" and "Azienda Vinicola" mean, respectively, "farm" and "wine business." Hope this helps.
Yes, you'll need an appointment to visit Azienda Vinicola Innocenti in Montefollonico. As far as I know, there's just Vittorio, his delightful wife and his son, whom I've never met. Vittorio doesn't speak English and has been the one who visits with our groups. Phone number is 0577-669537. I'm not sure if he has a web site.
After your visit, if it's dinner or lunch time, I highly recommend a restaurant in little Montefollonico, I 13 Gobbi. Wonderful pici aglione for garlic lovers!
Ciao Sharon J, Yes, you'll need an appointment to visit Azienda Vinicola Innocenti in Montefollonico. As far as I know, there's just Vittorio, his delightful wife and his son, whom I've never met. Vittorio doesn't speak English and has been the one who visits with our groups. Phone number is 0577-669537. I'm not sure if he has a web site.
Margaret, Thank you so much for the information. Sorry it took me so long to thank you, but I was out of town for a week.
This sounds like a wonderful activity for us.
Sharon J
Posts: 1141 | Location: Houston, TX USA | Registered: 01 November 2003
We had a great tour and tasting combined with lunch at Avignonesi back in November. I wrote about it on my blog, here.
We also have done tastings at Ciacci Piccolmini outside of Montalcino and Uccelliera, which we enjoyed but totally different environments - the first a larger operation, more polished, the second a much smaller operation (we drove by it the first time), still under construction, but very personal - both we enjoyed though. I have to write up something for both of them still.
In Chianti, I'll second (or third or fourth) the rec's for Verrazzano. I wrote about our second experience there in this trip report .
Oh, and we also visited Dei outside Montepulciano, wrote about that here.
The last few times I've been in Montisi in Tuscany, I've focused on visiting small organic wineries. The big guys don't interest me much. I like the small Mom and Pop wineries where sometimes you sit at their kitchen table for a tasting. There are many, and they are producing some fantastic wines. I am still in Vino 101 class, but I'm doing my best to learn!
One of my favorites right now is Il Paradiso di Frassina, just outside Montalcino. I take my tour groups there. They are doing innovative research into the affects of music on the growth and quality of their grapevines. Yes, music! Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi and Scarlatti to be exact, with some opera for good measure. Bose has joined the experiment and provided the speakers that play 24 hours a day among the vines. The Universita di Firenze has on-going studies of this concept as well. The results are fascinating.
In any case, the winery is fun to visit, and their three wines - Brunello, Gea, and Do 12 Uve (a combo of 12 grape varieties, my personal favorite) are great. You may call Giulia to reserve a tour [see number below] and tasting for 5 euros per person (most wineries do charge). And you might want to visit their website at www.alparadisodifrassina.it to read all about it.
Telephone information: Giulia's number is: 345.4811.653. The winery number is 0577.839031
From the U.S. you would dial 011 39 first.
[Edited to correct telephone number]
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Roz,
One of my favorites right now is Il Paradiso di Frassina, just outside Montalcino. I take my tour groups there. They are doing innovative research into the affects of music on the growth and quality of their grapevines.
I read about this recently but can't remember where; Gail thanks for the reminder.
Question about the winery tours.....our party will have one 18 yr old; one 17 yr old; and one 15 yr old....can they accompany us on a tour? This would probably be a no-no in the states, but hey, this is Italy!
We'd love to do a tour but don't want to leave half our group behind...any input would be appreciated...
Donna, we brought our six and nine year old on a tour of Verazzano (sp). My nine year old stayed with us the entire time, but the six year old got bored and so hung out in the cantina with my father who was happy to accommodate her. All of us then had lunch in the cantina with an accompanying wine tasting. So I don't think the teens will be an issue.
We had a similar experience when we visited Casa Emma in June - our 17 year old grandson was delighted to participate in the tour and tasting; the 13 year old grandson and 5 year old granddaughter lost interest and decided to play outdoors while we enjoyed our tasting. It wasn't a problem at all.
Judy
Posts: 3899 | Location: Berkeley, CA | Registered: 22 March 2005
Great topic, thanks for asking this question and to everyone who has answered. I often see questions online about winetasting, or get them from visitors. Now I have compiled this information into a list!
I had posted about il Paradiso di Frassina a while back. We had just gotten home and the memory was fresh.
I agree with Gail, it is a great place to visit. I'm sure there are others with larger selections, and maybe even better brunellos, but this place has a spirit that is unique.
I'm sure in that area you can hit several in one afternoon.
This is a very helpful topic, thanks for all who posted.
I am traveling through Italy next month and was wondering how accessible many of these wineries are if you do not have a car. Is a car essential, or are there buses/rail from some of the larger places nearby (Florence, Sienna)? Thanks!
Hi Tom, if you'll like travelling to Umbria, I recommend you this wine estate : Falesco Wine Estate In my opinion it will be very interesting to taste some Tuscan Wines and some Umbrian ones. You'll have a idea of Central Italy Wines.
Here is a link to a small Brunello winery on the road from Montalcino to Buonconvento. We've have stayed there several times and love it. It is definitely a "Mom and Pop" operation, not a big commercial venue. You would have to call once you were in Italy to see when they would be available to show you around. Tell them Jeanne and Ziggy from Pennsylvania sent you.
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