Tips for Choosing the Best Wine Tour in Tuscany for You

Rome and Florence are undeniably two of the world’s greatest cities but Italy’s heart lies in Tuscany. Rolling hills topped with medieval towns and winding roads lined with cypress give Tuscany a timeless appeal but to really experience Tuscany you’ve got to experience it’s wine. Going on a wine tour in Tuscany tops many Italian trip wishlists but wine tasting in Tuscany is a bit different than in the United States. On a recent trip to Florence I got to explore Chianti’s rich heritage on a private wine tour with Tuscan Organic Tours.

 I was graciously hosted by Tuscan Organic Tours but as always all opinions remain my own.The Casual Travelist contains affiliate links, when you make a purchase or book a hotel through these links the Casual Travelist receives a small commission that helps support this site at no additional cost to you.

A Few Things to Know About Wine Tours in Tuscany.

Geography

Tuscany is quite a big area and geography plays a big role on deciding where to tour. Chianti is the closest wine area to Florence and is a natural choice for your wine tour if you’re based there. Montalcino and Monetpulciano are a bit too far south to explore as a day trip from Florence but are a great option if you’re based in southern Tuscany. Most wineries are located down single lane, back country dirt roads and can be difficult to locate even with GPS; having a knowledgeable guide will make your trip go a whole lot more smoothly.  Also having someone else to handle to driving leaves you free to fully enjoy the wine.

Where to Stay in Tuscany

Varietals

Wine in Italy is intensely regional, subtle changes in climate and soil can have a dramatic affect on what ends up in your glass. Strict criteria need to be met for a wine to be labelled as a Chianti Classico (with Chianti’s iconic black rooster symbol), a Vino Noble from Mentepulciano or a Brunello di Montalcino. While these iconic wines are representative of the terroir of Tuscany many winemakers have been a bit more adventurous experimenting with different grapes and blends that are just as delicious as the more traditional wines.

Appointments and getting your wine home

While the winery experience in Italy tends to be a lot more casual than it is in the US, most Italian wineries require appointments (which is another area having a great local guide comes in handy). Wineries in Italy usually offer a much more intimate experience, and you’ll often get to meet the winemaker or the family who has run the vineyard for generations. Also, you’re bound to find a few bottles of wine you love but be aware that you’re only allowed to bring in 1 liter of wine per person when entering the United States. Luckily most wineries in Tuscany are able to ship your wine home to you (prices are approx 90 Euro per case) and they take care of all the customs paperwork.

Group vs Private

There are many group wine tours in Tuscany with large buses stopping at more commercial wineries and popular tourist sites; these usually come with more crowds especially during tourist season. Also with a group tour you’re limited to their stops and their timeline. On a private tour your Tuscany experience can be tailored to your wishes. Want to spend a little more time chatting with the winemaker or pull over to snap a shot of that particularly scenic vista? A private tour has the flexibility to make that happen.

How do you want to experience Tuscany?

When choosing a tour it’s important to figure what you want from your Tuscany experience. Do you want to mix in a bit of sightseeing and culture with your winery visits or are you looking to immerse yourself with a day dedicated solely to wine?

Related: The Best Tuscan Villages to Visit from Rome

My Private Chianti Region Wine Tour

During our time in Florence Steve and I wanted to take a day to explore the Tuscan countryside and having just spent the previous few days battling the tourist hordes in Rome we wanted a more private experience that would take us off the beaten path. On a recommendation from my friend Tamara of We 3 Travel I contacted Giacomo of Tuscan Organic Tours who planned an amazing day for us exploring the Chianti region. Giacomo picked us up at Hotel Horto Convento, our beautiful hotel in Florence’s Oltrarno neighborhood, in a comfortable Ford van (he has several vans and can accommodate groups of nearly any size ). Our first stop was a bit of a surprise, mainly because I had no idea it existed! 7 miles south of Florence is the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial where over 4,000 American soldiers who died in WWII were laid to rest. The beauty of the final resting place for these soldiers surely belies the horrors they saw fighting during WWII.

Small villages dot hill tops throughout Tuscany and many of them have become popular tourist destinations. Instead of battling the tour buses at San Gimignano Giacomo brought us to Montefiorelle, a small village that has changed little with time. Only 30 people call Montefiorelle home and aside from a wandering cat we had cobblestone alleys of this village to ourselves.

After exploring Montefiorelle we had worked up a thirst and it was time to check out the wineries. Tuscan Organic Tours focuses on small organic, biodynamic farms and wineries, many of which have been in the same family for generations. Our first winery stop was Renzo Marinai. Upon arrival we were warmly greeted by Angela, who along with a friendly winery cat, guided us through the wine making process in a centuries old farmhouse. The focus at Renzo Marinai is producing small batches of Chianti honoring tradition and using organic farming methods, but they also have fun experimenting with bold red blends and are even involved in a research study with Bose to see how music (particularly Mozart) affects wine. Angela then led us through a tasting led us through a tasting of Renzo Marinai’s offerings along with a plate of Tuscan salumi, cheese and the winery’s own olive oil.

We bid Angela farewell and a quick 15 drive brought us to our second winery, Il Palagio di Panzano. Arriving at the Il Palagio my jaw dropped at the postcard perfect view, rolling hills painted with with rows of grapevines accented with cypress ignited all of my Under the Tuscan Sun dreams. Inside the airy kitchen at Il Palagio something even better awaited – a four course Tuscan feast. Expertly prepared by Il Palagio’s cook who learned her way around the kitchen alongside her mother and nonna; the pappa al pomodoro, broccoli souffle, handmade tagliatelle ragu and olive oil cake with poached figs were among the best bites I had throughout my entire time in Italy.

If you want to get off the beaten tourist path and experience the real Tuscany then I can’t recommend Tuscan Organic Tours enough. An afternoon filled with good food, good friends and good wine in the Tuscan countryside is truly my idea of la dolce vita.

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