wine tours

andrewsbyrd

New member
hi, we are thinking of visiting tuscany and surrounding areas next year. we were just wondering if there were such things as wine tours, and if so were there any you might recommend. thanks.

andrew
 
Wine tours in Tuscany

Dear andrewsbyrd,

Tuscany is famous all around the world for its good wines. The most famous is probably Chianti wine, that has 7 different denominations and the most renowned is the Chianti Classico. Chianti is not just a wine but also an area, extremely beautiful.
Other famous red wines are Montepulciano and Montalcino, both produced in the Valdorcia region. And these are just red wines, then we have good white wines such the Vernaccia of San Gimignano.

This was just to explain that in Tuscany there are many opportunities for wine tours, both guided and on your own. In order to give you better suggestions, I'd like to ask:
- where will you stay in Tuscany? how many days will you have? are you planning to stay in one place or move around during the days you have?

As soon as I'll have your answer I will be able to recommend something more specific :)
 
well, we are going to spend about 2/3 days in florence, then hire a car for about 3/4 days in the tuscany area. we have been on guided wine tours in france, and self-guided (?) tours in napa, so we are flexible, but as we dont know a great deal about italian wine we thought a guided tour might be the most beneficial.

thanks for responding,
andrew
 
Wine tastings in Chianti

Dear Andrew,

it sounds like you'll have a nice vacation in Tuscany!

First I suggest you read our article for a 5 days itinerary in Tuscany. I think that 2 days in Florence are perfect to visit the city and the main museums.

Then you can plan a day trip to Pisa and Lucca on the same day. Both cities deserve to be visited: Pisa because of the stunning and famous Leaning Tower and Lucca because of its charming city center enclosed in huge walls.

For a day trip to Chianti doing wine tastings, it's up to you if you prefer a guided tour or doing it on your own. If you want to do a guided tor I suggest you take a tour to Chianti and San Gimignano. The tour takes you in small gropus to several places in the Chianti region with an English speaking guide that will explain you the history and the culture of this region, as well as wine tastings in a local farm.

Otherwise if you prefer doing it on your own you can enjoy more wineries and landscapes. Moving around Chianti is not difficult and there are many farms and wine shops offering wine tastings in Chianti, as well as guided tour of the wine cellars explaining the wine production. So even on your own you will be able to know more about Chianti wine and about its production. For example Castello da Verrazzano and Castello di Vicchiomaggio near Greve in Chianti, just to name the most famous, offer tours and tastings.

I hope this helps and don't hesitate to come back with any other question which I'll be glad to answer :)
 
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