Tuscany
Chianti Classico · Montalcino
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Photo: Cazgamove · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
Antinori nel Chianti Classico
Chianti ClassicoA winery hidden in the hillside
The Antinori family has been making wine in Florence since 1385. In 2012 it opened this winery at Bargino, between Florence and Siena, dug into the hillside and roofed with vineyard, so it is barely visible from the road. The tour goes into the production areas and the barrique and cask cellars.
- Address
- Via Cassia per Siena 133, Bargino, San Casciano in Val di Pesa (Florence)
- Visits
- Bottaia Tour: about two and a half hours, with a tasting of four wines; €75 per adult. Booked and paid online (non-refundable)
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Photo: Argentieri.Andrea · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
Castello di Brolio (Barone Ricasoli)
Chianti ClassicoThe Ricasoli family castle
The Ricasoli family has been tied to Brolio since the 12th century; the brand carries the date 1141. In the 19th century Bettino Ricasoli, who went on to lead Italy’s government, set down the Chianti recipe here, with Sangiovese at its heart. Visitors tour the castle gardens and the winery, looking out over the Gaiole vineyards.
- Address
- Loc. Madonna a Brolio, Gaiole in Chianti (Siena)
- Phone
- +39 0577 7301
- shop@ricasoli.it (guided tours)
- Visits
- Classic Tour (castle gardens, winery and a tasting of three wines): daily from March to December at 10:30 am, booking required; 2 h 30 min, €55. The gardens can also be visited without booking, with a ticket
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Photo: Graeme Maclean · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
Castello Banfi
MontalcinoBrunello around a medieval castle
Brothers John and Harry Mariani, wine importers in New York, founded Banfi in 1978 in southern Montalcino, around the medieval castle of Poggio alle Mura. It is now one of the big names in Brunello di Montalcino, and the castle houses the enoteca, two restaurants and a hotel.
- Address
- Castello di Poggio alle Mura, Montalcino (Siena)
- Phone
- +39 0577 840111
- banfi@banfi.it
- Visits
- One-hour group tour with a tasting at the Enoteca (€60) or lunch at La Taverna; booking ahead is required. The winery is about 4 km from the castle and you follow the guide in your own car
Piedmont
Langhe (Barolo)
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Photo: ezioman · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
Marchesi di Barolo
Langhe (Barolo)Historic cellars in the village of Barolo
Its historic cellars sit in the middle of the village of Barolo, in the Langhe. The house says this is where, more than two hundred years ago, the wine named after the village was born. It opens every day, with tastings and cellar tours.
- Address
- Via Roma 1, Barolo (Cuneo)
- Phone
- +39 0173 564419
- reception@marchesibarolo.com
- Visits
- Every day, 10:30 am to 6 pm; tastings and visits booked online
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Illustrative photo: Mikegw66 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 (not of the winery)
Fontanafredda
Langhe (Barolo)The estate a king bought for Rosa
In 1858 King Vittorio Emanuele II bought the estate for Rosa Vercellana, “la Bella Rosina”. Their son, the Count of Mirafiore, turned it into a large wine estate and a village with a church and a school, and in 1870 the first wines were made in the cellars that visitors walk through today.
- Address
- Via Alba 15, Serralunga d’Alba (Cuneo)
- Phone
- +39 0173 626 481 (visits)
- info@villaggionarrante.it
- Visits
- Guided tour of the 19th-century cellars with a tasting of three wines, from €35; Barolo and Alta Langa sparkling tastings too
Veneto
Valpolicella
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Illustrative photo: Adert · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 (not of the winery)
Masi (Monteleone21)
ValpolicellaThe Boscaini family, in Valpolicella since 1772
The Boscaini family, from Gargagnago, bought its first plot, the Vaio dei Masi vineyard that gave the house its name, in 1772. Two hundred and fifty years later it opened Monteleone21, its new headquarters: an open winery built into the hill, with a wine shop, bistro and restaurant around a circular agora.
- Address
- Via Monteleone 21, Gargagnago, Sant’Ambrogio di Valpolicella (Verona)
- wine.experience@masi.it
- Visits
- Tours of the historic cellars and Monteleone21 with a guided tasting, 1 to 4 hours, from €15 per person; opens from 10 am
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Illustrative photo: Paolo Villa · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 (not of the winery)
Tommasi
ValpolicellaAmarone in Pedemonte
A family winery in Pedemonte, in Valpolicella Classica. The Tommasi family now also has estates in Montalcino, Vulture, Salento and Collio, but visits start here, among the Amarone vineyards.
- Address
- Via Ronchetto 4, Pedemonte, San Pietro in Cariano (Verona)
- Phone
- +39 045 7701266
- wine@tommasi.com
- Visits
- Tours and tastings Monday to Saturday, subject to availability, booked online
Some photos show the area, not the winery itself: each photo’s credit is on the winery’s card.
If you're tasting, don't drive: book a transfer or a driver.
Photo of Italy: Graeme Maclean · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0