Italian Wine Travel Guide 2024 - Find Memorable Wine Tours and Winery Tastings in Italy
Wine tasting tours in and near ...
Montepulciano
Montepulciano combines the best that Tuscany has to offer for wine lovers. Located in the heart of Italy, Montepulciano offers an unprecedented mix of beautiful culture, idyllic countryside and fantastic wines. Located between Val d'Orcia and Valdichiana, there are several palaces and cathedrals to visit in Montepulciano. Jewels like Palazzo Comunale and the Pozzo dei Grifi e dei Leoni that take you through the city's rich history. The finest gem, however, is the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Not by chance the very first Italian red wine to receive the DOCG quality mark.
Montepulciano's location is ideal for combining several wine regions (like Montalcino, San Gimignano and the Chianti wine region...). Not on the same day, though even that would be possible. The amazing red wine for which Montepulciano is famous is too exceptional for that.
You will need all the time in the world to discover this particular wine. From my own experience (we tasted and brought the wines of Gattavecchi, among others), I can tell you that this town and its wines are more than well worth a visit!
Wine tastings and tours in and around Montepulciano
On this page you can find all possible wine tours to discover Montepulciano wines. First of all, all organised wine tours are listed. There are many tour guides who will be happy to guide you around both the old town and the vineyards of the Val d'Orcia and Val di Chiana.
And, further on, there are also a large number of wineries where you can book a tour with a tasting yourself. If you -like us- like to explore things by yourself, you can compose a wonderful day to explore the area and its wines. The websites of
Consorzio Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (co-organiser of the local official wine route around Montepulciano, the
Strada del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano) and Chianti Colli Senesi can give you some additional information.
A map of the Montepulciano wine region. Montepulciano is located in the Southern part of Tuscany. Not far from Siena, Pienza and Montalcino (another great Italian wine city).
Great wine tasting tours in and near Montepulciano
Wine tasting tour with picnic in the vineyards of Montepulciano
Visit a winery in the countryside of Montepulciano and enjoy a tasty picnic among the vineyards afterwards.
How many ways do you know to taste wine? The picnic in the vineyard is definitely one of the most original. This experience will lead you to discover the wines of Montepulciano directly among the vineyards. Surrounded by the scents of vine and earth, immersed in the most beautiful views of Valdichiana Senese and Val d’Orcia.
Learn about the methods and secrets of the production of the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG and the Rosso di Montepulciano DOC of which you will appreciate the differences during the guided tasting.
Wine tour highlights:
- guided visit of a wine cellar in Montepulciano with wine tasting
- a bottle of Rosso di Montepulciano (1 bottle per 4 persons)
- basket with Valdichiana Senese typical products
- duration about 2 hours
Tour guide: Valdichiana Living - Tours and holidays in Tuscany
Price: € 65
Montepulciano Wine Tour with lunch at a winery
A full-day wine experience in la bella vita. Take a trip into the countryside and discover the food, wine and culture that makes Italy so spectacular. Taste incredible wines, the classic Tuscan cuisine and experience the authentic Italian culture. The Montepulciano & Pienza wine tour has it all.
Join us for a firsthand look into the wine cellars producing world-class reds, including the famous Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino, the very best Tuscan wines. We can’t wait to show you, your family, or your friends this extraordinary place that we call home.
We will guide you on a tour and tasting in one of the oldest and most famous wineries in the region. After that, we have a tasting tour at a family-run vineyard that focuses on small production, high-quality vintages. The third winery you will visit is a centuries-old winery in the heart of Montepulciano. Where a light lunch of traditional Tuscan delicacies will be served.
Wine tour highlights:
- Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel or in the immediate vicinity of Siena
- Travel in a Mercedes 9-seat minivan with air-conditioning
- Tour and tasting at three family-run wineries in the Montepulciano wine region
- Light lunch of traditional Tuscan delicacies
Tour guide: Tours of Tuscany
Price: € 160 p.p.
Montepulciano and Pienza Wine & Cheese Tasting Tour
Great and intensive day along the rolling hills of Tuscany. During this private Cheese & Wine tour, you will visit the Val d’Orcia valley. Driving along its famous rolling hills to the small Renaissance village of Pienza.
You will taste the famous pecorino sheep cheese at a small organic dairy farm. Then we continue on to Montepulciano to visit a small family-run winery and taste the Nobile wines, some of the oldest wines of Italy based on the Sangiovese grape.
At the winery, you will have a private tour where you will meet the owner/wine-maker or a wine expert who will guide you through the winery, vineyards and aging cellar before tasting the great and famous Vino Nobile wines from Montepulciano.
At the end of the day we will drive you back to your accommodation.
Wine tour highlights:
- Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel or in the immediate vicinity of Siena
- a private tour and wine tasting at a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano winery
- tour at a dairy farm that produces Pecorino, Caprino and other local cheeses
- 3-course lunch
Tour guide: MontalcinoWineTours
Price: € 160 p.p.
Elite Nobile di Montepulciano full-day wine tour from Florence
Great tasting tour to discover the vineyards of Montepulciano and Tuscany in the Southern Tuscan wine region with visits of 2 wineries to taste some great Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wines. You will be picked up in Florence and are guided by a local wine expert who guides you around this fantastic day.
Immerse yourself in the winemaking process and relish a private wine-tasting experience at two wineries in the Montepulciano wine region and enjoy the great panoramic vistas of the surrounding valleys.
Wine tour highlights:
- wine tasting tour at two Montepulciano wineries
- semi-private tour in luxury minivan
- 3-course gourmet restaurant lunch
- short city walk in the ancient town of Montepulciano
Tour guide: Grape Tours
Price: From € 285
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano winery tour by e-bike
A wine & bike tour in which even the journey in itself is full of emotions. Riding on an electric bike, you will cycle from the city center of Montepulciano to the countryside. Cycling with little effort over the rolling hills of Tuscany, you will be able to snap a picture of the most beautiful and picturesque landscape of Tuscany.
An expert guide will accompany you through the gravel roads and the Montepulciano vineyards. You will visit a winery where a cellar tour will be finished with a great Montepulciano wine tasting. The wines are paired with local dishes. From Tuscan salami, bruschetta topped with extra virgin olive oil to Pecorino cheese from Pienza. Once you have recovered the energy to continue, the tour will return to the walls of the city center of Montepulciano.
Wine tour highlights:
- e-bike and helmet rental for 4 hours
- visit to a Vino Nobile winery for a tour and wine tasting
- tasting the Vino Rosso di Montepulciano and of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
- expert wine guide will guide you during this half-day wine tour
Tour guide: Valdichiana Living
Price: €139 p.p.
Montepulciano and Val d'Orcia wine tour from Siena
Enjoy a full day of culture, wine, and delicious food as you visit some of the most impressive destinations in Tuscany.
Departing from Siena to enjoy art, culture, red wine and delicious food. An unforgettable experience in the most impressive places in Tuscany. Visiting wonderful cities and tasting the best wines in one single day.
Combining the tasting in a cellar in the area of Val d'Orcia with visits to both the old Renaissance-style hilltop town of Montepulciano and Pienza with its architectural beauty and harmony.
Unique tastes, smells, and flavors support this natural and artistic heritage. After that you'll take the bus and start to go back to Siena.
Wine tour highlights:
- wine tasting with accompanying snacks
- group tour by coach or minivan
- free time in both Montepulciano and Pienza
- expert and multilingual tour guide
Tour guide: myTour Italy
Price: € 95
Vino Nobile de Montepulciano wine tasting tours from Florence and Siena
Many tourists use Florence as their primary holiday destination. From Florence, it is about 1 hour and 30 minutes' drive to Montepulciano. If you are travelling by your own car, you can also travel via the Chiant wine region, for example. You will then take the SR 222 - the Chiantigiana - which will take you to Montepulicano via Siena. You'll drive right through the original Chianti region, the Chianti Classico wine region.
Please find a couple of great wine tasting tours from Florence and Siena that will visit Montepulciano or the surrounding wine area. In the list above with wine tours to Montepulciano, there are already two great tours to choose from.
Full day group tour to Val d'Orcia with tasting of Montepulciano's Vino Nobile and Montalcino's Brunello (and Pecorino Cheese!) from Florence
Escape the hustle and bustle of Florence and discover the heart of Tuscany with a visit to the enchanting Val D’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore the beautiful towns of Montalcino, Pienza and Montepulciano! Enjoy two different wine tastings and savour the famous flavors of fresh Pecorino cheese!
Tour operator: Ciao Florence
Pienza and Montepulciano Tour from Siena
Visit the hill towns of Pienza and Montepulciano. Drive through panoramic unesco landscapes in the Val d'Orcia and enjoy lunch on an organic dairy farm with spectacular views. This day includes a wine tour in the historic wine cellars.
Tour operator: Tuscan Escapes by Papilio
More winery tours to Montepulciano
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino wine tour
Great wine tasting tour to Montepulciano and Montalcino where you will visit the southern part of Tuscany, a wonderful countryside with picturesque hill-towns. Your wine expert driver will take you to a local winery where you will taste: Rosso di Montepulciano wine, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wine and a Supertuscan wine.
Driving to Montalcino you will enjoy one of the most stunning Tuscan landscapes and you will visit two celebrated vineyards that produce the world-famous Brunello, a red wine made around this hill town and in one of the wineries you will have your private lunch in a beautiful winery where you will enjoy your food in combination with 4/6 wines.
Tour guide:
Tuscany Tours by Golden Travel
Montepulciano Organic Food Tours & Gourmet Guided Tour
A beautiful day discovering Montepulciano and its great wines. You'll have a guided tour of the town and its characteristic artisans. In Montepulciano you visit one of the historic underground cellars of the historic center. After the cellar tour you will taste the famous Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wines. That day tour will be completed with a light lunch in a typical tavern or in one of the wineries in the surrounding area.
Tour guide: A day in Tuscany
Wine Tasting Tour at the historic cellars of Montepulciano
Great wine tasting in the historic cellars of Montepulciano, located underneath the buildings dating back to the Tuscan Renaissance, are the core of this tour in the heart of Montepulciano.
A guide will lead you inside of two underground cellars, between underground shafts with brick walls. Here you will find gigantic oak barrels, in which the famous Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG and the Rosso di Montepulciano DOC “rest”.
Tour guide:
Valdichiana Living
Wine tasting at Montepulciano wineries
In and around Montepulciano, there are over 270 wineries producing the Vino Nobile and Rosso di Montepulciano wines. Their vineyards and wineries are usually accessible to wine lovers who would like to meet the winemakers and taste their delicious wines.
Below is a list of wineries offering guided wine cellar tours and tastings. Where possible, the links are directly to the relevant pages with tours and tasting and in the English language version.
Winery La Ciarliana near Montepulciano
Wine resorts and winery hotels in and near Montepulciano
Wouldn't it be nice to stay over at the winery after a memorable wine tour and delicious tasting (instead of driving back to your hotel, B&B or campsite)?
There are many wine resorts and wineries with accommodation in the wine region of Montepulciano.
Take a look at the list below.
- Agriturismo San Gallo (connected to winery Le Bertille)
Winery resort near Montepulciano: Villa Svetoni Wine Resort
Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
The Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano was founded in 1965 with the aim of protecting and promoting the image of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (and later, Rosso di Montepulciano and Vin Santo) in Italy and the rest of the world. There are currently c.a. 270 members of the consortium (of which 78 bottlers) representing almost the totality of the vineyards. The Consorzio also carries out the role of managing the appellation, of monitoring the wines on the market, of legal guardianship of the brand in Italy and around the world, of promoting and improving the whole appellation.
The wines in and near Montepulciano
The best-known wine is, of course, the red Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Moreover, this wine is one of the most famous -and best- red wines in all of Italy. It was also the first wine to be classified as a DOCG wine, the highest quality mark of Italian wines, in 1980. To comply with this, strict rules have been established. The red Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG contains at least 70% Sangiovese (also known locally as the Prugnolo Gentile grape). The remaining 30% consists of other red grapes. The wine may even contain up to 5% of other white grapes. The vineyards are located at an altitude between 250 and 600 metres. The minimum alcohol content for the Vino Nobile is 12.5%, for the Riserva it is 13%. The Vino Nobile must age for a minimum of 2 years. 12 months in barrel and 6 months in bottle or 18 months in barrel. For the Riserva, it is a minimum of 3 years of ageing, including 12 months in barrel and 6 months in bottle.
Incidentally, in 2021, there is a proposal to create another new category (Pieve) above the Riserva. 12 subzones have been proposed within which this new wine must have been grown. Moreover, the minimum percentage of Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile) goes from 70 to 85% and the wines will be judged by a selection committee. The new top on the wine pyramid in Montepulciano is similar to the Gran Selezione that tops the Chianti Classico range). If approved in 2022, the first wines will be on the market in 2024.
The best Vino Nobile de Montepulciano wines, according to the classification, are as follows:
- Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Pieve (3 years of aging)
- Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva (3 years of ageing)
- Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (1.5 years of ageing)
In addition to the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG and the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva DOCG, the Rosso di Montepulciano DOC is made. A similar wine, however, it only ages for 4 months before it can be released on the market.
By the way, the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano should not be confused with the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. This is a very different red wine, made from the Montepulciano grape and grown in Abruzzo. As the name suggests (although this grape is also grown in Puglia).
Besides the most famous -mentioned- wines, the Montepulciano area has another particularly delicious wine. The Chianti DOCG, more precisely the Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG. Here, Senesi is the subzone of the Chianti area. The region around Montepulciano is also part of this classification. You can find more information on this specific wine and wine region on the website of the Consorzia del Chianti Colli Senesi.
Official Montepulciano wine trail: the Strada del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano e dei Sapori della Valdichiana Senese
A good idea to explore the region and its wines is to take a trip along a stretch of the official wine route, the Strada del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano e dei Sapori della Valdichiana Senese. This beautiful trail is one of the nearly 100 official wine roads in Italy. To promote the wines and the area, wineries, restaurants and many other attractions have joined forces. The very best way to discover the area and the wine for yourself.
Anyone driving between Valdichiana and Senesi will discover a spectacular, typically Tuscan landscape where culture and cuisine are a more than lovely mix.
But there are also plenty of activities to enjoy. Valdichiana Living's website gives you all the options for getting out and about. From cycling, canoeing, horse riding to hiking/hiking and a Vespa tour of the area.
Wine festivals in and near Montepulciano
The most important events and wine festivals in and around Montepulciano are:
Calici di Stelle Montepulciano
Date: 10th August 2024
Location: Montepulciano
Il Bravìo delle Botti of Montepulciano
Date: 25th August 2024 (last sunday of August)
Location: Montepulciano
Enjoy your winery tours and tastings in Montepulciano
I look forward to hear about your wine adventure in Montepulciano. Share your wine experiences and tips to make it easier for other wine lovers to plan their wine trip with your suggestions.
To make your planning en pre-holiday research easier, you can use the resources below:
Montepulciano Tourism website: Montepulciano Living
Promotion and tourist development: Pro-Loco di Montepulciano
Official tourism website of Val d'Orcia: Visit Val d'Orcia
Official tourism website of Tuscany: Visit Tuscany
Suggestions to add to this list or the page? Let me know.
Ciao.
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Avinturo is an Italian wine travel guide, packed with great tips about the many unique wine tastings tours in Italy.
Celebrate with locals at one of their great wine festivals. Visit one of the many famous wine regions. Or discover the countless hidden gems of undiscovered local wine regions with its unknown wines. Made from one of the many autochthonous grape varieties that Italy has.
Let yourself be guided along one of the nearly 100 official wine roads or plan your own winery tasting by visiting one of the thousands of Italian wineries. Be surprised by their hospitality and delicious wines. Discover and enjoy.
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