Wineries Near Florence: The Closest Wine Tastings to the City

The two subzones on the edge of the city

Chianti Colli Fiorentini holds the estates closest to town. San Michele a Torri in Scandicci is about 25 minutes outside Florence and runs a winery tour with a sit-down tasting that includes its own olive oil.

Chianti Rufina is the other near neighbour. Castello di Nipozzano, owned by the Frescobaldi family, pours its tastings in the family's private cellars, and Castello di Volognano stands just sixteen kilometres from Florence.

Farther south, the hills between Florence and Siena belong to Chianti Classico, a separate zone of 71,800 hectares shared between the provinces of Florence and Siena. Greve in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti, Radda in Chianti and Gaiole in Chianti lie wholly inside it. Most guided wine days from Florence head here.

Three estates within half an hour

San Michele a Torri suits a first tasting. The visit walks you through the winery and ends at a table where the estate pours its wine next to its own olive oil.

Villa Medici di Lilliano began life in the eleventh century as a watchtower. The drive takes 25 minutes, so it fits a morning before lunch back in town.

Castello di Volognano also dates to the eleventh century. Its 200-hectare estate grows Sangiovese, Colorino, Canaiolo, Trebbiano and Malvasia, which gives you red and white grapes to compare in one glass session.

If you would rather not drive after tasting, a small-group tour such as the Half Day Wine Tour From Florence handles the road for $99 per person.

Match the winery to the visit

For a long lunch in the heart of Chianti, Castello di Verrazzano is the classic pick. The drive takes about 50 minutes, and a tour plus lunch there takes about 3 hours. Vignamaggio is just down the road, so a taxi between the two turns it into a two-winery day.

For history, the Visit Tuscany list leans on castles and villas. Castello del Trebbio was built in 1181 by the Pazzi banking family and runs a farmhouse, restaurant and winery. Torre a Cona near San Donato in Collina is an eighteenth-century villa with a vinsantaia, the loft where Vin Santo dessert wine is made.

For booking a fixed tasting online, Winedering lists more than 180 bookable wine experiences in the Province of Florence. Its top picks include the Complete Tour and Organic Wine Tasting at Fattoria Bellavista di Casignano and the Gourmet Wine Tasting and 5-Course Lunch at Savignola Paolina.

Wine tours from Florence by length

The table compares the guided Chianti and Tuscany wine days that start in Florence, with the price per person and the time you need. Every one carries free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Which length suits you

A half day fits travellers with a museum booking the same day. The Prestige Rent Small-Group Wine Tasting Tour to Chianti from Florence takes 4.5 hours. The Ciaoflorence Chianti Wineries Tour with Wine Tasting from Florence is the budget option at $55 per person.

A full day suits travellers who want lunch at a winery and more than one cellar. The Italy on a Budget Tours Tuscany Wine Tour with 2 Wineries and San Gimignano starts at 10:00am and gets back at about 5:00pm, with the towers of San Gimignano between the two tastings.

Bus, taxi or tour

The bus suits a single estate. Autolinee Toscane runs the extra-urban buses, and every ride needs two taps of your card, one when you board and one when you leave. Forget the exit tap and the system charges the maximum fare to the end of the line.

A taxi links two estates. Vignamaggio is just down the road from Verrazzano, so a short taxi ride lets you visit both in one day.

A tour removes the driving. The Tuscan Trails Chianti van tour, named by travellers on the Rick Steves forum, picks up in Florence, visits two wineries and stops for lunch at a restaurant. The tours in the table above work the same way.

Rules that change the wine day

GOV.UK warns that historic city centres in Italy often require a pass, and you will be fined if you drive past a ZTL sign without one. The pass can usually be bought from car hire companies, so ask when you collect the car.

Car hire companies may also set a higher minimum age and ask for an International Driving Permit. Check both before you arrive in Florence.

The bigger issue is the tasting itself. A driver who tastes at each cellar is a driver who should not drive, so many travellers pick a tour such as the Wine Safari Florence, a small-group 4x4 day with lunch from $117.40 per person.

Two estates with rooms

Castello di Nipozzano belongs to the Frescobaldi family. It has four country chic rooms, and guests taste in the noble family's private cellars.

Castello del Trebbio was built in 1181 by the Pazzi banking family. It farms ethically and runs a farmhouse, a restaurant and a winery on the same estate.

A night at either one suits travellers who want the tasting, dinner and sunset without a driver. If you only have a day, the Chianti Sunset Wine Tour gives you the evening light and brings you back to Florence for the night.

Castles and villas within easy reach

Castello di Volognano dates to the eleventh century and sits on a 200-hectare estate just sixteen kilometres from the city. Castello del Trebbio was built in 1181. Torre a Cona is an eighteenth-century villa where the Vin Santo ages in its own vinsantaia. Villa Medici di Lilliano started as an eleventh-century watchtower.

For a day that adds a famous skyline to the vineyards, San Gimignano has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1990. The San Gimignano Wine Tour pairs two wineries with the town for $84.66 per person.

Two Florences, one name

The Vineyard at Florence sits on 600 scenic acres in Texas Hill Country. It has 20 rooms, suites and a villa, a farm-to-table restaurant, a spa and event catering.

If you are planning a wine day in Italy, the estates on this page are the ones near the Tuscan city. Start with the Florence winery tours comparison to choose your day.

Harvest and the rest of the year

In Chianti Classico the harvest runs from the first half of September to the second half of October, depending on location and altitude. You may see grapes arrive at the cellar, and tours book up fast, so reserve early.

At any time of year a tasting covers several wines and ages. Chianti Classico Annata ages at least 12 months, the Riserva at least 24 months, so the same estate pours young and older wine side by side.

Planning to bring bottles home? TSA allows carry-on liquids only in containers of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less, so wine goes in checked baggage. US CBP lets returning residents aged 21 or over bring one liter of alcohol duty free for personal use.