Brunello Wine Tour from Florence: Montalcino, Pienza and Montepulciano

Stop by Stop

You meet the English-speaking driver beside the Cantina Antinori entrance, outside the building on the corner with via del Trebbio, at 8:00am. The van then drives south out of Florence into the Val d'Orcia.

The first stop is the family winery in Montalcino at 09:45. You walk the vineyard and the barrel cellar with an English guide, then taste different vintages of Brunello di Montalcino. At 11:30 there is a quick 15-minute stop at Montalcino castle and the tiny city centre. At 12:15 the van reaches Pienza, a Papal village famous for Pecorino cheese, where the three-course lunch with wine and water is served, followed by free time for the historic centre, the viewpoints and the cheese shops.

At 2:45pm the guided visit enters the underground city, a historical cellar below a local wine shop in Montepulciano. At the exit a tasting of wine and food specialities waits, and there is time for the main square at the top of town. The van is back in Florence at about 6:30pm depending on traffic, or drops you in Montepulciano or Montalcino if you asked when booking.

What Is in and What Is Not

Two wine tastings are included, one at the family winery in Montalcino and one at the underground city cellar in Montepulciano, where local food specialities are served with the wine. The superior lunch is a three-course meal with wine and water in Pienza. The English guided tour covers the vineyard and barrel cellar at the winery and the underground city of Montepulciano. The driver speaks English but is not the guide.

Not in the price: gratuities and private pick-up. No hotel pickup is included on any standard option on this site, so plan to reach the Cantina Antinori meeting point on foot or by bus or taxi. Bottles you buy at the wineries and anything you order in your free time in Pienza are yours to pay for.

The Honest Note on Price and Lunch

At $258.51 this is one of the most expensive listings among the winery tours from Florence, and the reason is on the table: lunch is included, the van is capped at 8 and the day runs 10.5 hours. If you want the same three towns at the lowest cost, the Val d Orcia Wine and Pecorino Day Trip costs $82 per person but runs as a coach and does not include lunch, so you buy your own meal in Pienza or Montepulciano.

Who Should Look Elsewhere

Travelers on a budget. At $258.51 this is the premium way to see the Val d'Orcia. The Val d Orcia Wine and Pecorino Day Trip costs $82 per person and covers the same towns and two wineries, with a Pecorino tasting, but lunch is not included and it runs as a coach. Pick it if the price matters more than the small group and the meal.

Travelers with little time. The day is 10.5 hours, from 8:00am to about 6:30pm. A half-day option such as the Small-Group Chianti Wine Tasting Tour at $99 runs 4.5 hours with two Chianti Classico wineries and snacks.

Travelers who want hotel pickup. There is none here, and no standard option on this site includes it. You meet beside Cantina Antinori at 8:00am. Families are fine though: infants 0 to 5 and children 6 to 12 are listed, infant seats are available and prams and strollers are allowed. The listing also says it suits all fitness levels.

Brunello, the Wine You Taste in Montalcino

Brunello di Montalcino is made from Sangiovese, called Brunello in Montalcino, with a maximum yield of 80 quintals per hectare. The rules are strict on ageing: at least two years in oak and at least 4 months in bottle, 6 months for the Riserva. No bottle can be sold before 1 January of the year following the end of the fifth year from the harvest, and the Riserva a year later.

Montepulciano's own wine, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, must be at least 70% Sangiovese and age at least two years.

Practical Before the 8:00am Meet

No licence or driving skill is needed, the van does the work, so you can taste without a second thought. Closed-toe shoes help in the cellars. If you drive yourself to the 8:00am meet, note the Florence ZTL runs Monday to Friday 7:30-20:00 and Saturday 7:30-16:00, and the historic centre is called not suitable for cars.

The homepage sections on driving yourself and the Florence ZTL and the wines you will taste cover both topics in detail. For more season advice, the section on the best time of year and the harvest is useful.