Tuscan Wineries Tour with Lunch

Stop by Stop

Check in by 8:45am at Piazzale Montelungo near Santa Maria Novella station, at the Prestige Rent red flag and check-in table. The drive out of Florence takes about 45 minutes. The first stop is Riseccoli, an organic family-owned hilltop winery, with a visit and a tasting of wines and olive oil.

After a panoramic ride through the wine country you reach Greve in Chianti, the birthplace of the explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano. You get 30 to 45 minutes around Piazza Matteotti and the local shops, including the butcher shop Falorni. A 30 minute ride on the famous Tuscan wine road brings you to the second winery, where an introduction to winemaking leads into the Tuscan light lunch paired with Chianti Classico, Riserva and Super Tuscans.

The last stop is Villa Poggio Torselli, a family-owned historical villa and winery with views over Florence and an Italian garden, weather permitting. Then comes the roughly 45 minute drive back to the departure point, with return at about 5:00pm. On the 2:30pm dinner option the same pattern holds with 2 wineries and dinner instead of lunch, and check-in at 2:15pm.

Included and Not Included

The listing includes transportation by air-conditioned and fully equipped vehicle, a professional English speaking driver guide, a guided visit to 3 wineries on the lunch option or 2 on the dinner option, tastings of wines, olive oil and other typical products at each estate, and a typical Tuscan light lunch or dinner with assorted cold cuts, cheeses, bruschetta, pasta and dessert. A quick stop in Greve in Chianti is part of the route.

Not in the price are hotel pickup and drop-off and gratuities. Bottles you buy at the estates are your own cost. Lunch is included here, which is not true of every listing: the San Gimignano and Wine Tasting Day Tour and the Val d Orcia Wine and Pecorino Day Trip both leave the meal out.

If the named wineries are not available, the operator chooses other estates in the same area and of the same level. The itinerary and the visited wineries can change based on availability.

Families with Young Children

The minimum age is 12 and infants are not allowed, so a day out with a toddler or a young child does not work here. The Chianti Bike Tour with Wine Tasting takes ages 10 and up, though it asks for about 24 km of pedaling.

Travelers Who Want a Smaller Group

This listing runs with up to 25 guests. If 25 sounds like a crowd, the Chianti Wine and Dario Cecchini Lunch Tour by Grape Tours caps at 8 with lunch at the butcher Dario Cecchini, but note that booking is non-refundable, all sales final. The Chianti Sunset Wine Tasting Tour runs in a car or a 7-8 seater minivan.

Travelers on a Budget

At $168.20 this is one of the pricier Chianti days because lunch and three wineries are in the price. If the meal matters less, the Half-Day Chianti Wineries Tour costs $55 per person for 5 to 6.5 hours with 2 wineries, though lunch is not included, so eat before you go.

Anyone Who Cannot Arrive Early

Late arrivals are considered no-shows with no refund, the tour cannot be held, and it is not possible to join after the group has started. If your arrival in Florence is tight, book a later option or leave more slack. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start covers every other change of plan.

Travelers with Limited Mobility

The operator notes uneven surfaces and a few stairs to access the wine cellars, so the tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair.

Special Diets Beyond Vegetarian

A vegetarian option is available on request. For gluten-free or other menus, ask the operator before booking. The Small-Group Chianti Wine Tasting Tour by the same operator lists a vegetarian and gluten-free menu on request.

Chianti Classico in Short

The Chianti Classico production zone covers 71,800 hectares shared between the provinces of Florence and Siena, and the whole territory of Greve in Chianti, your town stop, lies inside it. Chianti Classico must be made with a minimum of 80% Sangiovese and a maximum of 20% other red varieties, and since 2006 only red grapes. The Black Rooster, Gallo Nero, must appear on the label of every bottle.

The consortium was founded in 1924 and the wine has been DOCG since 1984. The day pours Chianti Classico (Annata, at least 12 months of ageing) and Riserva (at least 24 months) alongside Super Tuscans. The top level, Gran Selezione, needs at least 90% Sangiovese and 30 months.

Why a Tour Instead of Booking Wineries Yourself

Travelers on the Rick Steves forum report that the better wineries require advance reservation and a fee, and walk-ins are turned away. A tour bundles the reservations, the tasting fees and the transport into one price, and it lets everyone in the group taste rather than draw a designated driver. If you do drive yourself for a winery lunch, remember the Florence ZTL runs Monday to Friday 7:30-20:00 and Saturday 7:30-16:00, and GOV.UK warns you will be fined for driving past a ZTL sign without a pass.

Bringing Bottles Home

US CBP allows one American liter (33.8 fl. oz.) of alcohol in the returning resident personal exemption if you are at least 21 and it is for personal use, and amounts above that are dutiable. TSA allows carry-on liquids only in containers of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less, so wine goes in checked luggage. Keep the bottle wrapped in your bag for the van ride back to Florence.

Getting to the Meeting Point

The meeting point is a short walk from Santa Maria Novella station: leave the station on your left toward Via Valfonda, cross Viale Filippo Strozzi, walk to the end of the fortress red-brick wall, turn right and go straight for about 100 meters (110 yards). By taxi, ask for Piazzale Montelungo, not Piazzale Michelangelo. Cruise passengers from Livorno or La Spezia should allow about 2 hours of driving to Florence and check their ship schedule before booking.

Luggage can be stored on the bus during the tour.