Brancaia
Radda, Tuscany, Italy
Experience
A Swiss-owned Brancaia winery located near Castellina-in-Chianti. As well as cellar tours and tastings, they offer a ‘Blending Experience’ with the sommelier.
Good for age: 18+
Travel bucket list idea:
Chianti, Tuscany, Italy
Tuscany is home to the world-renowned Chianti Wine Region. Tour vineyards and taste wines at leading estates
Some of Italy’s best wines are produced in the DOCG Chianti Classico, 177,500 acres of undulating, vine-striped land stretching between Florence and Siena. Dozens of wine estates share this fertile terroir, many of which offer tastings and vineyard tours and an opportunity to buy wines from source. Some also have very good restaurants and accommodation.
The history of wine-making in the region dates back hundreds of years. Early Chiantis were a blend of Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Malvasia Bianca grapes; today, a DOC Chianti must be made with at least 80% Sangiovese.
The main Chianti growing area is divided into eight sub-zones. The most famous is Chianti Classico, located between Florence and Siena, which produces some 25 million bottles a year, including some of the region’s greatest wines. Most bottles sport the image of a black rooster on a gold background, a guarantee of quality.
Many of the wine estates in Chianti also produce excellent olive oil, which you can taste along with the wines and purchase on site. Among the best are Castello di Ama, Dievole, Fonterutoli, Badia a Coltibuono and Borgo San Felice.
Radda, Tuscany, Italy
Experience
A Swiss-owned Brancaia winery located near Castellina-in-Chianti. As well as cellar tours and tastings, they offer a ‘Blending Experience’ with the sommelier.
Good for age: 18+
Castellina in Chianti, Tuscany, Italy
Experience
Lying directly on the SS222, hill-top Castellina was once a bastion of Florentine dominance as seen in the imposing fortifications and tower. It’s a very pleasant town to wander around and there are lots of places to buy and taste wine.
Good for age: 18+
Gaiole, Tuscany, Italy
Experience
Ama is a tiny stone hamlet near Gaiole in a glorious setting. Apart from superb wines, Ama has an excellent restaurant, four lovely suites and one of the most important collections of site-specific artworks in Italy.
Good for age: 18+
Fonterutoli, Tuscany, Italy
Experience
The aristocratic Marchesi Mazzei family have been making wine at Fonterutoli since the 11th century; it now boasts a state-of-the-art wine cellar where you can book tours and tastings. The superb wines pair well with the elegant-rustic dishes on offer at the Osteria.
Good for age: 18+
Greve, Tuscany, Italy
Experience
Medieval Greve-in-Chianti lies at the northern end of the Chianti Classico area and is a bustling market town with pretty arcaded central piazza. Generally considered the centre of Chianti wine-making, it hosts a huge, annual Festa del Vino, usually on the second weekend of September.
Good for age: 18+
The ‘wine towns’ of Greve-in-Chianti and Castellina-in-Chianti are good starting points and the tourist offices have maps. The Chianti Classico Consortium’s website has information about the opening hours of each estate and the tours and tastings they offer.
Most tastings and vineyard tours need to be booked ahead. The distances between the northern and southern confines are longer than expected and the roads are winding; choose three or four to visit that are close together.
Self-drive means you can stop and start when you like, but organised tours are often a simpler option, with tours and tastings all pre-arranged.
Wine estates are open all year round seven days a week. It’s interesting to visit during September when the vendemmia (grape harvest) is underway although some smaller estates discourage visitors in this period.
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