Chianti & San Gimignano small-group day tour in a nutshell
The Chianti & Vernaccia wine tour departs twice weekly from downtown Florence, from March till November. Pick-up from Siena may also be arranged. Expect some lovely views of the legendary Tuscan countryside, two cellar visits with great red and white wine tastings, a delicious Tuscan lunch and the opportunity to see one of Tuscany's prettiest Medieval villages.
Wine tour destination
Deservedly awarded the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site and nicknamed 'the Medieval Manhattan' for its crown of ancient towers, the quaint hilltop town of San Gimignano lies at the heart of a small wine region between Florence and Siena. The area's unique grape is the age-old Vernaccia, native to the region and indigenous of Tuscany.
Tuscan wine tastings
Tuscany enjoys strong sun and dry summers, so most of its wine regions are best suited for red wines. However, there is one place in the Chianti area where Tuscan vintners produce an outstanding DOCG white wine. It's a small wine-growing region nestled around the stunning Medieval town of San Gimignano, and the white wine in question is called Vernaccia. Typically, at least four different wines will be served in a guided wine tasting.
Recommended for...
With maximum 8 people per guide, our join-in tours provide quality experiences at affordable prices in the company of like-minded travellers. Pick this wine tour if you favor white wines over reds. However, with one winery visit dedicated to the world-famous red Chianti, and one to the celebrated white Vernaccia of San Gimignano, this trip truly provides the best of both worlds!
Vernaccia di San Gimignano wine tour highlights
From downtown Florence we head for our final destination, the lovely hilltop town of San Gimignano, to visit the cellars of a white Vernaccia wine producer and enjoy a delicious Tuscan lunch paired with great Tuscan wines.
In San Gimignano you can also enjoy some free time to stroll through the quaint little streets. You are bound to fall in love with this historic little town, its history and art treasures, and the lovely little craft and wine stores.
On the way back to Florence, we enjoy some more views of the glorious Tuscan countryside before stopping at another winery and taste their organic Chianti Classico reds and some so-called 'Super Tuscan' wines.
- 9:30 a.m. Departure from Florence.
- 10.45 a.m. Stop at San Gimignano for sightseeing.
- 11:30 a.m. Arrival at the wine estate in San Gimignano with cellar visit and wine tasting.
- 12:30 p.m. Lunch at the winery.
- 2:30 p.m. Drive through the Chianti region.
- 3:30 p.m. Chianti Classico and Super Tuscan wine tasting at an organic winery.
- 4:45 p.m. Departure for Florence, arriving at about 5:00 or 6:00 p.m.
Price 170 Eur per person. INCLUSIONS
- Shared transportation in a comfortable air-conditioned minivan
- Professional English-speaking guide
- Guided visit of 2 wine estates and their cellars
- Guided tasting of Chianti Classico, Vernaccia di San Gimignano and SuperTuscan wines
- Multi-course freshly-made Tuscan lunch paired with local wine
- Extra-virgin olive oil tasting
- Stroll through historic San Gimignano
- Maximum 8 people per guide
not included
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Tips and gratuities
Meeting Point
Meeting Point in Florence at Piazza Cavalleggeri, next to the Biblioteca Nazionale "National Library".
My wife and I booked the Vernaccia di San Gimignano shared tour on 9/28/18. On this particular day, no other people booked the tour so we received a private tour from Pierpaolo. On the way to our first stop, Pierpaolo gave us a crash course on Tuscan wines and the region in general. It was a beautiful day so we made several stops for pictures outside San Gimignano on the way to the winery. Our first stop was Cesani, a winery, and agriturismo. We were seated in their beautiful patio area and tasted two varieties of Vernaccia (paired with pecorino cheese), three varieties of red wines (including Chianti and Super Tuscan) and their olive oil. Pierpaolo and our hostess at Cesani were extremely helpful in giving us tips on how to properly taste wine. We also had some time to walk around Cesani's beautiful grounds and take a few photos. Our second stop was at Casa Alle Vacche where we had a delicious lunch (which included a charcuterie platter and two types of pasta dishes) in addition to tasting their wines. The wines included another two types of Vernaccia in addition to two more types of Chianti and a dessert wine. After lunch, we toured the winery grounds and saw the bottling process in action. After leaving Casa Alle Vacche we stopped in beautiful San Gimignano. Pierpaolo dropped us off outside the medieval gates and we were able to explore the town for around 45 minutes. Overall we had an amazing time on the tour. Our guide, Pierpaolo was incredibly genuine, accommodating and a great conversationalist. His knowledge of the region, its history, and its wine made this tour the highlight of our honeymoon. I highly recommend booking this tour with Pierpaolo specifically!
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