Photo: Scenic Grape Vines

Top Wineries in Tuscany

Are you planning a visit to Tuscany to sample some of the fantastic wines that the region produces? If so you are not alone as there are thousands of people each year who visit the area for the exact same reason.

When it comes to arranging a trip to Tuscany to participate in wine tasting it is a good idea to know which the best wineries to visit are. By doing this you can be sure that the wine tasting in Tuscany that you enjoy will be well worth the trip.

Here are the top wineries in Tuscany and help on why you should visit them and where to get further information online. So before you book your wine tasting Tuscany vacation take a closer look at the top 10 wineries that you should spend some time at.

Top Wineries

What better way to enjoy wine in Tuscany than knowing which the top 10 wineries in the region are? Here are the top 10 with a short description about each one.

Castello di Volpaia - this winery has been in existence since 1250 and is one of the Chianti League of wineries. It is family owned and there is even accommodation with a pool and small restaurant.

Tenute Guicciardini Strozzi - this is one of the oldest estates in the area in dates back to 994. It belongs to the wealthy Guiciardini Strozzi family and it is known for producing several wines including Spumante.

Castello di Fonterutoli – is between Siena and Florence and its vineyards extend over 117 ha. The area has had a lot of money invested in it and has become something of a dream vineyards are many winemakers. It has a huge seller and natural underground springs and is also known for producing olive oil.

Castello Vicchiomaggio – this winery is known for producing an excellent Chianti Classico La Prima Riserva as well as several other delicious fruity wines. Accommodation is also available at this winery as well as classes on wine tasting and cookery.

Sono Montenidoli - the philosophy at this winery is to allow the wines to ‘speak of the land’ and one wine in particular the Vernaccia is certainly worth trying.

Castello di Argiano – this is another huge estate which covers over 102 ha. It is now run by Guiseppe Sesti who is an astronomer and runs the winery according to organic philosophies. The wines produced here are of exceptional quality.

Fattoria dei Barbi – this winery was founded in 1332 and it welcomes over 70,000 visitors every single year. The sellers here are known to their historic significance and there is also a museum that is dedicated to art and crafts and the history of rural winemaking. This winery also makes wild boar salami and aged pecorino cheese which are both delicious and need to be sampled with one of the winery's fine wines.

Avignonsei - this is one of Tuscany’s finest wineries and makes premium wines such as the Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice which is aged in casks for 10 years. This is very expensive wine but people who sample it say that it is certainly worth the price tag.

Le Casalte – this is a small winery which has been producing wines for some time and does not use any chemicals on its crops. Anyone who visits this winery is immediately struck by how hands on the tour is.

Castello Banfi - in this winery you will find the Brunello di Montalcino which is a full-bodied red wine that is very dark in color.

Why Visit Wineries?

A visit to a winery is well your time if you are interested in delicious wines. You will see the vineyards where the grapes are grown on the vine and you will be told about the growing process by a tour guide. You will be told how the grapes are harvested and how they are then turned into the fine wines that you will be about to sample. It is very interesting learning how a simple grid can be turned into one of the world's most delicious and expensive wines and anyone who is keen on wine tasting will love visiting wineries.

As well as this you will also get the chance to sample other delicacies that are created at the wineries such as olive oil, cheeses and salamis. In addition to this many of the wineries also have restaurants and accommodation where you can spend a night or two and sample some of the local cuisine. Should you wish you can also pick up a few bottles of your favorite wines before you wave a fun farewell so a wonderful winery.

So if you love wine, and would like to go wine tasting in Tuscany, then you may want to think about visiting some of the many fantastic wineries.

More Winery Information Online

If all of this information on the different wineries in Tuscany has made you keen to visit the area and explore these wineries and more you will want to get as much information as possible. Online there are some websites are dedicated to wineries in Tuscany and wine tasting in Tuscany. Here are some of the useful websites that you could visit in order to gain more information on this subject.

http://www.maremmaguide.com/tuscany-vineyards.html this websites provides a really great overview about the different wineries that are situated in Tuscany and as well as information on the different Tuscan wines that are produced and tasting guides.

Frommers: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/ has lots of information about the different vine yards in Tuscany as well as the best wines are produced in the area.

Welcome Tuscany: http://www.welcometuscany.it/special_interest/ is packed full of information about winemaking, wine tasting and olive oil production. In fact this website contains so much information that you will be eager to visit Tuscany as soon as you have finished reading.

Hopefully these websites have been useful to you and there are of course many more that detail wine tasting in Tuscany and the fantastic wineries that are scattered around the region.