Vino and Hill Towns on a Tuscany Wine Tour
The middle part of our 17-day trip through Italy would take us right through Tuscany, and we simply couldn’t go to this region without doing a Tuscany wine tour. It would have everything we needed for a day in Tuscany. A driver? Check. Wine? Check. And, well, that’s pretty much everything we’d need!
Throw in a visit to two of Tuscany’s famous hill towns, Pienza and Montepulciano, and now we were really talking. So, we turned to Viator to find a Tuscany wine tour that fit our needs.
Here’s my review of the tour we picked and why you should book your Tuscany wine tour with them, too!
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I will earn a small commission. This occurs at no added cost to you.
Wine Tour Itinerary and What to Expect
After the first tour we tried to book was already full for the day we needed, we turned to Viator to see what was available. There’s no name associated with the company we chose, but they had good reviews and their summary had everything we wanted.
Their Viator listing details a very general itinerary. Our itinerary looked like this after all was said and done.
- 9:00 a.m. – Pick up in Siena
- 10:00 a.m. – Capanna Vineyard
- 11:15 a.m. – Patrizia Cencioni Vineyard
- 1:30 p.m. – Pienza
- 2:30 p.m. – Montepulciano and Talosa Wine Cellar
- 5:00 p.m. – Return to Siena
For two people, this Tuscany wine tour costs $243. I know what you’re thinking, and I agree. That’s a lot of money. However, consider what you are getting for that price: a driver so you can enjoy yourself, three different wineries with multiple tastings, lunch, and time in Pienza and Montepulciano. It’s pricey, but all-in-all, it’s a good value.
Already sold? Book your Tuscany wine tour through Viator here!
A Quick Note on Tuscany Wines
Tuscany is one of the most prolific wine regions in the world. It’s warm, sunny climate makes it ideal for growing Sangiovese grapes which go into most of the regions’ wines.
Owing to this fact, you can expect most of the wines on this tour to be red. However, the first two wineries we visited did have whites to sample.
The majority of the wines you’ll be tasting during this tour are Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino, Chianti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. These are all excellent reds renowned throughout the world for their quality. In general, expect these wines to be more on the complex side with leathery mouthfeels and hints of strawberry and dark cherry.
Getting Picked Up in Siena
Per the instructions in our confirmation email, Michelle and I headed to our designated pickup point around 8:45 a.m. We were to be picked up at the NH Siena at 9:00.
After about 20 minutes of waiting by ourselves, I was starting to get a little nervous that maybe we were at the wrong place. Around 9:10, our driver showed up with two other people already on board. It turns out the tour picks people up from all over Tuscany. The couple in the car were picked up all the way from Florence which explained the driver being a little late.
We were greeted by our driver, Fabio, who ushered us into the car and took us to another spot outside of Siena to switch into a bigger, more comfortable car that already had a third couple in it. Having to switch cars was a bit odd, but they seemed to use multiple drivers pick up tourists based on location to streamline the operation.
After this, the six of us and Fabio were off to the outskirts of Montalcino for our first two stops while Fabio entertained us with details about Italy and his life.
If you are using Florence as a home base to do this wine tour, make sure to give my Florence itinerary a read for ideas on what to do while there!
Tuscany Wine Tour Stop #1 – Capanna Vineyards
Our first stop of the wine tour was at Capanna vineyards outside Montalcino. Immediately upon getting out of the car, I was struck by how visually stunning the vineyards and surrounding area were. There are rows of grape vines extending out around the main building leading up to a forested hill. You’re able to just make out one or two Montalcino buildings from atop the hill.
If I could paint an ideal Tuscan vineyard, it would look something like Capanna.
After a few minutes walking around the estate, we were greeted by Davidai, our host at Capanna. Davidai took us into the wine cellar where he told us about the history of the vineyard and their winemaking process.
I found Davidai to be both professional and enlightening. He provided lots of interesting facts as we toured their cellars about the various wines of the region and how they’re made. Compared to the other two tastings, this one felt much more formal which was nice for a first stop.
More importantly, the wines we tasted were all great! We had two different Brunello di Montalcinos, a Rosso di Montalcino and a SanGioBì. These were my favorite wines of the day. The reds were all on the more complex side which I prefer. The SanGioBì, a white, was also enjoyable but was a bit of an afterthought compared to how good the reds were.
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Tuscany Wine Tour Stop #2 – Patrizia Cencioni Vineyards
The next stop was everyone’s favorite: Patrizia Cencioni Winery. This vineyard was smaller and felt more functional than Capanna’s.
The winery was set up on a little hill with the cellars built into the ground below. From here, vineyards stretched out over relatively flat terrain (take another peek at the featured image above).
Our guide was Arianna, one of Patrizia’s daughters. She was informative yet informal in a good way. Whether intentional or not, this worked to the tour’s advantage as we were already a little lubricated from the wine at Capanna. Whereas Capanna felt a bit stuffy, this felt like Arianna was in on the fun with us.
She still presented lots of interesting information. For instance, part of the tour went through the vineyard itself where Arianna explained some of the work that goes into maintaining the vines. I’ve done many wine tours before that all tended to focus on the wine making process, so I found this particularly interesting.
The wines themselves were all good. Like Arianna herself, these wines were more approachable and less complicated. Everyone thought these wines were better than Capanna’s except me. I preferred Capanna ever so slightly more due to their wines appealing more to my taste.
We were given five wines to taste: Rosato Toscano, Rosso di Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva and Solarianne. My favorites were the rosso and the rosato.
In addition to the wines, we were also given a snack of focaccia with some amazing extra virgin olive oil. If all that weren’t enough, at the end we got to sample two grappas they produce. Needless to say, at this point in the tour I was feeling pretty good!
En Route to Pienza
This leg of our tour is where things started getting a bit off schedule. Fabio found out I was a blogger, so he took us on a short detour. It’s very possible he does this anyways and saying he was doing it for me was just a way to make conversation.
Regardless, we were off to a picturesque Tuscan villa where scenes from the movie Gladiator were filmed. The villa was beautiful, and it was neat seeing where one of the more famous scenes from Gladiator was shot. I also found it interesting in that it shows just how much the addition of special effects can add to a setting.
It was thoughtful of Fabio to show us this since it’s something we wouldn’t have known about otherwise. That said, if it’s down to more time in Pienza and Montepulciano versus doing this, I would absolutely rather have had more time in those towns.
Tuscany Wine Tour Stop #3 – Pienza
Tuscany Viewpoint and Market
Before actually heading into Pienza, Fabio took us on another brief detour to his favorite viewpoint of Tuscany where there also happened to be a small market set up by local nuns. Unlike the Gladiator stop, I got the sense this was something he does for everyone and, as such, is built into the schedule.
Whether planned or not, this was a worthwhile stop. The views of the valley here were spectacular. The country here is so perfectly arranged with the bright green landscape dotted with villas decorated with manicured cypress trees and the crystal blue sky above.
The market next to the viewpoint was equally enjoyable. The nuns were a true delight and seemed happy just to be there. One of them took Michelle and me through their stands to explain what everything was while putting on a bit of a sales pitch.
I left with a bar of homemade pistachio flavored chocolate and a jar of sea salt seasoning that had been soaked in red wine. While the chocolate was good, it was no different than any other chocolate. I highly recommend purchasing the seasoning, though. I’ve used it once on steak and it was delizioso!
Unfortunately, we lost a bit of time here due to one of the couples on the tour making several purchases which took them longer than expected. This would cut into our time in the towns even further.
The market does not accept credit card. Make sure to have some cash on hand if you plan to purchase anything.
Visiting Pienza
We took a brief drive to the entrance of Pienza and were told we had 30 minutes to visit. This may not seem like much time, but Pienza is such a small town we were able to hit the highlights in exactly 30 minutes.
It was a bit rushed for my taste, but I knew ahead of time I’d be sacrificing sightseeing time for the convenience of being driven around, so I was okay with it.
Pienza is pleasantly small, yet it has a few highlights worth seeing. The main road through town is also adorable and a sight in itself. This small town has two claims to fame. The first is that it was a former residence of Pope Pius II. The second is its pecorino cheese. You can’t help but notice this latter fact as much of the town actually smells like pecorino. Make sure to stop in one of the stores for a free taste!
There are three things to make sure to visit during your tour: Palazzo Piccolomini, the duomo and the viewpoint about 25 yards up from the duomo to the right. Skip the tour of Palazzo Piccolomini (you don’t have time anyways) and just peek in through the courtyard to the doorway leading out into Tuscany beyond. The duomo is free and worth a quick visit.
Yet again, we seemed to lose a few minutes while in Pienza. This time it was our fault. I thought we were on time getting back, but as we exited Pienza, everyone was there waiting for us. Whoops!
I enjoyed Pienza. Despite that, I’m not sure it would be worth going out of your way to visit if you’re not on a tour because it’s so small.
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Tuscany Wine Tour Stop #4 – Montepulciano and Talosa Wine Cellar
Montepulciano
I honestly don’t have much to say about Montepulciano because we essentially only walked through town on the way to Talosa. The entire day’s tour was great except for this part. I expected at least 20-30 minutes to tour town, not just a brief fly-by.
With that said, Montepulciano did look like an interesting hill town that would be worth visiting with an extended itinerary. There seemed to be a lot to see. Additionally, the architecture throughout the little bit I saw was different from everywhere else we saw in Tuscany. I would have liked more time to appreciate this intriguing stone masonry.
Other Tuscany Content You Might Enjoy: The Best Highlights of Florence’s Accademia Gallery
Talosa Wine Cellar
Like the other two wineries, Talosa had its own uniqueness that set it apart from the others. In Talosa’s case, it was their cellar set in an excavated cavern from the 16th century. There’s even a section of the cellar that goes down some very slippery stairs (seriously, be careful if you walk down these) into an ancient Etruscan tomb. The entire cellar has a bit of a haunting beauty to it.
The tour itself was the least entertaining of the three. The guide, whose name I can’t remember and forgot to write down, was much briefer with the information he gave us. It was heavy on the history of the winery and cellar but light on details about their wines. In a way, this was kind of a good thing since much of what he was telling us was regurgitated info from the other two wineries.
He also seemed a bit disinterested. They were very busy and understaffed, so this could explain that. He also seemed to have a harder time with English than the other guides which could be why he came across like that.
After the tour, we were led into their seating area for lunch and our tastings. Lunch consisted of some delicious lasagna and charcuterie. The wines were a Nobile di Montepulciano, a Nobile Riserva and a Chianti. The wines here were also good but were my least favorite of the bunch. They were complex yet drinkable. It’s more a testament to how good Capanna and Patrizia Cencioni were that I preferred them over Talosa.
Check out my guide to another of Tuscany’s great hilltowns: Volterra!
Best Parts of Our Tuscany Wine Tour
Our Driver, Fabio
Fabio was the star of the show. In all seriousness, you can probably get good wine at almost any winery in this region. Your driver is a big factor in setting individual tours apart from one another. In our case, we were blessed with Fabio.
Fabio did a great job creating a fun atmosphere during the start of the tour and getting three different couples talking early in the morning. Equally important, he knew to lie low during the middle part of the tour when the wine was starting to hit and some of us were getting sleepy.
Beyond that, he seemed to genuinely enjoy his job and was invested in ensuring we all had a good time. He was the embodiment of the famous Italian la dolce vita!
Excellent Wineries
The three wineries we visited all had amazing wine. It wasn’t just the wine, though, that made them special. The tours at each location were fun and varied enough from one another to keep them interesting throughout the long day. Even Talosa, which I might have sounded a bit down on compared to the other two, was still fun.
Capanna had beautiful scenery and a more educational tour. Patrizia Cencioni’s guide was lively, and their tastings were, according to most in our group, the best of the three. Talosa had the most unique setting in an old cellar with connections to the region’s Etruscan past.
The quality of these wineries more than justifies the price tag!
Not Having to Worry About Planning or Driving
This should go without saying, yet I’m going to say it anyways. After planning our entire trip almost down to the minute, it was great to have someone else take the reins for a day.
The other somewhat obvious benefit of this was that neither Michelle nor myself had to worry about how much wine we were drinking. We could enjoy ourselves without having to also restrain ourselves. This was the main reason we decided to splurge on a wine tour in Tuscany.
Worst Parts of Our Tuscany Wine Tour
Time Between Wine Tastings
This first complaint is a minor one compared to the second. Yet, I still think it’s worth mentioning as it’s something I was acutely aware of during the tour.
There was a lot of time between the second and third tastings that created some pacing issues. In fact, it was around 2.5-3 hours between the last wine at Patrizia Cencioni and the first at Talosa.
This presented two problems. First, after the second winery when everyone was starting to feel good, now we had to wait all that time till the next tasting. It was a bit of a buzzkill.
Second, lunch was at Talosa, the third tasting location. In other words, lunch wasn’t till about 3:00. Personally, I didn’t mind this because I often eat lunch around 2:00 because of my work schedule. Michelle, on the other hand, was not feeling the late lunch. There was the focaccia at Patrizia Cencioni to tide us over, but it was still a long wait for a substantial meal.
Now, saying all that, I’m not sure what this tour group can do to fix these problems as the schedule is how it is because of the physical locations of each stop. It prevents backtracking. Nevertheless, I wonder if it would be better to do Pienza first, then the two wineries around Montalcino and finally head to Montepulciano for the last leg of the tour.
Rushed Schedule in Montepulciano
Either as a result of some of the delays mentioned above or simply because this was how the schedule was supposed to be, the visit to Montepulciano was essentially nonexistent. This was a little disappointing as Montepulciano was the town I was most looking forward to seeing on this tour.
I was expecting to have at least 20-30 minutes to walk around Montepulciano. Instead, our tour was confined to the few minutes it took to walk from the parking lot to Talosa’s wine cellar. We didn’t even get to walk back through town at the end of our tasting as we were picked up at a separate exit from the cellar.
Would I Book this Tuscany Wine Tour Again?
Definitely! The positives far outweigh the timing issues mentioned above. It was so convenient having someone else plan our day and drive us around Tuscany to drink remarkable wine.
What set this tour apart from any other tour was Fabio. I really can’t say enough good things about him. Michelle and I were talking about him for the rest of our trip. Whatever you do, make sure to ask for Fabio!
One thing to consider is you are paying a premium for three wineries. If you aren’t interested in three different wine tastings that take the majority of a day, skip this for something a bit cheaper to better suit your interests.
Tuscany Wine Tour FAQ
What else is included in the tour?
There are a couple basic things you get in addition to everything else during your tour. These two perks are bottled water and Wi-Fi in the car. I personally did not use the Wi-Fi, so I can’t speak to its quality.
How many people are in a tour?
The maximum number of people in a group is eight. Our tour only had six people which felt very manageable.
The cars are large enough that had eight people been in our group, it still would have felt comfortable during the trips from place to place. I sat in a row with two other people, and I never once felt crowded despite my long legs.
Can you buy the wine?
Of course. Each winery devoted several minutes at the end of the tasting to explain their prices and shipping rates.
If you know you’ll be somewhere later in your trip where you can have a bottle, I encourage you to buy one at one of the stops. This is a great way to support local businesses while saving yourself some money you’d otherwise be spending at a cafe with an upcharge.
Will I be okay if I’m prone to getting carsick?
Probably. Michelle was concerned about getting carsick after forgetting to take anti-nausea medications, but she never had any issues with this during our tour. There’s good AC in the car and Fabio kept us distracted, so it never became an issue.
You can request to sit in the front just to be on the safe side.
There you have it. Now that you know what to expect, head here to book this Tuscany wine tour!
More Tours to Take in Italy
Looking for other tours in Italy? Here are two others we did that I highly recommend!
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