Best wine tasting tours and trips in Florence and Tuscany
Florence is not only the city capital of Tuscany, it is also the world capital for wine lovers! The city and its surrounding countryside are famous everywhere for its wines, among the best in Italy and in the world. In particular Chianti wine, taking its name from the Chianti valley, which stretches between the cities of Florence and Siena. In this post I recommend the best wine tasting tours in Florence and Tuscany, during which you can savor Italian flavors, traditions and culture.
I am Claudia, a licensed tour guide with over 10 years of experience. Learn more about me and my work!
Please note that I am not personally giving those tours, as wine is not my expertise area. But I have selected the best wine experiences in Florence for groups that you can confidently book on Viator (with free cancellation policy).
- Extra insider tip: my favorite wine shop in Florence in Enoteca Alessi. Since I’m not a wine expert, when I need to buy a bottle of good wine for myself, I go there because I totally trust their recommendations. I literally only had great experiences with them. (And this is a wine tasting tour at their place).
Wine tasting Florence city centre, and Wine Windows tours
You don’t necessary have to cross the city borders to taste the best wines produced on the Tuscan rolling hills. There are many tours you can take in the historic center of Florence, including the famous Wine Windows.
The Wine Windows are outlets in the walls of the ancient Florentine palaces, through which bulk wine was sold to passers-by. Actually they are more shaped like doors rather than windows. There are dozens left in the city, and some has been reopened: you can have a glass of wine served through one of these ancient little doors, just like in the Renaissance.
Here are the best tours and experiences in the city center that I have selected for you:
- This is a wine tasting experience at Enoteca Alessi, my favorite wine shop!
- This is probably the best wine tour in Florence at sunset (with wine windows).
If you are planning a trip to Florence, check also my tips for the best Florentine steak in Florence.
Best wine tours in Chianti from Florence (full day)
Most of the wine tours from Florence are actually taking place in the countryside, especially in Chianti, but usually transportation is included. For this reason, wine tours usually last at least half a day. Often they also include a visit to the vineyards and traditional cellars, and together with the wine you can also taste other local delicacies such as cheese, salami and bruschetta.
If you decide to do a full day trip, you will have enough time to visit also a traditional village in the countryside, such as San Gimignano, Radda or Greve in Chianti. And if you fance some adventure, take a Chianti Safari on a 4×4 off-road vehicle!
Here are the best full day wine tasting tours from Florence:
- More options for day trips from Florence (even without a car).
Wine tasting in the countryside of Florence (half day)
If you want to save some time, take a half day tour. However, half a day is enough to visit the Tuscan countryside, taste the local food and wine, and visit the vineyards. After all, the Chianti countryside is very close to Florence, usually less than an hour’s drive from the city centre.
Chianti wine is always red, but also some excellent white wines are produced in Tuscany. Usually during wine tasting experiences, a white wine is also served. But if you don’t really drink red wine, ask for a special menu when booking.
Here are some of the best half day wine experiences that you can take from Florence:
Private wine tasting tours in Florence with a sommelier
If you want to take a private wine tour in Florence, you can contact my friend and colleague Elisabetta Gabellini: she’s an experienced licensed tour guide too, but also a certified sommelier and a true wine lover.
Elisabetta will be able to organize a fully personalized wine tour for you, based on your tastes and needs. With her you will be able to experience food and wine tasting, both in the city center and in the countryside around Florence. Being a private tour, you can ask her to customize it as you prefer, for example by adding a visit to the local market or a stop at one of the ancient wine windows.
You can contact Elisabetta filling the form below:
That’s all for this time, I hope this post has been useful for planning a trip to Florence and Italy. Let me know how your experience was, by leaving me a comment and sharing your experience with other travellers!
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