Chianti Wine Tasting Tour from Florence: 7 Wines & Tuscan Lunch

4.86

(104 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We met up in central Florence just as the city was waking up—still cool, with that faint smell of coffee drifting out from the corner bars. Our guide, Giulia, greeted us by name and led us to a comfy van. The drive out to Chianti was quiet at first; I watched the city fade into olive groves and rows of vines, sunlight flickering through the windows. It’s only about an hour, but you really feel like you’re leaving everything behind.

The villa itself looked straight out of an old postcard—stone walls covered in ivy, cypress trees lining the driveway. Inside, the air was cool and carried this earthy scent I can’t quite describe—maybe old barrels or just years of winemaking. Our sommelier, Marco, had grown up nearby and knew every inch of the place. He poured us seven different Chianti wines (yes, seven!), each one paired with something local—salty pecorino cheese, thin slices of prosciutto, bread still warm from the oven. He explained how each wine changed with the food; honestly, I never realized how much that mattered until now.

After tasting, we wandered through the vineyards behind the villa. The sun was high by then and you could hear cicadas buzzing in the grass. Marco pointed out where they pick grapes by hand and told us stories about harvest time—apparently it gets pretty lively around here in September. Lunch was served outside under a big fig tree: simple pasta tossed with olive oil made right there on the property (I bought a bottle to take home), more wine if you wanted it, and plenty of laughs with our small group. No rush at all—just good food, good company, and that view over the hills.