Chianti wine tours from Florence

The Chianti hills start where Florence’s suburbs end. Between the city and Siena lie the vineyards of Chianti Classico, the wine with the black rooster on the neck, and a wine tour is the easiest half-day escape from the city there is.

Three ways to taste Chianti

Half-day tasting (about 4.75 hours, from $104): the most-reviewed wine tour from Florence, rated 4.9 from over 8,000 reviews. A small group visits two Chianti Classico estates, with a cellar tour and wines, olive oil and Tuscan snacks at each. Morning and afternoon departures leave from near Santa Maria Novella station. Wine safari by 4x4 (6 to 9 hours, from $151): a sommelier guide, back roads in a custom off-road coach, several tastings with cheese and cured meats, and a long lunch at a wine club; adults only. A full day with towns: the classic Tuscany day trip includes a farm lunch with four wines between Siena and San Gimignano, and the Val d’Orcia trip swaps Chianti for Brunello and Vino Nobile.

What you will drink

Mostly reds from the Sangiovese grape: Chianti Classico, its Riserva and Gran Selezione tiers, and often a Super Tuscan blend. Estates pour olive oil alongside, and the second stop usually adds bruschetta, pecorino and salumi. There is no pressure to buy, though most wineries ship; ask before you carry bottles all day. The minimum drinking age at tastings is 18, and some wine tours do not accept under-12s at all.

When to go

The harvest, the vendemmia, runs from mid-September into October and is the most beautiful time in the vineyards. Spring brings green vines and wildflowers. Wine tours run all year, but in winter some estates close and afternoon tours finish in the dark. If you have only one free afternoon in Florence, the half-day tasting is the best use of it; if you have a full day and want the towns too, go for the classic loop with lunch.