Italy has thousands of wineries, from the top of your boot to the tip of the toe and all the way across the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. There are more than 20 wine areas in Italy, with some being more well-known than others, such as Tuscany, Veneto, and the Piedmonte.
You could spend a lifetime visiting them all. However, a trip to Italy will allow you to visit just a few of the best wineries. It would take you a lifetime just to visit all the Italian wineries, but we recommend tasting the wines of Italy’s hills & valleys through a winery tour. You can usually visit two wineries on a tour. All appointments for tastings and tours are made in advance. You may have the opportunity to meet the winemakers if you are on a winery tour. The best part? The best part? You can leave the driving to someone else.
These are the top winery tours in Italy that we have selected with an eye to geographic diversity and specialized services. Do as the Italians say, “cin-cin!” These winery tours are a favorite of mine, and they love to hear cheers (pronounced “chin-chin”)
01. Pagus Wine Tours offers rose to taste
You’ll love Lake Garda and its Rose Tour if roses are your mantra. This is one of many highly-specialized offerings by Pagus Wine Tours. Your Verona hotel will arrange a Rose tour that takes you to Lake Garda. This is Italy’s largest lake. Visits to two wineries are followed by lunch and wine pairings in a lakefront community. Pagus can arrange custom activities such as a trip in a vintage car, a speedboat tour around the lake, or lunch at a Michelin-starred establishment. There is also a wine shop located in central Verona.
02. Visit Prosecco Italy
Prosecco Hills is where the grapes that make Italy’s famous sparkling wine are grown. It is a small region that spans the regions Veneto and Friuli–Venezia Giulia. The Prosecco Italy Full-Day Prosecco Tour allows you to visit three to four small wineries that make Prosecco DOCG Superior, the best quality prosecco. You can choose to have a quick lunch or a longer one, and many tours include a visit at a vending machine. Although most tours depart from Treviso, there are other options. These tours don’t include tastings at wineries.
03. Mark of Gusto Wine Tours
While Umbria is known for its white wines and Montefalco is home to the red-colored Sagrantino, Umbria’s most famous wine is still white. Gusto Wine Tours is a small tour company that specializes in single-day tours. Giselle and Mark are the charming couple behind this wine-growing area. The Classic Gusto Wine Tour, which is the best place to begin, is a great choice. This full-day tour offers tastings and tours at three wineries, lunch at either a winery, rustic agriturismo or winery, as well as the opportunity to meet vintners. Private tours can be arranged. There are 8 maximum participants on each tour. Pick-up will take place at a agreed-upon location.
04 Tuscanyby KM Zero Tours
It’s a popular phrase in Italy’s Slow-Food Movement. You can enjoy a small-group, escorted tour of Chianti’s beautiful treasures. It’s not just a vacation, it’s an adventure – An insight into Tuscan life through the tastes, history, and people. This collection includes unique, one-of-a-kind excursions and experiences that will allow you to immerse yourself in Tuscany’s culture and traditions. Beautiful flowers in full bloom, soft cashmere in its purest form, delicious cooking, fresh and homemade cheeses, olive oil, artichokes, and wine, as well as refreshing walks in the natural world, local art, and culture.
5. Lazio (Rome): Old Frascati Food & Wine
Frascati from the view
Old Frascati Food & Wine Tours is a great option for those who are staying in Rome. The Classic Half-Day Wine Tour departs at the Frascati station. It is only a short ride from Rome Termini. After a walk through historic Frascati, the tour ends with a visit to nearby vineyards for wine tastings. After the walking tour, lunch is served at a traditional Frascati osteria. Old Frascati’s winery tours can be difficult for children to navigate. They also offer the best value wine tours.
06. Grape Tours in Tuscany
Tuscany is known for its Chianti wines. Grape Tours of Tuscany’s Super Chianti tour is a great way of getting to know this wine-growing region. All-inclusive tours include two winery tours and tastings. Usually, lunch is included at Dario Cecchini, a famous Panzano butcher. Private day tours can be arranged for groups of up to eight people and can be customized to specific wine regions in Tuscany. The guide will accompany you throughout the tour and provide thoughtful explanations about the history and terrain of the area. You can also book multi-day all-inclusive trips to Tuscany and other areas.
07. Prestelli Sicily Tours offers Etna wine tasting
Prestelli’s Private Tour to Three Top Etna Wineries on the Fertile Hills of Mount Etna will take you deep into this wine-growing area. The tour includes an extensive antipasto lunch at one winery and the opportunity to taste a variety of Etna wines, including white, red, and rose. There are two additional stops that offer tastings and snacks along with stunning scenery.
08. Vineyards in Monferrato
Prosecco is not the only sparkling wine in Italy. Southeast Piedmont is home to Asti Spumante, a sparkling wine with a sweet taste. It is also known for the lighter, sweeter Moscato d’Asti which is lower alcohol. Tasting Tours’ Monferrato Wine Tour will show you the beauty of the region. It begins with a visit to a winemaker who specializes in red Barbera d’Asti wines. The tour ends with a tasting of Asti’s sparkling wines.
9. Amalfi Coast: Enjoy the Amalfi Coast Wine Experiences
Wine tour with Swirl the Glass
Swirl the Glass Wine Tours are hosted by a trained sommelier who has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants. They start in Positano with a winery tour that includes a description of the wine-making process and tastings. After lunch, there will be wine pairings. Some tours include time at another vineyard. Swirl the Glass also offers pre-dinner wine tastings at Positano restaurants or in your villa.
10. Salento Wine Tours
In the south Puglia region, the heel of Italy is the Salento peninsula. It was once known for its mass-produced table wines. But it has become a wine-producing region to be watched, particularly for its white chardonnay, vermintino, red primitivo, and negroamaros. The Salento Wine Tour’s 1-day wine tour will take you through the region, including visits to three wineries and tastings, as well as a lunch featuring typical regional products. You can pick it up in Lecce. They’ll arrange tastings of local wines and snacks in a Lecce wineshop for those who are unable to do a full day tour.
