Winter wine tours in Italy

James:

We spend a lot of time here in the Oregon wine country and our tastes run more towards the small family operated places where we can connect directly with the wine maker. With that in mind, here are my thoughts on your question -

In our travels through Tuscany we have found a few places that we enjoy.

1. Panzanello - a newer winery on an ancient vineyard - located just outside of the village of Panzano. What a great experience - the wines are delightful and the information was so well presented. Andrea is a great winemaker and businessman. By making reservations ahead of time we were able to have a luncheon with our tasting. Their Super-Tuscan called Manzuno is beautiful.

2. Vingamaggio - The villa on the estate belonged to (and I am not kidding) Mona Lisa. This was the setting for the Kenneth Branagh film of Shakespeares's "Much Ado About Nothing". Their wines are renowned for their delicate complexity and the tasting was a lot of fun. Located between Florence and Siena - just off the S222 (also known as "The Chianti Road").

3. Volpaia - we arranged for a dinner tour there and it was a real highlight of the trip! The little hilltop village of Volpaia is subsumed into the wine operations - it is really remarkable. Their wines are excellent. Make sure to compare their Super Tuscan - the Balifico to the Manzuno from Panzanello.

All three of these locations have great and helpful websites. Don't just drop in - make an appointment. A Tuscan wine tour will be a great part of your trip.

We put together the tastings and meals by communicating through the winery websites and emails. We had a car and journeying about to the wineries was loads of fun.

There are many many other great Tuscan wineries and I just point out our favorites. Have fun.

March. What wineries are open in the middle of March.

Thanks, Jon, for your great suggestions! That is really good information, and I'm saving it in my file for a future trip.

James:

I am almost certain that the wineries that I mentioned and most others will be accessible in March. Do some web research and start sending emails to get the specific information that you require.

As I indicated above - unlike here in the U.S. - there are very few "drop in for a tasting" wine experiences in Italy - most of those cater to tourists more that oenophiles.

Making the reservations ahead of time - just a day or so in most cases - provides for a more enjoyable overall wine experience. Have fun.