Plan to visit the Tuscan area in October and would like to hear ideas on the best wine tours and vineyards to visit. We prefer doing it on our own as opposed to a "tour". Chianti, Brunello, Montalcino...you name it. Home base will be Siena or Vincenza. The trip will eventually end up in Firenze, drop the car and take the train back to Termini.
Your ideas....
Will one of you be a Designated Driver so the other can taste? Italians take drinking and driving seriously and I would not tempt fate. Plus, many of the cantinas (wineries) are not open without an appointment. You cannot simply drive up and expect a tasting or vineyard tour. A tour like Tours By Roberto is a very good idea so you can taste, not drive, not get lost, get access to the wineries.
Thanks for the advice but not worry about the driving thing. We are not into taking a group wine tour rather go by ourselves. Will do reservations if needed. However, if there no other option, then will take the tour. Just looking for ideas on which are the must do and the best.
Are you sure you mean Vicenza? That's pretty far from either Siena or Firenze...
Here are some of our favorite wineries in Tuscany.
Casa Emma in San Donato in Poggio
Castello di Verrazano in Greve.
Vignamaggio just outside of Greve.
Castello Brolio outside of Gaiole.
Bondi Santi just south of Montalcino
As Laurel stated, these all require reservations.
If you have never driven in Italy, please read up on ZTLs, especially if you are planning on using Siena as your base.
