We'll be based out of Vinci for a week in July and thinking about a day trip Montepulciano and maybe Siena. Anyone have favorite wineries or places to visit in those areas? Thank you!
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Los Angeles
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While in Siena we took the advice of Rick and everyone on Trip Advisor and went to the Tuscan Wine School. We wanted to do the walking food tour but it was cancelled on the one day we had available so we figured the wine class was a decent alternative. I'm so glad things turned out the way we did because the wine class was great and we used what we learned for the rest of our time in Italy. The information was reinforced every time we did a tasting or ordered a meal and really gave us a basis of understanding Italian wine. My wife has even learned to enjoy some white wine that up until then she refused to try.
After our wine class I asked about wineries on this forum and someone suggested Casa Emma. I took a leap of faith and am glad I did because we had a wonderful private tour and tasting in the most peaceful and serene setting you could ask for. Fortunately we were there between groups and had the patio to ourselves for about two hours.
Montepulciano was a wonderful overnight stay although tricky to find your way to the top. The views are amazing and the town is beautifully preserved. The Vino Nobile rivals many of the fine wines of Italy and is what you want to try while in Montepulciano. For a wine experience Montalcino is more famous (Brunello) but you can't go wrong with anywhere in the area. Stop in Pienza for some cheese. I do think Montepulciano is a bit far from your base for a day trip since there is so much to see closer to home.