Six of us will be in Montepulciano Tuscany May 1-6. We will have 2 cars and are interested in a half to full day tour of wineries. Do you need to make reservations or just stop by like wineries in the U.S.? Does anyone have a specific itinerary they recommend? Grazie.
Most wineries will require a reservation
Make sure you have 2 designated drivers - alcohol limits are much lower in Italy
Hi, Giangilberto from Milan, well, things don’t quite work that way in Italy.
If you want to go for a tasting at a winery, a reservation is required 99% of the time.
That said, not every winery offers tastings, though it has become a fairly standard practice. Once you’ve decided which wineries you’d like to visit, I’d suggest checking their websites, they usually have a dedicated section for this, or simply sending them an email or giving them a call to say, "I’ll be there with a group of [number] people, we’d like to do a tasting experience."
See what they say, because that’s how it works here, you can’t just show up and expect a tasting, that might be possible at a enoteca (wine bar/shop), but an enoteca is different from a winery, an enoteca carries labels from various producers, whereas a winery only offers the wines they produce themselves. In any case, Tuscany is home to a huge number of wineries, many of which are of exceptionally high quality. It really depends on what you’re looking for and what types of wine you enjoy, I’m a huge wine enthusiast myself, whenever I travel, I always make a point of going to tastings, but, as I said, it really comes down to your personal taste in wine.
Personally, I can’t really recommend any wineries in that area, as I tend to prefer other parts of Tuscany, for instance, the Livorno area or the region around Montalcino. That said, there are plenty of wineries to choose from, I suggest doing some research, taking a look around, and perhaps even reaching out to them directly to see which ones interest you most and to inquire about tastings.
Below, I provide the first two paragraphs of Article 186 of the Highway Code, which concerns driving driving under the influence of alcohol.
- Any person who drives while intoxicated shall be punished—provided the act does not constitute a more serious offense—as follows:
a) by an administrative penalty consisting of a payment ranging from 543 to 2,170 euros, if it is determined that the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) exceeds 0.5 grams per liter (g/l) but does not exceed 0.8 g/l. The establishment of this violation shall entail the additional administrative sanction of the suspension of the driver’s license for a period of three to six months;
b) by a fine ranging from 800 to 3,200 euros and imprisonment for up to six months, if it is determined that the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) exceeds 0.8 g/l but does not exceed 1.5 g/l. The establishment of this offense shall in all cases entail the additional administrative sanction of the suspension of the driver’s license for a period of six months to one year;
c) by a fine ranging from 1,500 to 6,000 euros and imprisonment for a period of six months to one year, if it is determined that the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) exceeds 1.5 grams per liter (g/l). The establishment of this offense shall in all cases entail the additional administrative sanction of the suspension of the driver’s license for a period of one to two years. If the vehicle belongs to a person not involved in the offense, the duration of the driver’s license suspension shall be doubled. In the event of a repeat offense within a two-year period, the driver’s license shall always be revoked, in accordance with Chapter II, Section II, of Title VI. Upon a conviction or a judgment imposing a sentence at the request of the parties—even in cases where a suspended sentence has been granted—the confiscation of the vehicle used to commit the offense shall always be ordered, unless the vehicle belongs to a person not involved in the offense.
For the purposes of seizure, the provisions set forth in Article 224-ter shall apply.
Thank you. Very helpful. We have non-wine drinkers so will have designated drivers. If someone has a suggestion for hiring a driver with a 6 passenger van, we will consider that also.
Check ToursbyRoberto.com
Very well rated, books up early. I believe he customizes as well