We would like to tour a vineyard while we are in Florence. Any recommendations? We will not be renting a car. Has anyone been to Castello di Verrazzano or Villa Vignamaggio? Is there a good way to get around, and are the buses reliable? We are concerned about not finding our way or getting stranded. Is there a van or taxi service that might be better? We would love some help!
Posted by
winston salem, nc, usa
1078 posts
Verrazzano is a treat! If staying in Florence, you can cab to the winery and have an absolute Baccanal (?) of a lunch with a tour, history, and lunch(!) with 5 wines and Grappa that is out of this world!
We drove there, and the total was 48E, however, with a cab I'm sure it is more, BUT don't miss the event!
Posted by
Tacoma, Wa, USA
34 posts
We visited Villa Vignamaggio in Oct 2011 and enjoyed a tour of the villas wine making operation. The tour was led by Sandro who was the head winemaker. It was concluded with an amazing tasting including a very nice spread of locally produced sliced meats, and pecorino cheeses. I preferred their super tuscan, but who knows from year to year. The experience was complimented by the amazing history of this place. Filmed here was the movie Much Ado About Nothing, which I saw completely by accident, and was delighted I had, so I was interested in visiting the villa. We did not have a car but you can hire a driver through a company like Hills and Roads (http://www.hillsandroads.com/) or take a bus to Greve in Chianti, and then hire a taxi to take you up to the villa not far away. We really enjoyed Hills and Roads and you can include other wineries in your day tour.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
388 posts
Hi Jamie, unfortunately we don't cover those wineries in our guidebooks. However, one I have one suggestion that may help. If there is a particular wine you enjoy here in the US, you could contact that winery in Italy to see if they'd be willing to let you visit. Most of them are accommodating. When visiting wineries however, its best to have a car or go with a tour company. If you are doing neither, then a private driver would be the next best thing bust it will probably be expensive.
Posted by
Castellina, FI, Italy
4 posts
Verrazzano and Vicchiomaggio both do good wine tours. Vicchiomaggio is easier to get to from the bus stop, while Verrazzano is a long steep hike. As mentioned above, Vignamaggio requires a taxi ride. All of these involve taking the SITA bus route to Greve and Panzano. The buses are reliable but be sure to talk to the driver about where you want to get off.
There's plenty of relevant info on the Greve website: http://www.greve-in-chianti.com/
There are plenty of minibus services that will take you on a day long wine tour. They are expensive but can be very good. Check these two:
http://www.scenicwinetoursintuscany.com/
http://www.tuscanwinetours.net/