Tuscany wine tour recommendations

Private or small group tour?

We were thinking a small group tour but would be open to a private tour.

You can always start with the TI in Siena. We have always had good luck with tours through the TI. We had a car when we hit the wineries in that area.

hey nicole
check winetourintuscany.com with donatella. we did a wine tour but was from florence. also what frank says, the town/village will have a TI (tourist information shop/kiosk) in town. stop in and see what's available and you will get info for different tours they offer throughout the area.
see that you will be in venice, if interested, the prosecco road is just a short train ride away and offer tasting tours thru the gorgeous villages and vineyards there. you may not have enough time but i'm putting it out there, visitproseccoitaly.com, we emailed oriana@orianancc.it or oballiana@gmaili.com, tell her the bay area girls say ciao. you do not need a tour guide in venice, just walk up and over bridges and steps, get lost within alley ways, stop and have a glass anywhere. go early morning or late afternoon to rialto bridge and san marco square, it will be very very busy with daytrippers during daytime. check out santa croce, dorsoduro and canareggio areas.
in florence, walk around, lots to see and do. book your tickets early to see what attractions you want, also trains to get a cheaper price, if you know the days and time, most nonrefundable. we used trainline.eu, italotreno.it or trenitalia.com (use the italian name for stations- venice-venezia santa lucia, florence-firenze santa maria novella, rome-roma termini) check your arrival and departure times, if too early can you check in or drop bags off, or having to lug them around with you. loved to walk into mercato centrale in rome and florence, lots of shops, food, restaurants, cafes. look up withlocals.com chianti day trip: wine tasting & scenic roads along with other tours to look at.
rome: walk to the attractions, book early. if interested check out oldfrascati.com read "about us and blog" wine tour out to countryside, 30 minute train from rome, known for white wines, getting away from crowds for a day. eatingeurope.com or eatwith.com find time to sit at cafe/restaurant for a glass of vino or apertiv, people watch enjoy the views, walk down an alleyway away from tourists and look at menu (without tourist pictures). make sure you rent hotel/ apartment with air condition. have fun and don't stress, just zig instead of zag.
aloha

Tours by Robert does various tours out of Siena, only 8 or 9 people and a driver. Very personal and he is a Rick Steves’ recommended tour guide. We loved our time with him and even had some wine shipped home from one winery,

I also highly recommend Donatella's Chianti wine tour (winetourintuscany.com). We also stayed at an agriturismo just outside of Siena. Donatella's tour was one of the top highlights of our trip. Loved the various sized wineries we visited (we have since had a case of wine shipped home from one of the wineries on the tour), and the family cooked lunch was phenomenal. We didn't have our own car, so just took a taxi to the pickup spot in Siena.

we want to do a wine tour where we go to several wineries and taste the wine

Nicole,
I see you are from California. Are you used to doing wine tours?

My wife and I find that unless you always spit, doing more than two tastings a day is counterproductive unless your intent is not to judge the wine but to use the tastings to drink. After two tastings your have taste bud fatigue and can't tell much about what you are tasting. Remember Jesus was admonished for bringing out the good wine last!

We actually prefer a food and wine pairing. We've had wonderful experiences both in the US and overseas, especially at St. Francis Winery in Sonoma and Castello di Verrazzano which is in the heart of Tuscany, just outside Greve.

Thanks everyone for your input. We will check out all the recommendations! Yes, we are used to doing wine tastings. We live about an hour from the Temecula wine region and go frequently to try new wines. We’ve also been on several trips to Napa. We definitely know not to drink all the wine at the tastings when going to more than 2 wineries. We typically just taste and spit/pour out or we share tastings.

We live about an hour from the Temecula wine region

I've been there! It's a beautiful area. I'll be in Huntington Beach on business in the Spring and plan to visit Temecula. Last time I was there, I tried to visit Palomar. I drove all the way up only to find it closed for a private function.

Last time I was there, I tried to visit Palomar. I drove all the way up only to find it closed for a private function.

Oh no! I would recommend checking out Ponte or Wilson Creek on your next trip to Temecula. Those are 2 of our favorites!