My husband and I are spending a few nights of our 16 day trip to Italy in Siena and surrounds. We're interested in touring a winery or two, and enjoying the scenery in the rental car. The challenge for me is that I am allergic to red wines, and I am having problems finding places (preferably south and east of Siena) that make for good destinations. Despite hours upon hours of internet searches, I cannot find a winery that has tastings on a Saturday or a Sunday that has more than just one bottle/type of white wine. Specific suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by
United States
223 posts
Christa: First, I have to say I was born and reared in your town. I'm the first generation to leave in, well, many. Second: No bevo mai vino rosso o rosa. Paste this link for a start: http://www.italyandwine.net/veneto/prosecco.htm Salute!
Posted by
OP
Alexandria, Virginia, USA
2 posts
I appreciate it. It looks like this one is north of Venice. Are there other wineries or wine tastings in Umbria or southern Tuscany that are similar?
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17599 posts
Tuscany is very proud of their red wines---Chianti Classico, Brunello, Montepulciano. . . . White wines are less common there. When my boss and his wife went to Italy, they went wine-tasting at several wineries near their agriturismo in Tuscany, and she requested white wine. They only found one vintner who could produce a bottle of white wine for her to taste---and he joked that they could not photograph him with that wine, only with the reds! I did find refererences to white wines made with the Vernaccia grape being produced near San Gimignano. You might try looking around there. And if your Italy trip will include the Veneto area, or Alto Adige, you should be able to find some nice white wines up that way.
Posted by
Twin Cities, Minnesota
2050 posts
If you are willing to go as far as the Orvieto area, Orvieto Classico is a lovely white wine.
Posted by
Gaston, Oregon, USA
931 posts
Christa, for your next trip to Venice, add the area a little to the East to your itinerary; the Friuli- Venezia Giulia area. http://winecountry.it/regions/friuli/ You will find absolutely fantastic whites there, and lots of great wineries to visit. We even stayed in one; La Boatina. It had good accomodations, and a terrific multi course lunch and wine tasting option. Prices for eveything were very reasonable, there was lots to see and do, fantastic lo-cost dining, snd it was very easy to drive around and explore the area. We visited the neat Roman ruins at Aquilea, the seaside resort town of Grado, the mini Venice like town of Trieste, Gorizia, and loved the wine tasting enoteca in Cormons.
Posted by
Campbell River, Canada
361 posts
Hi Christa, Orvieto is a great place for white wine tastings and sales in the local bars. Nearby is La Tenuta Velette Winery but I suspect that you will need an appt. for this one. One of Rick's Italy guides, Cecilia Bottai is a principal in this family winery on the outskirts of Orvieto. Hope that you find a place that's open on your dates.
Posted by
St Louis
411 posts
Three wonderful Italian whites are Frascati from a small town outside of Rome Orvieto from no big surprise Orvieto and Vernaccia from San Gimigiano (sp?) in Tuscany.