Better late than never Beautiful grounds and…read moreinterior-stoped here for a wine and cheese tasting which was good but could have used more snacks/crackers with the wine Maybe things have changed since we last visited but fun to be in the heart of Chianti

This review is for a wine tasting and tour. We did not stay at the hotel but drove there…read more We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and tasting. Gabriel gave us interesting information about the Castle, which was built in the 11th century by Benedict monks! He showed us interesting things such as a hidden room where people can spy into the dining room through a hole in a painting, an underground tunnel, and a theater with its original backdrop from 1742. Don't forget to take a few pictures at the giant bench which is a few minutes' walk away. The view is gorgeous and the grounds are well maintained. For the tasting portion, we really enjoy the high quality of wine. Gabriel was also nice enough to let us sample a few other wines beyond the ones included in tasting, such as the dessert wine and the whites. Quite a few of us bought some bottles to take home. There are plenty of wineries in the area and we had visited quite a few of them during our three weeks in Tuscany. This is definitely one of the better ones, for the castle's history, the view, and the quality of wine.

This was an amazing tour and total experience! Our tour guide, representative, wine educator, etc…read morewas excellent! Her knowledge of the property, the amazing history, and wine was so very nicely portrayed in her excellent tour. The history here is stunning too. Wines were so very good that we bought a case to be shipped back home, to the states. Check on buying wine, as they price it with shipping. The property is gorgeous and historic! Highly recommend this particular winery to visit and tour when visiting the area!

I was so excited to visit Castello di Verrazzano and I'm disappointed that I did not have a…read morepositive experience. As a Black woman from the U.S., I faced poor customer service and discrimination. My tour guide, Tomaso, was rude and condescending. First, he ignored me and other people of color in my group by not speaking to us or even giving eye contact at the beginning of the tour. Second, Tomaso told me that I wasn't allowed to record videos as this was the owner's rule and he demanded that I delete any videos from my phone. I felt that he was singling me out and trying to embarrass me. This "policy" was not shared in writing or verbally in advance. Also, I've seen other guests post videos on social media, even days before my visit, which included Tomaso's face. The energy of the tour felt unwelcoming. During the tasting, no one followed up to ask how I was enjoying the wines or if I was interested in purchasing. It felt like the establishment didn't care about my business. Next, the staff said I could take photos with my wine in front of the amazing terrace view, then they refused. The castle shouldn't schedule tastings right before closing if guests will be pushed out. The only reason I didn't leave a one star review is due to a good experience with an outstanding staff member. Sole was very nice and offered me a ride to my car! She's the kind of employee who should be rewarded for going above and beyond and providing wonderful service to guests. Overall, the castle was beautiful, but the tour was dry with no enthusiasm and the service was lacking. Some staff seemed more concerned with showing attention to white guests and heading home than providing a memorable visit for everyone. I envisioned a once-in-a-lifetime experience that would leave me feeling enlightened, supported, and valued. Instead, I felt dismissed, excluded, and disrespected. I will return to Tuscany, but to a different winery that prides themselves on excellent service and fairness for all.

The food was amazing. Service was amazing…read more The ambiance was amazing with olive trees, a farm and the beautiful sun of Italy full of grape vines. The Bolognese was amazing. The meat sauce was perfect and with adding the extra olive delicious. Their fresh charcuterie and cheese was to die for. The service was world class and very calm.

We had an absolutely wonderful time here as a part of a Trafalgar tour. The food and wine were…read morefantastic. The setting is beautiful inside and out. We enjoyed the tour up to the vineyard. Definitely go here if you have the opportunity!

The price tag is a big hefty, but a wine tour with Tuscany Private Tours is oh so worth it…read more I was staying in the Castellina area of Chianti and was having a lot of trouble finding a company that would provide a private transfer to and from the hotel. Most tours leave from the Florence / Siena area, or have you meet them right at the winery. My feeling was that if I was spending a few days in Tuscany I wanted at least one day of not having to worry about driving to and from wineries. Thankfully we found Tuscany Private Tours and all was good. It is an extra 40 euro to add pick up and drop off at the hotel. But if you are going to all the trouble to arrange a private tour it would be the worst to have to drive 15-20 minutes to actually get to the tour. So again, you can really alleviate all driving with this if you want to. We took the 'Safari Tour' -- basically like a regular wine tour, except you get to cruise around in a super cool land rover. Our guide Paolo was awesome. He was super friendly and knowledgeable of wine and the area, and was overall just a really cool person to spend the day with. You visit three different wineries, tastings included at each and also have an included homemade winery lunch at your last stop. I liked that all three wineries have very different vibes. Our guide also mentioned that he chooses to do this on purpose. First stop -- a big commercial winery. Very cool to tour their production facility and then compare that to a production facility at a much smaller winery. Second Stop -- more of an urban experience. We visited a tasting room on the main street in Castellina. Paolo explained that he purposely takes people to this winery because it is one of the oldest in the area. After visiting several wineries in the rolling hills it was cool to also check one out in more of an industrial setting. Third Stop -- by far the best! Paolo took us to a very small winery. So small, that you'd probably only be able to find them if you have a tour guide that is friends with their family (ahem, Paolo). The grounds were absolutely gorgeous -- insane views of the Tuscan hills and gorgeous plants and greenery everywhere. We enjoyed a fantastic multi-course lunch -- pasta (of course), assorted crostinis, cheeses, meats and dessert. Because it's lunch (and maybe because it's the last stop?) we also had way more wine than just a taste. I'm here for it. If you want to try all wines before deciding which bottle to buy, they have every bottle available at the Tuscany Private Tour office. Tips for the tastings are included, but tips for your guide aren't, so be sure to bring some cash. Long review, but in short -- if you are not staying in the city and want to wine tour without worrying about driving then just do this. It's pricey but worth it for an incredible day. We will truly remember it forever.

Awesome wine tour! We had the best tour guide/driver GAIA! She was so sweet and we had the best…read moretime at all 3 wineries. We tasted a good mix of Chianti, Rosé, White blends, vin Santo (dessert wine), and a new fav Vermentino wines which you definitely can't find in the states! Ended the tour at a family farm house/ winery. We had a delicious farm to table lunch with limoncello and tiramisu to top it off. At the end of the tour you can "make your own box" of wines from each winery and ship it right to your house! Overall, excellent experience with the best views of Toscana, would def recommend to anyone looking for a private wine tour!

Azienda Agricola La Lastra…read more This was a wonderful winery experience in Siena, Italy. With a familia vibe. There isn't a parking lot per se, but grassy spots and the road just sort of dead ends. We all drove here in seperate rental cars. Came here with a large group for my dear friends birthday celebration. We had the place to ourselves as a private tour, just our group was present. The place is beautiful and sprawling, no bad pictures to take. The itenary included a history of the property/family info of the winemaker, tour of the grounds, detailed lesson in wine making and fermentation process, a full (very yummy) lunch with dessert, wine tasting, and free time to explore and enjoy. Our hosts treated us so well. Staff was amazing, great service. Well worth the visit. If I hadn't traveled half way around the world, I definitely would have bought a couple of bottles. They only ship to US in bulk orders.

Maia gave us an incredible tour. It was educational, personal, and fun! The food was also amazing…read more Would recommend for anyone looking for a wine tour in Tuscany! We love this place!

Best culinary experience of my life!…read more I don't take this review lightly and I mean every word of this title. I first met Paulo in Oct 2021. My wife and I were looking for an 'authentic' wine tasting experience near Florence (something close enough for my wife and I to ride a moped through Florence). Paulo didn't have the most reviews online but every review I saw was 5 stars. This piqued my interest..."there's something here". We find ourselves walking in the front door of an old mom and pop shop bodega/general store. Paulo greets us warmly and we walk down some stairs to his basement. We're greeted by a pre set up tasting table that just looks fantastic. Paulo goes on to teach us about the components of the tongue and how the various fruit, nut, cheese, combinations hit the senses that just so happen to pair perfectly with his Rose wine--and that was just the beginning. To this day we continue to recommend him without reservation to all of our friends (with 10+ friends being able to experience his tasting, and each agreeing this was one of their best memories in Italy). We also continue to order his wine and olive oil direct to the US and his wine currently occupies the top shelf on our wine rack. Paulo, you're awesome!!

Went into this wine tasting blind with a party of 12 and was quickly amazed by the owner Paolo and…read morehis shop/ tasting room. The tasting ( in my experience) was much more than wine tasting but a combination of cheeses, jams, mortadella, prosciutto, and of course wines which he makes. The first course included a rosé style wine and a few different cheese all of which were different ages, topped with different jams including a truffle blackberry jam and cashews which were absolutely incredible! I will not spoil the rest of the experience but if you're looking to go wine tasting in true Tuscany with generations of experience look no further. I can't wait to go back

The best of the best in small Chianti wine tours! Titi was our guide, who is a Hungarian student…read more doing her internship at the estate. She was spectacular! She helped us pair delicious wines with equally delicious bites to eat. The wine tasting experience and the wine itself were the best on our tour. Come here for an excellent ambiance and a unique experience with knowledgable and friendly staff!

Alessandro personally gave us a tour of their family estate. We are fortunate to have booked one…read moreof their homes on property on AirBnB! We are staying here a month. This is an amazing property and they treat you like family here! The wines were exceptional! We started with an amazing white and progressed to the Sangiovese based 345 collection. Silky smooth tannins with nice fruit flavors! Very elegant wines. He then poured their flagship super Tuscan! What can I say! Just amazing!!! You will love this place. It's exactly what you would expect from a family owned vineyard nestled in the Tuscan Hills!

We had such an amazing experience at this winery despite not planning ahead. I didn't realize that…read moremost wineries in Tuscany cater to tour busses and reservations rather than operating on drop-in visitors like those we've been to in NZ and the states. We looked up their hours online and saw they opened bright and early. Great, we thought, we needed to be out of Rome early so let's have wine for breakfast. We arrived and drove into the picture-perfect quintessential Tuscan winery. Olive trees line the gravel road leading to the vineyard and tasting room. We were immediately greeted by feline guardians who purred and approached us for petting. The owner of this family-owned winery greeted us perplexed on what we were doing there at 10 am. Despite catching him unaware and preparing for a big tour group later in the day, he was incredibly welcoming and hospitable! He took time to show us the barrel room, tasting room, and give us the general tour. He apologized for needing to run into town to get ingredients for the lunch he was hosting and set us up with a half a bottle of wine and snacks where we could pet the cats and enjoy the morning on our own. It was beyond generous and a truly incredible experience to get to enjoy the quiet morning petting cats and sipping wine and listening to the happy voices of his child waking up in the apartment upstairs. It was really magical. I can only imagine the type of host he is when he's prepared for you! Definitely don't miss this place on your visit to Tuscany.

The drive up to this place is so beautiful. We arrive and were taken on an outdoor and inside…read moreyour. We got to see an ancient cave where the wine barrels are kept. Then we got to try some local cheeses and meats along with their very nice wines. Would definitely return to see this lovely place again.

We rented a villa at Podere di Pomaii for a family vacation. It is a perfect property for such an…read moreescape - very close to Arezzo but on a hill with views that feed your soul, breezes that sing, and villas that offer all you need to enjoy your stay. Plus it is a green winery that produces a delicious variety of wines and olive oil. The winery tour and tasting alone would be worth the trip to this property. Great wine to drink, wine knowledge to feed your mind, and enough artisan food samplings to feed the most robust appetite. The villa we rented had 6 bedrooms each with its own bathroom. All beautiful in their simplicity and generous space. The villa is designed and maintained to the highest degree. There are inside and outdoor gathering spaces to join together for a meal, relax your way to the beginning of the day, or laugh, talk, and drink until the calendar page flips over. There is even a pool to remove the heat of the day. Everyone we met from owners to tour guide to cleaning staff have the nicest and most pleasant demeanors - helpful, friendly, and welcoming.

Podere Di Pomaio is a beautiful winery that is as "green" as it gets! My family and I had a tour of…read morethe vines and cellar, followed by an incredible lunch and tasting. Iacopo, the owner and winemaker, and our tour guide Bonella (spelling?) were very welcoming, kind and informative. It's an incredibly beautiful location with wine that reflects the beauty in which it is made. Several of us came home with multiple bottles. Perfect location for an event/wedding/reunion, or just for tasting delicious, organic wine at its best!

Toured this beautiful winery with my daughter and a friend who lives in Montecarlo. It was…read moreinformative, and the wine and antipasto, delicious!

We went during the High Season when most wineries required a reservation and we were able to walk…read morein and begin tasting wines. The staff couldn't be any friendlier or more accommodating. They walked us through a tasting of about 5 whites and 4 reds. Everyone in out group found a couple wines they really liked. They made shipping wine back to the US very simple and even called a local restaurant and asked them to stay open and await our arrival (which they gladly did). If you're in the area I recommend you eat there (Osteria Del Vecchio Oliva)..it's about a mile away.