19 Sep 2014 15 Best Italian Vineyards to Visit

Italian vineyards and Italian wine form a large part of the country’s culture. Italy is in fact among the oldest wine-producing nations worldwide. It is only second to France in wine production.

Italian wineries are among the largest wine exporters today. Italians are known to consume more wine than other nationalities worldwide probably due to the high quality of wines from Italy vineyards.

There are 20 Italian vineyards and wine regions, each with its own distinct flavor. These regions are popular destinations for visitors interested in Italy wine tours. If you are looking for the best wine tours in Italy, here is a list of top 15 Italy vineyards to start you off:

Ca’del Bosco

Located in Erbusco, Franciacorta, the Ca’del Bosco winery was established in the 1960s by Annamaria Clementi Zanella and is the symbol of quality and luxury wine in Italy. The winery is surrounded by beautiful vineyards, trees, and greenery. It is recognized as one of the best wineries in Italy.

Barone di Villagrande wine farm

Lying on the slopes of Mt. Etna in Sicily, the Barone di Villagrande vineyard was established in 1727. Today these lands are known for production of great wines like the sun dried grapes ‘passito’ wine known as Malaysia delle Lipari.

Vietti

Vietti wines are popular products of the Barolo region. The wines are produced from the Castiglione Falletto vineyards in Barolo. Visitors can visit the winery and savor the estate’s finest products by appointment only. It is worth for sure!

Tezza Winegrowers

Located in Valpatena between the Lessina mountains and Verona is a fine example of well tended Italian vineyards, a perfectly integrated wine making process, and an efficient marketing strategy. The family vineyard is run by cousins Vanio, Flavio, and Federico Tezza. Since its establishment in 1960 by Giovanni and Virginia Tezza, the vineyard is still one of the best wineries in Italy.

Massimago Winery

Massimago is one of the famous vineyards in Italy located at Mezzane di Sotto Verona in Valpolicella and define itself as “a wine company in an all feminine way”. As a matter of fact, it is efficiently run by Camilla Rossi, the owner and creator, with the help of her passionate team.Their fresh and innovative wine philosophy distinguish them among the others Valpolicella producers. In addition to the production of high quality wine, their services include wine tasting, and provision of facilities for sports, pic-nics, meetings or any special events. It is a must to visit the winery and the wine relais to better understand Camilla’s team energy and creativity.

Ceretto

The Cerreto region in Alba (Piedmont) is famous for white and red wines, rolling estates of Vineyards, and modern wineries. The Ceretto family has in over 2 years maintained one of the best wineries in Italy. The vineyard provides wine tasting and purchasing tours seven days a week. It has one of the best wine tours in Italy.

Vignamaggio

Located in the heart of Tuscany in the beautiful area of Chianti, Vignamaggio is one of the best Tuscany vineyards to visit. Its centre of attraction is the renovated Renaissance villa with comfortable accommodation facilities. It is a great stop for wine tasting in Tuscany tours.

Planeta

Founded in the 1990s by the Planeta family, the wine estate of Planeta is considered as a fine wine empire in Sicily. Planeta is also involved in the arts where it runs a project known as Men and Places (Uomini e Luoghi). It is a great vineyard to stop by during your Italy wine tours.

Tenuta San Guido

Located along the Tyrrhenian coast in Maremma, this vineyard is a great place for wine tasting in Tuscany. It is named after the 11th century Saint Guido della Gherardesca. The vineyard’s DOC Bolgheria Sassicaia wine, a stud farm of thoroughbreds, and a Bird Sanctuary makes it one of the best Tuscany vineyards to visit.

Biondi Santi

Located in Montalcino, the Biondi Santi is a family run estate made famous by its inaugural brand the Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino. The estate has achieved prestigious acknowledgements such as the ranking of its Montalcino Biondi Santi Reserve 1955 in the list of the best 20th century wines by the Wine Spectator magazine.

Castiglion del Bosco

The Castiglion del Bosco lies in the northwestern side of Montalcino. It is a beautiful 2,000 hectares estate covered by oak, beech, and over 62 hectares of vineyards. The estate is an exclusive wine club which reserves special benefits to its members and promotes interesting Italy wine tours. To book your special wine tour you can contact this wine estate by e-mail wine@castigliondelbosco.com or by phone +39 0577 191 3822: it also opens on weekends!

Borgogno Serio Battista

Located in Barolo, in Piedmont, this family run estate was established by Francesco Borgogno who once served as the Mayor of Barolo for 30 years. The business is currently run by his sons Serio and Battista and grandson Ludovico. The estate has a cantina open for wine tasting on weekends.

Marchesi di Barolo

The Marchesi di Barolo wine cellars are found near the Castle of Marquis Falleti in the city of Barolo. The wine cellars tell a story spanning over 200 years about the Langhe region’s wine tradition. It is run today by the Abbona family who provide great tours for wine lovers from all over the world.

Cantina Scacciadiavoli

Translated as ‘cast out of the devil’, the Scacciadiavoli’s name comes from a 19th century famous exorcist who used wine to cast out demons. It was established in 1884 in Montefalco (Perugia) by Prince Piombino and is run today by the Pambuffetti family.

Vini di Filippo

This is an expansive estate covering over 30 hectares of vineyards in Umbria. The vineyard owners, Emma and Roberto di Filippo, provide guided tours which include wine tasting activities, and exports its biologic wine all over the world. Here you can find both white and red wine production, but also rosè wine and raisin wine. It is advised to book in advanced especially if you are doing a group tour.