It’s an enchanting hilltop towns to the south of Florence enveloped by verdant vines that captivates wine lovers. Montepulciano has become a favourite Tuscan town thanks to its food, rich history and its very palatable Vino Nobile. Montepulciano wine-tasting options range from booking a dedicated wine tour on a day trip from Florence, to visiting the Montepulciano cellar doors in person and deciding which are the best wineries in Montepulciano for yourself. Consider this a taste of the Montepulciano wineries that await.
Wine tasting is a must-do for visitors to Montepulciano or wider Tuscany. | © Skye Gilkeson
Montepulciano Wine Tasting
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is the star of Montepulciano wine tasting. It is a classic red wine with DOCG status from the vines surrounding Montepulciano.
The blend must be composed of at least 70 percent of the Nobile Sangiovese grapes, with a few coming on the market made up of 100 percent Sangiovese. Vino Nobile lives up to its name and it feels pretty special to drink.
Just like the incredible Brunello, the Sangiovese from nearby Montalcino, the Vino Nobile will leave you wondering what you could possibly drink back home that compares.
Thankfully, most cellar doors will send some bottles home for you.
Visiting the Best Wineries in Montepulciano
Salcheto
If you go wine tasting in Montepulciano, take the time to visit Salcheto. Cantina Salcheto is an innovator in the wine market with an inspired business ethos.
From sulfite-free wines (a strong signal of the movement towards organic viticulture in the market), an environmentally efficient model, and the lightest and most eco-friendly bottle on the market, it feels good to support this trend-leading, 30-year-old winery.
The setting at Salcheto is casual, warm, and welcoming. An ideal option for families or groups, long wooden tables fill up a dining room with incredible views out over the vines with a front-row seat to Montepulciano, perched on its limestone ridge beyond.
There are also more seats out on the terrace where you can enjoy a slow glass of wine while taking in the view.
We arrived late in the day without a reservation and the staff immediately seated us, put together some amazing food from the daily menu, and took us through the tastings.
We tried the Obvius, Red, and Rose, which are all made simply of grapes and are unfiltered (so you’ll have to get used to the cloudy consistency too). The Obvius was divine, as was the food they plated up on short notice.
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Sitting out in the garden during our tasting at Avignonesi. | © Skye Gilkeson
The unfiltered organic Obvius red at Salcheto Winery, Montepulciano. | © Skye Gilkeson
Avignonesi
Avignonesi is both beautiful and a little bit fancy. It is a magical 200-hectare property just outside the village of Valiano, between Montepulciano and Cortona is widely considered one of the best wineries in Montepulciano and the surrounding towns.
It is home to an impressive-looking showroom, tasting space, and shop. We found the service here a little slow and not as warm and friendly as other wineries we visited; which was a shame.
It was also the most expensive tasting we did. However, the wine was incredible, and as someone not usually drawn to Chardonnay, their QX Chardonnay won me over at first slurp.
So, while it is a 25-minute drive from town, you couldn’t have a Montepulciano wine-tasting experience without visiting this winery.
It was a standout. Just be sure to book ahead so you are able to join the tours of the facilities (they’ll even give you their cute parasols to use on the walk), something we didn’t do in the heat of the day as we were travelling with a baby.
A delicious marriage of food and wine at our Salcheto Winery tasting. | © Skye Gilkeson
Gattavecchi
We visited Gattavecchi Winery on a previous visit. However, our lunch and tasting at this winery is still a fond memory for us and one of the inspirations for returning to Montepulciano, twice more.
Still very popular and recommended by locals again on our recent visit, it is also very easy to visit if you are just passing through the town for the day as they have customer parking. Or, simply wander up if you don’t have a car.
It is in the town, so you can simply stroll down the hill and clamber back up to your hotel. They also offer cooking classes for those spending a few days in Montepulciano.
Read Next | Where to Eat in Montepulciano
The 16th Century Palazzo Ricci is home to the Ricci Cathedral or underground Grotta of wine. | © Skye Gilkeson
Cantina De Ricci
We visited Cantina De Ricci as part of a tour of the wine caves.
Built-in the early 16th Century, Palazzo Ricci itself is a Renaissance gem and part of the experience of visiting the family’s cellar and tasting rooms.
Visitors descend into the Grotta or Cathedral, the air thick and damp, and walk between the dusty barrels where Slavonian oak holds their precious Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, before climbing the stairs to a small tasting area.
When it came to the quality of the wine, this was one of my favourite tastings of the day, and comes as no surprise it is considered one of the best wineries in Montepulciano.
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Vino Nobile di Montepulciano barrels in the Cantina Ercolani cellar. | © Skye Gilkeson
Cantina Ercolani
Cantina Ercolani is conveniently located near the town’s lower archway and it’s a good place to stop if you want to do a last-minute tasting or you need to pick up some gourmet gifts to take home.
This cantina was the final stop on our tour of Montepulciano and it became almost comical.
With each tasting, the glasses became larger. By our fifth or sixth wine, I called it a day and my in-laws were giggling in the corner by this point too.
It was very generous winetasting with matching antipasti bites, it was the perfect way to finish. If you overdo the tasting, never fear, there is a gelateria just a few doors up the hill.
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A glass proportionate to the laughs by the end of our wine tasting tour in Montepulciano. | © Skye Gilkeson
The deliciously dry pecorino morchiato to accompany our wine tasting in Montepulciano. | © Skye Gilkeson
Cantina Contucci
The Contucci family is one of the original Montepulciano families and one of the first to make the region’s famous Vino Nobile (noble wine), dating back to the 18th century.
Although we passed Cantina Contucci at least once a day and it was recommended by locals, we ran out of time and never made it in. The Contucci family has been making Vino Nobile since the late 18th Century.
So, for those stopping in for a quick look at Montepulciano or simply dropping by for lunch, this might be a good place to try the local Vino Nobile. It is conveniently located just off Piazza Grande.
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Vines around every corner outside of Montepulciano, Italy. | © Skye Gilkeson
Skye is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Fit Traveller.
She is a journalist, writer, photographer, intrepid traveller and a former personal trainer with a passion for helping others reach optimal health.
As a TV journalist and producer, Skye has worked for household names such as 60 Minutes, Sunrise, TODAY and Nine News. She has also written for Women’s Health, Fodor’s Travel and Yahoo7 Travel, among many others.
Equally comfortable in a 5-star resort or hiking a far-off mountain, Skye loves the unexpected and enriching life experiences that each trip brings and can often be found in a backstreet chatting to locals with her camera in hand.
Skye is based in Sydney, working to master the balance between motherhood and her appetite for adventure.
Read more about Skye’s story here.