Chianti Organic Wine Tour in Tuscany
*This is not a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.
In true Tuscan fashion, we enjoyed a half day wine tour and lunch (literally pasta handmade by the host’s noono) at the Torcibrencoli Winery in the Chianti wine region of Tuscany. Chianti region is synonymous with rolling green and yellow hills and of course a multitude of olive groves and vineyards that are generations’ old. Here is a summary of our wonderful experience and tips on how you can plan your visit to this organic tuscan winery.
Torcibrencoli Winery
Torcibrencoli winery is set in the old village of Santa Christina and can be found along on “Chiantigiana” road, a popular destination for Tuscan road trips. The tour ran for about 3 hours in total and was a nice small group of 8 people (it was lovely to see the diversity of the group, consisting of Australians, Americans, Germans, and Singaporeans). The tour began with a walk and conversations through the vineyards. The host, Lorenzo (agriculturalist and cousin), talked about the winery’s long standing history and familial roots. The Torcibrencoli family prides themselves on their rich organic wine and it was fascinating to learn about all the different agricultural strategies used as part of their organic wine production.
The second half was dedicated to the actual wine tasting, antipasto platter, and lunch (extra 7 euro). The wine tasting was set in a breezy outdoor alcove, which overlooked the vineyards and Chianti hills. For the tasting, we were presented with a variety of reds and rosés. Due to the warmer climate, Chianti region favours and produces stunning red wines or “vino rossos”. The Chianti Classico was by far our favourite and to its credit we purchased a bottle for about 30 euro (cash and card were available). The antipasto platter was fresh and delicious and showcased the winery’s other produce, olive oil. Lunch was handmade pasta tossed in olive oil and fresh dill – light and fragrant but satiating at the same time – definitely worth the extra cost. I was so engrossed in all of the wine and food tasting that I may have forgotten to take photos.
How to Book
You can book the Chianti Bio Wine Tour via AirBnB here. The cost was about 66 euro per person (which was a very reasonable price). The hosts, Lorenzo, Giaciamo and their family, were extremely hospitable and easy to communicate with leading up to and on the day. We have been avid users of AirBnb for the last few years (both local and international) with only positive experiences. So we felt confident that our first AirBnB experience would also prove to be stress-free and memorable.
How to Get There
Bus: Catch Bus Italia (365 Greve in Chianti / Panzano) departing from Florence Central Bus Station (next to Santa Maria Novella train Station, entrance is in Via Santa Caterina da Siena) get to stop Strada in Chianti. The bus trip took us about 50 minutes. We were greeted by Giacamo’s uncle at the bus stop who was kind enough to chauffer us directly to the winery door.
Car: Another option is to drive, which takes about 30 minutes from Florence city however if you are drinking it might be easier and more stress free to catch the bus.
I hope this post compels you to visit Chianti. I only wish we had more time to visit the other wineries and sights of the area. Please feel free to comment below with any questions or some of your own tips!
Jess xx
