Tuscany is without question one of the most seductive destinations in Italy. The castles, rolling hills, winding roads, beautiful sunsets, amazing cuisine…I mean who wouldn’t want to spend time here? The people are friendly and welcoming and the wine….oooooh, the wine is absolutely exceptional!

On a quest to discover the great wines that Italy has to offer, I knew I definitely had to pay a special visit to this region, where Sangiovese reigns as king of all grapes. So during a summer trip to the Cinque Terre, I traveled to Siena, which is about a 3-hour ride from La Spezia on Italy’s Regionale train. Because Tuscany is a place where you can really feel the essence of La Dolce Vita, I would recommend making this at least an overnight trip- 2 or more nights would be even better!

Consider an agriturismo (an Italian farmhouse) as your place of stay rather than a hotel. You’ll feel more at home and get a more authentic experience of Tuscan lifestyle. Sadio and Donatella of Agriturismo Berardenga Riding Centre right outside of Siena are wonderful! It’s also preferable to have a car to get around and visit the wineries, as public transportation in the countryside is limited. Warning- make sure you have a good map because GPS signals here are extremely unreliable!

First stop was Castello di Brolio, which is the birthplace of Chianti wines. A paid ticket to the castle also includes a pass to the tasting room across the street. There’s also the option of skipping the tour and going straight for the degustazione (wine tasting) which is what I did. The wine samples available are very good, but for my personal taste, the ambiance is a bit too commercial. Unfortunately, this is the trend for many of the bigger names in wine making, not just in Tuscany but all over. The grounds though are beautiful and offer some stunning views of Tuscany’s countryside.

Next was a visit to Accademia del Buon Gusto which was the highlight of this wine tasting journey in Chianti. Like they say, sometimes the best experiences are the ones unplanned and happen just by chance. Driving through the quaint Tuscan village called Panzano, my travel friend, Corey, and I happened to stumble onto a town square which seemed to be in the middle of nowhere.

Here we saw a small entryway leading to Stefano’s “livingroom”. Stefano is the gracious host of this wine cellar and he calls the space his livingroom because he welcomes guests as he would in his own home. Wine tasting at Accademia del Buon Gusto can literally last for hours! So if you’re planning on being in a rush, this may not be the place for you. Stefano explains in detail how he hand-picks wines from local vineyards to bring to the shop. Another interesting topic is the labeling. He collaborates with local artists and spends fall/winter months selecting labels he feels go best with the mood of the wine. Stefano is truly amazing. I’d love for you to meet him!