Best of Chianti Day Tour with Typical Tuscan Dinner and Wine Tasting

Tuscany is one of the most affluent regions of Italy. It produces some of the most prestigious wines of Italy, including Morellino di Scansano, Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino. Due to its strong cultural identity, it has been dubbed a nation within a nation. The cuisine of Tuscany is renowned for its simplicity. Local products, such as cheese, legumes, mushrooms, fruit, vegetables and bread form the primary ingredients. Chianti is the most well-known wine produced in the numerous wineries in the region. Olive oil is another product of this region and is renowned worldwide. It is also home to some of the greatest architectural wonders of Europe, the cities of Florence and Pisa.

Your tour will begin with a visit to the Chianti Classico in the heart of Florence. You can see the winery, which in addition to producing wine also produces extra virgin olive oil. You will visit the wine cellars under the guidance of an expert winemaker and taste some of the local products and exquisite wines. The vineyards and gardens that will surround you are delightful to witness. The tour will continue and you will stop at the Greve village. Your guide will talk about the history of the region and provide interesting trivia of each place that you visit. The main square has numerous local shops selling some products that are present in the Chianti region. You will then pass along the Via Chiantigiana, one of the most scenic routes in all of Europe. The sight of the trees and farmland as the road weaves through the rolling hills is breathtaking. You will reach another winery at the end of the road. At the wine cellar you can taste four limited-production wines from the Chianti region. You will continue onto Castellina, an ancient village that is situated atop a hill. A number of vineyards and olive gardens surround it. There is a characteristic tranquility about the place that is worth noting.

Next on the itinerary is a visit to the San Donato, a splendid region with a castle dating all the way back to the 11th Century. Most of the village continues to maintain much of the medieval architecture. A magnificent Romanesque parish church can be seen along with numerous Renaissance buildings and structures in the surroundings.

At the village, you will be served a traditional Tuscan dinner along with some Chianti wine. The dinner includes a real “bistecca alla fiorentina” (T-bone steak, Florentine style). During this dinner, your palate will be treated to about 1 kg (around 36 oz.) of tender and tasty grilled meat coming from select Tuscan livestock farms (that can serve about 2 people). Very few experiences can rival that of sitting in a serene village, relishing some of the finest food in Italy with a glass of excellent wine. Once you are finished with dinner, you will be taken back to the meeting point.