Travel Guide · Food & Wine
Wine Country Near Siena: Chianti Classico, Brunello and Vino Nobile
Three of Italy's great red wines grow within an hour of the Campo. Where to taste, and how to plan a day among the vines.
Four wines are made near Siena: Chianti Classico, 25 to 40 minutes north; Brunello di Montalcino, 45 minutes south; Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, an hour southeast; and the white Vernaccia di San Gimignano, 45 minutes west. All three reds are based on the Sangiovese grape. Most wineries welcome visitors by appointment, so book tastings a few days ahead and plan a driver for the day.
Few cities in the world sit so close to so much great wine. Within an hour of the Piazza del Campo grow three of Italy’s most celebrated reds, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, along with Tuscany’s best-known white. All three reds are built on Sangiovese, the grape of central Tuscany, and tasting them side by side, in the places they come from, is one of the great pleasures of a week near Siena. Here is how to plan it.
Where can you taste Chianti Classico near Siena?
The Chianti Classico zone begins a few miles north of Siena and stretches to the outskirts of Florence. Look for the black rooster on the neck of the bottle. The wines are bright, red-fruited and wonderful with food, made mostly or entirely from Sangiovese, with Riserva and Gran Selezione at the top of the range.
From Siena, the villages of Castellina, Radda and Gaiole are 25 to 40 minutes away. Wineries range from family farms with a tasting table in the kitchen to grand castle estates. At the castle of Brolio near Gaiole, Baron Bettino Ricasoli wrote down the first formula for Chianti in the 19th century, and his family still makes wine there today. The SR222, the Chiantigiana road, links the wine villages from Siena to Florence.
Our Chianti villas put you among the vines: Villa Amarika, a 1684 estate near Castellina, and Villa Colli near Gaiole. See all our villas in Chianti.
What is Brunello di Montalcino?
About 45 minutes south of Siena, the walled town of Montalcino produces Brunello di Montalcino, made entirely from Sangiovese and aged for years before release, at least five years after the harvest and six for the Riserva. It is a deep, long-lived wine for special dinners. Its younger sibling, Rosso di Montalcino, is softer, ready sooner and kinder to the wallet.
Montalcino has hundreds of producers, from small family cellars to large estates. Taste in the wine bars inside the walls, then visit a winery in the countryside below town, and pair the day with the Romanesque abbey of Sant’Antimo. Villa Cardinale, a historic house on a working wine and olive oil estate near Buonconvento, is about 20 minutes away.
What is Vino Nobile di Montepulciano?
An hour southeast of Siena, the hill town of Montepulciano makes Vino Nobile, based on the local strain of Sangiovese called Prugnolo Gentile. (It has nothing to do with the Montepulciano grape of central Italy, a common mix-up.) The fun here is underground: several historic producers have cellars carved deep into the rock under the town’s palaces, with barrels lined up in vaulted tunnels, and you can taste right there.
Base yourself nearby at Villa Araldica, an 18th-century villa in 60 acres of parkland, or Villa Benessere near Sarteano, with its own wellness annex for the day after.
Is there a white wine from near Siena?
When you need a break from red, head west to San Gimignano, 45 minutes from Siena. Its Vernaccia is a crisp, mineral white with a slightly bitter almond finish, and it has been praised since the Middle Ages. In 1966, it became the first Italian wine to receive the DOC designation. Pour it with a summer lunch of fresh pecorino and cured Cinta Senese.
What else should you taste besides wine?
Most wineries also press their own olive oil. If you visit from late October into November, you can taste the new oil, green and peppery, straight from the mill. Read about joining in on our olive harvest guide. And do not leave without trying Vin Santo, the amber dessert wine made from grapes dried over the winter, served with cantucci almond biscuits.
How do you plan a wine tasting day near Siena?
- Book ahead. Most estates welcome visitors by appointment, so book a few days in advance, or ask us to arrange it.
- Two or three wineries a day is plenty. Add a long lunch in between, and leave time to wander the town.
- Hire a driver. Italy’s drink-driving limit is lower than in the United States, and the country roads wind. Several of our villas can arrange a private driver for the day.
- Shipping. Many wineries can ship cases home to the United States. Ask about it when you book.
- Timing. Visits run all year, but September and October bring the harvest. See the best time to visit Siena.
For more on choosing and buying wine on your trip, read our guide to wine tasting and buying in Tuscany, and for what to pour it with, what to eat in Siena.
| Villa | Bedrooms / sleeps | Rate | Why we chose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Villa Amarika Chianti |
7 / 14 | From €30,560 / week | A 1684 estate near Castellina in Chianti Classico |
| Villa Colli Chianti |
7 / 14 | From €19,895 / week | Near Gaiole and the castle of Brolio |
| Villa Cardinale Siena |
8 / 16 | From €32,000 / week | On a working wine and olive oil estate, 20 minutes from Montalcino |
| Villa Araldica Siena |
7 / 12 | From €14,450 / week | Close to Montepulciano and its Vino Nobile cellars |
| Villa Benessere Siena |
10 / 20 | From €21,191 / week | Near Sarteano, between Montepulciano and the Val d'Orcia |
Plan your wine week with us
Tell us which wines you love and we will match you with a villa among the right vines, then book your tastings and your driver. Talk to a Doorways advisor, or browse our villas near Siena. For the rest of your week, see our day trips from Siena.
Frequently asked questions
What wines are made near Siena?
The province of Siena produces Chianti Classico (with Florence), Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the white Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Sangiovese is the grape behind all three great reds.
How far is Montalcino from Siena?
About 45 minutes south by car. Montepulciano is about an hour, and the Chianti Classico towns of Castellina and Radda are 25 to 40 minutes north.
Do you need to book wine tastings near Siena?
Yes. Most estates welcome visitors by appointment, so book a few days ahead, and plan a driver for the day. We can arrange both.
Are there wine tours from Siena?
Yes. A private tour with a driver and a sommelier is the most relaxing way to taste in Chianti or Montalcino, and we can arrange one, or a private driver for the wineries you choose.
