Private Montepulciano & Vino Nobile Wine Tour

Although Montepulciano and Montalcino sit less than 40 kilometers apart in southern Tuscany and both produce benchmark DOCG red wines based on Sangiovese, their appellation rules, aging requirements, and style in the glass differ in important ways:

• Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG: Italy's very first wine to receive DOCG certification in 1980, Vino Nobile must be made from at least 70% Sangiovese — known locally in Montepulciano as Prugnolo Gentile — blended with up to 30% authorized Tuscan varieties such as Canaiolo Nero and Mammolo (though many boutique estates today bottle 100% Prugnolo Gentile). By law it ages for at least 24 months (including a minimum of 12 months in oak barrels), or 36 months for the Riserva. The result combines aristocratic structure and cellar longevity with earlier approachability, vibrant plum and dark-cherry fruit, floral violet notes, and silky tannins.

• Brunello di Montalcino DOCG: Must be produced from 100% Sangiovese Grosso grown in Montalcino and aged for a minimum of 5 years before release (6 years for Riserva), delivering a fuller, more muscular, and higher-tannin profile typically priced higher per bottle. You can explore those estates on our Private Montalcino & Brunello Wine Tour.

For a deeper look at the history, grape clones, and food pairings of Montepulciano's flagship red, read our editorial guide to Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG.

No — this is one of the most common points of confusion in Italian wine, because ”Montepulciano” refers both to a Renaissance hilltop town in southern Tuscany and to an unrelated red grape variety grown mainly in central-eastern Italy:

• Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG (Tuscany): Named after the Tuscan town of Montepulciano, this noble wine is crafted from Sangiovese (locally called Prugnolo Gentile) and contains zero ”Montepulciano” grapes. It is a structured, age-worthy, oak-aged Tuscan red that shares its Sangiovese heritage with Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino.

• Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC (Abruzzo): Named after the Montepulciano grape variety and produced in the Abruzzo region along the Adriatic coast, yielding a darker, softer, lower-acidity everyday red wine.

No — the historic underground cellars (cantine sotterranee) carved into the volcanic tufa rock beneath the Renaissance palaces in Montepulciano's town center are a famous local sightseeing attraction, not part of our guided winery program.

• Where our tastings take place (Countryside Vineyard Estates): Rather than visiting walk-in tasting storefronts inside the town walls, our private tour takes you out into the surrounding Montepulciano hills — including along unpaved Tuscan vineyard roads — to two working, family-owned vineyard estates that receive us by pre-scheduled appointment. There you walk directly among the Prugnolo Gentile vines, tour the fermentation rooms and oak barrel cellars with the winemaking team, and enjoy private seated tastings and a homemade Tuscan lunch overlooking the vineyards.

• Seeing the underground cellars during your stop at Piazza Grande: Our itinerary includes a scenic stop in Montepulciano's medieval and Renaissance historic center around Piazza Grande (typically 30 minutes, up to 40 minutes if the winery appointment schedule allows). Several of the monumental subterranean cellars beneath the old palazzi open right onto the main square and adjacent streets as an architectural attraction — if you would like to step inside one during your stop to admire the vaulted brick and tufa tunnels, your driver-guide will gladly point out the closest entrances.

Both experiences follow our signature full-day Montepulciano route — visiting two hand-picked family-owned countryside wineries by pre-booked appointment for guided tastings of Rosso di Montepulciano DOC and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, sitting down for a homemade Tuscan lunch, and stopping for 30–40 minutes at Piazza Grande in the historic hilltop town. The difference lies in exclusivity and pickup logistics:

• Private Montepulciano & Vino Nobile Wine Tour (9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, from €260 to €500/person for 2–8 guests): 100% reserved for your party alone with door-to-door pickup and drop-off at your Florence hotel or residence (or closest ZTL point), a private air-conditioned 8-seater minivan (Renault Trafic or Opel Vivaro, perfectly suited to Tuscany's unpaved country and vineyard lanes), a dedicated English-speaking wine expert driver-guide, and private cellar visits.

• Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Small-Group Wine Tour (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, €250/person): A shared small-group excursion capped at a maximum of 8 participants, departing at 9:00 AM from our central Florence meeting point (Lungarno Cellini 33) at a fixed per-person rate — ideal for couples or solo travelers who enjoy sharing the day with fellow wine enthusiasts.

Montepulciano is located in southern Tuscany, roughly 110 km (68 miles) southeast of Florence. We travel in a comfortable, air-conditioned 8-seater minivan (Renault Trafic or Opel Vivaro) — ideal both for the highway stretch and for the unpaved gravel roads (strade bianche) leading directly to the countryside vineyard estates. The drive takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes each way.

The stop in Montepulciano's historic center around Piazza Grande is typically 30 minutes, and up to 40 minutes when the day's schedule permits. Because our partner wineries are working, family-run estates that host private visits and tastings by strict appointment, their reservation times must be respected — giving you a well-timed 30–40 minute window to admire the Renaissance palaces of Piazza Grande, take in the views over the Val d'Orcia, or briefly step inside one of the historic underground cellars right off the square.

Yes — a traditional, sit-down Tuscan lunch is included in the price and served at the second family-owned winery we visit in the Montepulciano countryside.

• Local specialties & Pecorino pairings: Because Montepulciano borders the famous sheep-grazing pastures of Pienza and the Val d'Orcia, lunch highlights artisanal local Pecorino cheeses at different aging stages alongside Tuscan charcuterie, bruschetta drizzled with the estate's own extra-virgin olive oil, a seasonal homemade pasta course (such as traditional hand-rolled pici), and cantucci with Vin Santo — all paired directly with the winery's Rosso di Montepulciano DOC, Vino Nobile DOCG, and Riserva.

• Dietary requirements: Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and food-allergy menus are happily accommodated — simply let us know when booking or inquiring so we can coordinate with the winery kitchen in advance.

Yes — because this is a private tour planned around your party, we can customize the route when you enquire, provided it is arranged in advance so we can lock in the exact appointment times with the wineries:

• Why advance planning matters: All of our partner wineries in Montepulciano are small, family-run estates that work on a strict appointment schedule for vineyard walks, cellar tours, and lunch. Once the day's appointments are set, timings must be respected so every estate can welcome you properly.

• Combining Montepulciano with Pienza or Montalcino: If you would like to include nearby Pienza in the Val d'Orcia or taste both of southern Tuscany's flagship Sangiovese appellations in a single day — visiting one estate in Montalcino (see our Private Montalcino & Brunello Wine Tour) and one estate in Montepulciano — just let our trip designer know when you enquire so we can build the schedule accordingly.

Yes, absolutely. Shipping wine home — particularly to the United States — is very common, straightforward, and organized directly by each winery where we stop.

• How it works: Every winery we visit is fully equipped and works with licensed international wine couriers that handle door-to-door, temperature-controlled shipping, US customs clearance, and local state taxes. The system is simple: you select your bottles or cases, provide your US shipping address, and pay for both the wine and shipping directly to the winery with your credit card.

• Company policy disclaimer: Please note that all wine purchases, shipping arrangements, transit insurance, and deliveries are contracted directly and exclusively between you and the respective winery. Italy and Wine acts purely as your tour operator and is not a party to these transactions, nor do we handle wine sales, shipping fees, or delivery tracking.

For more details on typical transit times, customs rules, and packaging, read our guide on Shipping Wine from Tuscany to USA.