I'm wondering which wine producers in Italy are catering to visitors like Napa is (over) doing. Some place with a nice tasting room and a staff dedicated to visitors.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Hello FoodTrekker, I don't know if these wineries would interest you but here is a very recent article from the International Herald Tribue regarding new wineries in Italy for your review.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/...vel/winery.php

I have been to a number of small wineries, two I remember: At one there was very sweet man who showed us all around his small winery, telling us all about it. Then his wife came out to us with samples and small food treats.

At another one the young woman behind the counter just stared and glared at us until we finally walked out. I think it was too close to her lunchtime as she swept out of the door right after we left, talking on her cell phone and giving us a final glare.

I remember I had some kind of winery highlighted map. I also liked visiting the agritourist places, that were making cheese, etc.

Foodtrekker, I can report Wine tourism is alive and well in Italy, although maybe not to the extent (overdone?) that it is in Napa and other parts of California as depicted in the movie "Sideways".

I can only tell you about Piedmont which is where I live. In the classic wine area of Monferrato, Langhe and Roero hills centered around Asti and Alba (Barbera, Barolo and Barbaresco wines are the most famous, although there are many others) we must have about 1000 wineries ranging from little farms who produce wine to relatively big wineries (nothing on the Sideways scale) with many medium producers in-between. Most of the medium wineries are quite friendly to visitors and have a tasting room, athough many do need a booking ahead of time. The larger wineries are all set up for wine visitors and although many need bookings you can find several along the main roads and near the major wine towns where you can drop in without booking. Some of them cahrge a tasting fee (often waived if you buy wine) some don't.

I think it is probably the same in Tuscany as well.

Thanks for the tips so far. Interesting to see Antinori is building a new place.

SeaUrchin: Do you remember the name of the place you liked?

Sampaguita: I worked for Slow Food for a few months and lived in Bra!

I'm a wine educator here in NYC. After I go to "language camp" this summer, I should be fluent in Italian. I am hoping to start my own culinary tour business and would like to try to work (illegally I suppose!) for an Italian winery first. Funny though, for my tours, I'd like to find the smaller places that need the help of a little tourism. If a place already has an established room, they don't need the help! (Antinori certainly doesn't!)

Let me know what you think of that idea as well.

From Montepulciano at the visitor center at the top of the village, we signed up for a vineyard tour by mini van -- they only take something like 12 people at a time (2 mini vans). We visited a couple of very small family owned vineyards and the tours were sensational, but the highlight was ending up on the big porch at the one vineyard owner's home, while the wife and daughter-in-law brought us fresh bruschetta and other tidbits to have with our wines. The proud matriarch of the family brought out the newest grandchild. It was a remarkably wonderful day. But this is not a winery that is open to the public.

Our original fears that this would be a super touristy deal were completely shattered!

Most of the producers we've visited in Italy remain smaller operations, limited staff, open by appt only. Some villages have wine bureaus open to the public with a variety to taste many wines from that region.

However, two operations that may meet your definition come to mind:

Castello Banfi in Montalcino
http://www.castellobanfi.com/tour/

Lungarotti in Torgiano
http://www.lungarotti.it/english/ind1.htm

T recommend the Castello Banfi experience particularly combined with lunch there. That was very pleasant when we visited in 2005. Info available on their website.

Thanks Neo!

My dream job is to be the driver of that van.

Except that our drivers did not touch a drop of wine. That would be the bad part of the job.

No, sorry, I don't remember, it was on the white road in Tuscany. Have fun and let us know where you end up going.

Castello Banfi is the one place that seemed to me to be very similar to the wineries in Napa Valley - for that reason, I didn't like our visit there as much.

Several years ago, my husband, the wine expert of the family, visited Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona and Biondi Santi (I was on horseback riding while he was visiting these wineries); we visited Castello Banfi together. Both of those smaller producers might be what you have in mind. My husband enjoyed his visits, mostly from talking to the people leading their small groups (4-7 people). At Ciacci, their "guide" was a former New Yorker who'd given moved to Italy to do what she loved. My notes don't show that these places had actual tasting rooms, but I know that they did taste wine, of course.

We also had wonderful experiences visiting two smaller producers in the Piemonte this last fall (Podere Rocche dei Manzoni and Podere Ruggeri Corsini), but it sounds like you're focusing on Tuscany. My impression, based on our visits in Piemonte, was that offering visits to tourists was something on the side (very much on the side for one producer; the other had an actual room set up, for small groups or group tours, it looked like). Due to the fact that we American are somewhat limited in the amount of wine we can buy on the spot, I would guess that for the producers, visits from Americans are more like PR opportunities, to increase their markets in the U.S.

Thanks Lexma!

The thread is leaning to Tuscany because I think that is probably where most other people have traveled. I am impartial.

If anyone has been to the south of Italy with good experiences, I'd love to hear them as well.

I am considering some how "up and going" to see what works out.

Ciao Foodtrekker,

sorry about the Piedmont lecture! If you were in Bra then you know the local winery scene, I don't know when you were here, but Piedmont is now getting much more recognition for its famous food and wines, then several years ago and wine tourism in on the increase. Lots of medium wineries could probably use an English speaking person knowledgable about wine especially in the busy September-October period. Why not contact your friends in Slow Food to ask around?

It is not red wine, or in Tuscany, but the Prosecco Trail in the Veneto in very nice.

I went to Ca Salina winery in Valdobbiadene. There was a group of us, we went with a tour operator (don't remember who). The prosecco was delicious & we were served bread & cold meat & cheese platters. We had a tour of the winery & wine tasting afterward. The winery was very generous with the tastings also.

I bought 8 bottles (back in the day when you could carry alcohol onto airplanes. The prosecco was ridiculously inexpensive, about 4€/bottle. I even had a picture taken with the owner of the winery.

On the way back to the States the security guard in the Venice airport saw me carrying the box of Ca Salina prosecco and stopped me to tell me what a wonderful prosecco Ca Salina was!

http://tinyurl.com/yqngpx

http://www.travelenvoy.com/wine/italy9.htm

http://www.capannelle.com/

I can't imagine a better wine tour than this! The winery itself is very cute and quaint, and high on a Tuscan hillside. We were the only ones on our tour, and the guide was very well versed in wine. When she mentioned the place was owned by Mr. Sherwood, I said "THE James Sherwood?". The answer was yes, but Capannelle is not overdone to the extent of some of his Venetian properties... many of you will know what I mean!

The tour includes cellars, process, bottling, etc. It ends in what we termed the 'James Bond Room' - a steel vault that stores wines for some of the most fabulous restaurants around the world. There is a hotel that is more b&b sized, and a restaurant. It was late afternoon, and we wanted to eat there, but the dining room was reserved for guests only.

We were driving back roads in Chiati when we found it, and it is not a 'black rooster' winery; meaning you won't find it on a winery map, but it is a very worthwhile stop. We came home with a 1994 & 2000 - one of which is still in the wine fridge downstairs - horrible that I don't know which!

Thanks Travelphile!

This is one reason I'm studying for this wine credential now. With such an up swing in wine tourism, I need to know the ins and outs. Somebody, someday, is going to ask about malolactic fermentation. I know all about it now!

FoodTrekker, here are some recommended wineries in Southern Italy, Calabria in particular:

Librandi in Ciro (Calabria): New facilities a few years old and friendly third generation young winemaker - sets the standard for Southern Italy. We've visited twice and enjoyed our visits both times. Great dessert wine, La Passule, and blended red, Gravello, in addition to many indigneous grape varieties. Wine sales on the premises.

http://www.librandi.it/inglese/sitook.htm

Lento in Lamezia: Smaller and hidden away in the town. Small, intimate tasting room with wine sales. Appointment required. Their top red wine, Federico II, is one of my favorites.

http://www.cantinelento.it/English/home.htm

Odoardi in Cosenza:
Not visited this one yet, but it's on my list for the next trip!

Hello FoodTrekker

We are in the wine business... were distributors and now have a wine shop named Vino Rosso, and as you can tell by our shops name we love Italy and try to get there yearly.

Our favorite wine areas are Chianti and Montalcino but that may be a combination of loving the look of those areas and also the wines.

Here are a few producers that have tasting rooms and you can just stop by..they also all have web sites.

Castello di Fonterutoli (the new building should be open by now)
Dievole
Capannelle
Banfi

Haven't been to but I hear that the tours are good.. probably by appt only.
Castello di Ama
Castello di Verrazzano
San Guisto
Avignonese
Casanova di Neri


It never hurts to email before you go and set up an appointment. Just find wines you like and google (or some list their site on the back label).


We sell a great deal of wines imported by a company named Small Vineyards. http://www.svimports.com/
They just started public tours of the wineries and you can contact this woman to learn more.

Claudia Buracchini - Travel Coordinator
Small Vineyards Tours
Siena - Italy
[email protected]