35 Best Sights in Italy

This Romanesque abbey has been owned by internationally acclaimed cookbook author Lorenza de' Medici's family for more than a century and a half (the family isn't related to the Florentine Medici). Wine has been produced here since the abbey was founded by Vallombrosan monks in the 11th century. Today, the family continues the tradition, making wines, cold-pressed olive oil, and various flavored vinegars. Don’t miss the jasmine-draped courtyard and the inner cloister with its antique well.

A visit to this winery is a must for wine lovers. The well-maintained cellar offers an excellent tour experience, guided by knowledgeable and friendly staff who will walk you through the Sicilian wine-making process. The tour includes a visit to the sprawling vineyards and an overview of the cellar and its various stages of production, culminating in a tasting of four exceptional, high-quality wines. Visits must be booked in advance, either online or by phone. If you can manage, book the visit in the late afternoon to catch the golden hour against the vineyards and the olive groves. 

At the oldest winery on Etna, the expansive terrace shaded by oak trees looks out over vineyards and down to the sea. The staff offers friendly and informative tours (with excellent English) followed by a tasting of five wines with food pairings or a more formal lunch. Reservations are required. There are also four charming guest rooms overlooking the vineyards for overnight stays (minimum two nights).

At the foot of Monte Serra in Viagrande, this family-run winery is one of the most internationally significant on Etna, distributing some 170,000 bottles worldwide. And the Benanti family has been instrumental in propagating the viticulture of the volcano. As you arrive at the 19th-century estate for a tasting, you'll easily be seduced by the historic grounds and hills flanked with vines. But their wines, approximately 15 different expressions of Etna, hold the real magic.

One of the highest Chianti Classico vineyards, at an elevation of 370 m (1,200 feet), Castellare di Castellina is known for its panoramic vistas and its renowned Super Tuscan, I Sodi de S. Niccolò. One-hour visits, by reservation only, include a tour of the historical winery plus a tasting of four to five wines; you can also opt for Tuscan cheese and cold cuts for an additional charge.

One of Chianti Classico's top estates, Castello di Ama offers 90-minute visits that include a guided tour through the estate, a look at the historical cellar, and a tasting of three wines. Along the way, you'll see site-specific contemporary art installations created by artists from around the world. If you'd like to linger, stay the night in one of five suites in the 18th-century manor house, Villa Ricucci.

Seven different wine tours are on offer here, including a few that involve some very good food. In the capable hands of the Mazzei family since the 11th century, this gorgeous estate is a perfect place to taste some very fine wines, which pair well with items on the Tuscan menu in the osteria.

It's a pretty drive up winding roads to this 13th-century fortress. Attached is an 18th-century villa; a wineshop serves tastes of the locally produced wine as well as honeys and jams. It's worth visiting the castle, which is possible by guided-tour only (reservations required), to get a sense of how 18th-century aristocrats lived; the tour also includes a visit to the cellar and the gardens. If that doesn't interest you, proceed directly to the enoteca for a tasting. Apartments clustered near the castle are available for rent.

This family-run, 160-acre wine estate produces wine from seven vineyards in the Langhe region. Barbaresco is their star wine, and they also make fine barbera and dolcetto. Visitor tours, by appointment only, include a look inside their 18th-century castle, including the wine cellars, as well as a tasting of three wines.

Tours here take you down to the cellars and through the Renaissance gardens, and end with a wine tasting. You can also have a delicious crostino on a terrace with latticed grape leaves forming a beautiful bower above; the view from the terrace stretches for miles. Lunch and dinner are also available, and all the food pairs beautifully with their wines—which they've been making since 1170.

Only a 20-minute drive from the city along an olive-tree-lined country road, you'll find this family-owned winery. Not only does it specialize in traditional Sicilian grapes such as Grillo and Nero d'Avola, but it also experiments with Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Local artwork lines the tasting room walls as well as the attached La Cantina Restaurant. Wine tasting is by reservation only. The restaurant is only open during the high season, but you can experience the wines and the food at a sister restaurant in Sciacca, La Stranizzein Sciacca, year-round. 

Founded and still run by the Rallo family, whose involvement in wine production dates from 1851, the Donnafugata Winery is open for tastings and tours of its cantina (wine cellar); reservations are required and can be made online or by phone. It's an interesting look at the wine-making process in Sicily, and it ends with a sampling of several whites and reds, an optional food pairing, and a chance to buy a bottle. Don't miss the delicious, full-bodied red Mille e Una Notte, and the famous Ben Ryè Passito di Pantelleria, a sweet dessert wine made from dried grapes.

This sustainably farmed 148-acre property produces some of the region's most renowned wines, in particular Gewürztraminer and Pinot Nero. It's overseen by Elena herself along with her daughters Julia and Karoline. Stop by their gorgeous Castel Ringberg site for a short vineyard hike (May through mid-October, by reservation), or have lunch at their Ostaria al Castello, which has panoramic views over the vines and down to Lake Caldaro. You can also do tastings in their historical cellar at a second vineyard site closer to Tramin (from May through August); the wine shop and bistro there are open daily year-round.

The island’s first female winemaker, Emanuela Bonomo, not only makes a fantastic passito dessert wine, but also had the vision to see that Pantelleria’s traditional gastronomic preserves made of capers, olives, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and oil that many islanders took for granted could find an international market. Her beautifully packaged preserves, pestos, and condiments inspired many islanders to revisit their own family’s traditions. Book ahead for a tour of the vineyard that includes visiting the Bonomo’s caper fields on Monte Gibele.

South of Panzano, the organic Fontodi wine estate owned by Giovanni Manetti produces famed Sangiovese wines. Tours, by appointment only, include a visit to the cellar and a tasting of several vintages. The family also owns an agriturismo, Teute di Pecille, with eight apartments in two traditional stone farmhouses.

Lazio's wines may not be as famous as those of Tuscany or Piedmont, but this award-winning family-run winery is leading the way for the region. The family's wine-making roots stretch back to 1920, but it was third-generation winemaker Felice Mergè who turned the winery into a destination with two restaurants: the casual Epos bistro and the fine-dining Barrique, where a tasting menu is served in the barrel aging room. Tours are available by appointment only, which means the best way to experience this place is to book a table at one of the restaurants and request a tour.

This wonderful little winery is run with passion and energy by three young locals. Many wineries run tours, but few make the experience as personal and interesting as the Valle delle Ferle. Call ahead to book a personal tour of the vineyards, where Nero d’Avola and Frappato—the two grapes used to create Cerasuolo di Vittoria wine—are planted together, a traditional practice that has died out as newer joint plantings are not permitted. Guests are encouraged to taste blind, in order to demonstrate how the wines produced in these heavy clay hills are characterized by a far longer life and softer palate than those produced at lower elevations in the sandier soils closer to the sea. Tastings are accompanied by carefully selected local cheeses and salamis, so guests can experience the way the wines work with a salty or fresh cheese, or a fattier or chili-spiked salami. Tours also take in the cantina, where there is often a chance to taste immature wines straight from the tanks.

In the countryside west of Caltanissetta, Tenute Lombardo is a sprawling vineyard that still preserves many of the ancient techniques of Sicilian wine making. In addition to the classic Sicilian grapes like Grillo and Nero D'Avola, they also produce an exquisite sparkling wine made with Cattaratto, a grape native to Sicily, using the traditional Champagne method. Sitting atop a hill, the property offers 360-degree views of the rolling hills of vineyards, especially charming during the golden hour. The tasting room is modern but preserves the rustic character of the original structure—book in advance for a wine tasting accompanied by Sicilian antipasti. 

Located between Monte Gorna and Monte Ilice, Pierluca Beneventano guides visitors up the steep slopes of his vineyard for a tasting (featuring red, white, and rosé) among the vines. From there, you can see the other ancient craters of the southeast and all the way down to the Ionian Sea. In addition to traditional Etna grapes, Pierluca is working to recultivate grape relics, varieties that were historically found on Etna, such as Moscatella dell’Etna, Muscatetuni, and Terribbile. Young and endlessly energetic, he’s embracing the wine-making traditions of the volcano while forging his own path. Keep an eye on his Nubivago wine, a white made with Carricante, Catarratto, and Moscatella dell’Etna in which he freezes the grapes before pressing them. Reservations are required.

Based in an ancient borgo, on a hillside overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, this 74-acre winery and vineyard specializes in natural reds and rosés made from Nerello Mascalese and Nocera grapes. From the vine-covered hilltop, you can see all the way to the island of Stromboli in the Aeolian Islands, and the wind whips through the oak, olive, and citrus trees and wild fennel and rosemary brushes. The ground here is a lesson in Earth's ancient history: throughout the white sand-clay mix, you can find sea fossils in the soil. Tastings (for up to six people) can take place in the vineyard or in the winery itself, and upon request include local cured meats and cheeses.

This family-run wine estate specializes in Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Tuscany's best-known white wine, and has a history dating to the 10th century (though its current owners took it over more recently, in 1977). A one-hour visit includes a tour and tasting of four to six wines. The property also includes three apartments inside a former convent.

An exuberant welcome awaits you at Cantina Basile from winemaker Fabrizio and his English-speaking wife, Simona. Fabrizio is something of a wine rebel and innovator, and if anyone can convince you that sweet passito dessert wine works its magic better with well-chosen savory dishes than sweet, he will be the one to do it. Along with dry and sweet Zibbibo wines, Fabrizio has planted Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Syrah vines, and tastings give an opportunity to try some of his red wines. His whites include Sora Luna, 100% Zibbibo grown in volcanic sandy soil where Fabrizio trains the vine leaves to grow big and act as shade to the grapes, and Trequartidiluna, where the wine must is left in oak for a month then aged in stainless steel for 10 years. Tastings include four or five wines, and are accompanied by foods chosen to demonstrate how differently the same wines can react to various different foods.

The most famous of Furore's vineyards is the Gran Furor Divina Costiera estate, where top-quality "extreme" wines (so-called because of the grape-growing conditions) have been produced since 1942. Now named for owner Andrea Ferraioli's wife, the winery has won countless awards all over the world. Among the most lauded vintages is the Bianco Fiorduva, a white wine made from grapes that are allowed to overripen a bit. Daughter Dorotea organizes tastings, and the cellar, hewn from the hillside Dolomitic limestone rock, can be visited; call for details and reservations (required). Andrea is also a talented photographer, so don't miss the opportunity to see his stunning shots of the surrounding region. If you visit, ask to view the part of the stone wall (not far from the cellar) where you can see a magnificent 100-year-old horizontal vine.

At this small enoteca on Piazza della Cisterna, you can sample and purchase the fine wines, olive oil, and flavored vinegars made by Castello di Volpaia. Booked in advance, tours in English of the winery and olive press are also available.

Modern sculptures adorn the grounds of this respected Franciacorta winery (one of the largest in the region). Enjoyable two-hour-long tours conclude with a tasting; information about tour availability can be requested online.

Located in the rolling hills just below Tindari, this local winery offers the chance to sample the best locally produced wines. You can also go on a tour of the historic winepress and enjoy a light meal. Wine tastings require a minimum of four people per booking.

This winery is known for its steadfast commitment to producing only Barolo—nothing else. The winemaker here, Maurizio Anselma, is something of a prodigy in the Barolo world, and he’s quite open to visitors. Contact them by email or phone in advance for an appointment.

The cellars of this venerable winery date from the 17th century and hold almost 200 oak wine barrels. Some of Italy's most famous wines are produced here, including an excellent range of Brunellos, a fine Rosso di Montalcino, and the estate's special Super Tuscan brands—Brusco dei Barbi and Bruscone dei Barbi. Olive oil, salami, and pecorino cheese are made at the winery's organic farm. Guided tours of the cellars are followed by wine tastings, during which you can also sample the other products.

The name translates literally as "the custodians of the vineyards of Etna," and Mario Paoluzi and his team take their roles as guardians quite seriously. From the low-intervention management of one of the oldest producing vineyards on Etna to the use of the alberello trellis system, this winery specializes in producing elegant expressions of Etna wines that pay homage to the history and culture of the area.

Salvo Foti, the patriarch of this family-run winery, has been called the most important Sicilian agronomist and winemaker. In fact, his work cultivating native grapes is part of the reason Americans have even heard of Nerello Mascalese or Carricante. His conscientious methods, which honor both the land and cultural traditions of Etna, have been passed on to his two sons (Simone and Andrea) who now manage the winery and lead tastings in the historic Palmento Caselle (c. 1840). In the fall, they still use the palmento to stomp grapes and press wine the way it was done centuries ago on Etna.