The owner and winemaker, Paolo Montioni, and his wife met us upon our arrival with warm welcomes…read moreand gave us a quick tour of their olive harvesting and olive oil production. We lucked out to be here during their olive oil season. We then started a private wine tasting with Paolo to taste 5 of his wines and 2 olive oils on toasted breads (bruschetta). It was only €10! He was such a great host! Nothing beats having the owner and winemaker lead these wine tastings. It was informal and fun. He even made lunch reservations for us at a nearby restaurant. And lunch at the restaurant he booked us in was fantastic too! We all loved his wines and ended up ordering 6 cases to be shipped home.

We visited Montioni Frantoio e Cantina with family members on our last pre-COVID trip to Italy…read more Here we enjoyed a fabulous food and wine tasting -- our pranzo (mid-day meal that day). Paolo Montioni is an excellent host! Their Umbrian wines and olive oils are excellent. I have also ordered wine by email from Montioni for delivery at home. The process was easy, invoiced and paid through PayPal, and shipped to my front door. As Paolo last wrote to me: "We are safe and we are working very hard ......the Nature is outstanding in this moment." We look forward to our next visit to Montefalco and Montioni!

We had such an amazing experience at this winery despite not planning ahead. I didn't realize that…read moremost wineries in Tuscany cater to tour busses and reservations rather than operating on drop-in visitors like those we've been to in NZ and the states. We looked up their hours online and saw they opened bright and early. Great, we thought, we needed to be out of Rome early so let's have wine for breakfast. We arrived and drove into the picture-perfect quintessential Tuscan winery. Olive trees line the gravel road leading to the vineyard and tasting room. We were immediately greeted by feline guardians who purred and approached us for petting. The owner of this family-owned winery greeted us perplexed on what we were doing there at 10 am. Despite catching him unaware and preparing for a big tour group later in the day, he was incredibly welcoming and hospitable! He took time to show us the barrel room, tasting room, and give us the general tour. He apologized for needing to run into town to get ingredients for the lunch he was hosting and set us up with a half a bottle of wine and snacks where we could pet the cats and enjoy the morning on our own. It was beyond generous and a truly incredible experience to get to enjoy the quiet morning petting cats and sipping wine and listening to the happy voices of his child waking up in the apartment upstairs. It was really magical. I can only imagine the type of host he is when he's prepared for you! Definitely don't miss this place on your visit to Tuscany.

The drive up to this place is so beautiful. We arrive and were taken on an outdoor and inside…read moreyour. We got to see an ancient cave where the wine barrels are kept. Then we got to try some local cheeses and meats along with their very nice wines. Would definitely return to see this lovely place again.

My husband and I stayed here last summer for 3 nights and we had such an amazing experience. The…read moreowners Sara and Fidelis are super chilled and friendly, and the whole place has a lovely relaxed atmosphere. Their house lady cooked amazing fresh food, and even helped us out with some laundry. We did the wine tasting dinner out on their patio with beautiful views of the rolling Tuscan countryside. Plenty of wine was provided, and Sara was extremely generous - opening many bottles even though there was just two of us, and offering us more to take away. Their pool was lovely, and a good size for swimming, with plenty of shade by the trees if needed. She had good advice about local places to visit. Our room was lovely and the whole place was just so picturesque. We found the rates cheaper than other places in the area, and I am so glad we booked here. We will be back!

We went to the winery for a private Tuscan cooking class and wine tasting which was exquisite to…read moresay the least. We were greeted by the owners Sara and Hans along with their dog and puppy. What a beautiful place with it's 360 degree panoramic views along with it's wonderfully appointed grounds. We loved the mix of modern that did not overpower the history of the architecture and its gorgeous grounds. The local chefs they brought in to teach us were equally as wonderful and truly passionate about what they do. We had their Losna chardonnay which was very nice especially for this region which is not known for chards and the Curtun red was stellar. I personally loved the Curtun and found it much more pleasurable then most of the chiantis I've tried in the area. Can't wait to come back and hopefully bring more of the family to share.

Wow. One of the most beautiful places on the planet. We were in the area to go to another winery…read morebut they were closed because it was the off season but we saw their sign and decided to give it a try. We met the owner who spoke very little English but his beautiful and brilliant daughter helped us bridge the language gap for the tasting. The wine was exceptional and we bought two bottles at a very reasonable price. This is a authentic small winery for the true Italian family experience. Don't miss this gem if you are in the area.

Thanks to Jacqueline and her review we found ourselves driving down one of the most beautiful…read moreplaces I have ever seen on our way to TanaGatta. We were welcomed right away by Susana, the owner, who led us to the cantina. After a very warm welcome she led my wife and I down to the winery. Since this was our first time ever in a winery she explained the whole process in italian while my wife translated for me. It is inspiring to meet people with passion and love for what they do like the owners of this place. She offered us cheese and cold cuts while we tried the delicious wine and amazing olive oil. Needless to say we walked away with bottles of each but never felt pressured to buy, even though who wouldn't after trying their wonderful products. Do yourself a favor and make the drive, the city center is not that far away and you will fall in love with the place.

Arnaldo-Caprai, the home (birthplace?) of Sagrantino wine, was our second stop on our day of wine…read moretasting. We ran over at the first winery, and Arnaldo-Caprai was very understanding and gave us a warm welcome even though we were over an hour late. The winery is on a large and sprawling estate with a spacious wine tasting room. Our tour was approximately 30 minutes long - we visited the various areas of the winery where they ferment the grapes, bottle the wine and also wandered a little bit into the vineyards. Our wine tour ended with wine tasting in a private tasting room and lunch. The lunch was the perfect lunch to accompany the wines - it was a light lunch of salumni, cheese, bruschetta, panzanella and grilled vegetables. We tasted four wines, including an extra taste of a sparkling wine that Arnaldo-Caprai makes. The Rosso Riserva that we tasted was the universal favorite amongst the group, and we bought a fair amount of wine to enjoy both while in Italy and to have shipped back to the U.S. The wine was all very reasonably priced.

This was an amazing tour and total experience! Our tour guide, representative, wine educator, etc…read morewas excellent! Her knowledge of the property, the amazing history, and wine was so very nicely portrayed in her excellent tour. The history here is stunning too. Wines were so very good that we bought a case to be shipped back home, to the states. Check on buying wine, as they price it with shipping. The property is gorgeous and historic! Highly recommend this particular winery to visit and tour when visiting the area!

I was so excited to visit Castello di Verrazzano and I'm disappointed that I did not have a…read morepositive experience. As a Black woman from the U.S., I faced poor customer service and discrimination. My tour guide, Tomaso, was rude and condescending. First, he ignored me and other people of color in my group by not speaking to us or even giving eye contact at the beginning of the tour. Second, Tomaso told me that I wasn't allowed to record videos as this was the owner's rule and he demanded that I delete any videos from my phone. I felt that he was singling me out and trying to embarrass me. This "policy" was not shared in writing or verbally in advance. Also, I've seen other guests post videos on social media, even days before my visit, which included Tomaso's face. The energy of the tour felt unwelcoming. During the tasting, no one followed up to ask how I was enjoying the wines or if I was interested in purchasing. It felt like the establishment didn't care about my business. Next, the staff said I could take photos with my wine in front of the amazing terrace view, then they refused. The castle shouldn't schedule tastings right before closing if guests will be pushed out. The only reason I didn't leave a one star review is due to a good experience with an outstanding staff member. Sole was very nice and offered me a ride to my car! She's the kind of employee who should be rewarded for going above and beyond and providing wonderful service to guests. Overall, the castle was beautiful, but the tour was dry with no enthusiasm and the service was lacking. Some staff seemed more concerned with showing attention to white guests and heading home than providing a memorable visit for everyone. I envisioned a once-in-a-lifetime experience that would leave me feeling enlightened, supported, and valued. Instead, I felt dismissed, excluded, and disrespected. I will return to Tuscany, but to a different winery that prides themselves on excellent service and fairness for all.

This place was Magnificent! The entire staff were so accommodating and friendly. They made us feel…read morelike we were family here. The food was so delicious and fresh! Each special dish was served and we were allowed to hear the history of its creation through the families remarkable creativity. What a joy it was to be presented with such delicious treats from such Gracious Hosts. Thank You!

We had the most amazing private tasting at Acquaviva! First: the grounds of this vineyard are…read moreabsolutely gorgeous; we enjoyed wandering around and taking in all the scenery. Second, the main tasting building is absolutely lovely - all glass (for those aforementioned views) and a perfect mix of modern and traditional. Finally, the WINE! Not only was their wine absolutely delicious, but it was paired with some excellent bread, olive oil, and charcuterie to complete our tasting experience. Our host was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly and it was a treat to learn about the history of these great winemakers. We loved everything so much we immediately bought bottles to take home for dinner and shipped a crate home, too. One of our favorite afternoons of our entire trip to Tuscany.

We visited this winery a couple of years ago and had a very nice time touring and tasting. The day…read morewe visited there was some rain so we couldn't tour the vineyard, unfortunately. But still me had a memorable time and hope to return one day. We opened the last of the bottles we ordered last night in celebration of our daughter's visit. We try to have a bottle whenever she visits because she was there with us. Memories that will be with us forever. The wines were very good, by the way. I would certainly do it all over again and hope to do so soon. Grazie mille, Tilli. A presto.

I brought my pilgrimage group here after visiting Assisi for two days and it was such a welcomed…read moredining highlight for all of us. The olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and wine were superb, and so was the warm and local hospitality that was shown our group. I'll need to return the next time. I visit the Umbrian Valley.

This amazing castle and tower were built in the 1100's by the Knights of Malta. The group has been…read morein continuous possession of the property and they still are. When the Grand Master resides, the flag of the Knights of Malta is flown. It is very rare for a building to have been under the possession of a single entity for more than 1000 years. The Knights are no longer in the arms business, but are doing a great job with wine and olive oil! I am sure they have humanitarian affiliations I am not aware of. This place is a must see! It is beautifully positioned overlooking Lake Trasimento in the heart of Umbria. Visit the castle then go down to the beach!

My husband and I had a private visit to the winery, thanks to our "Discovering Umbria" tour. The…read morewines were complex and delicious. Filippo treated us to a wind tasting with Umbrian meats, cheeses, and bread. We found ourselves ordering cases to be shipped back to the states.

We did a great wine tasting here on our visit to Umbria. Filippe (not sure about name or spelling,…read morebut I think that's it) was a warm and gracious host. They are located down a country lane in the hills northeast of Todi, with beautiful vistas in all directions, and a fantastic view of Todi perched on its hilltop not far away. The vines march off in their rows; the old monastery that once owned the land sits quietly on the hillside below. Umbria stands in the shadow of the more famous Tuscan wines, but Peppucci's 4 offerings are all lovely. The presentation is thorough and comprehensive but not tedious. The wines are served with a nice assortment of bread, cheese, sliced salami, and olive oil. Speaking of olive oil, Peppucci also makes and sells its own. People reading this will fall into 2 categories: those who say "big deal. Olive oil. They're all the same, right?" and those that have learned about the mystical qualities of high-grade extra virgin olive oil, which can transform ordinary foods into culinary delights. This place sells that kind of olive oil. We left a few Euros lighter, having ordered cases of wine and olive oil to be shipped stateside, plus carrying some bottles and cans for use on the remainder of our journey, but it was money well spent. The only thing that might have improved it would have been a tour of the wine-making facility and process, but I have done that elsewhere so I was ok without it.