Tuscany travel tips for your Tuscany wine tours
Whether you have booked a relaxing break to Tuscany and are looking for activities you may be able to do while you are there, or you have booked the trip specifically to go on Tuscany wine tours, if you have never been on a wine tour before there are a number of things to be aware of before going on your first one. Tuscany is a region in central Italy and is renowned for producing some of the best red wines in the world. With grape varietals that are unique to the area and with its different microclimate and soil composition, the wines offered on Tuscany wine tours are extremely interesting and are a must see (well…must sample) for anyone that has an interest in wine. Before reserving a place on one of the many wine tours offered in Tuscany, read through the following tips to maximise your experience.
Tuscany Travel Tips to Follow When Going on Tuscany Wine Tours
Wine tasting novices often make the mistake of only wanting to go to the larger, more established wineries in the area, but Road to Italy would advise you to look at private Tuscany tours that include several smaller wineries. At these locations you really feel the passion for the wine shine through and you can often spend more time with staff than at larger wineries. Other tips we would recommend you follow include:
Take an Empty Wine Box with You
While you might only plan to taste and not buy when going on Tuscany wine tours, more often than not people end up falling in love with several wines they come across on the tour and if you don’t have a suitable box to hand, these bottles will rattle around on the tour bus or in your car, and could even break if not protected properly. If your budget allows, Styrofoam wine carriers are always a good purchase.
Dive In and Try New Things
As already mentioned, the wines produced in Tuscany are unlike any others due to the unique grape varietals and local climate, so it’s unlikely you would be tasting anything you are familiar with; but don’t let that put you off. Dive in and sample as many of the wines that Tuscany has to offer as you can.
Book into Earlier Tours
If your schedule permits we would always recommend trying to reserve a place on Tuscany wine tours that take place earlier in the day for one simple reason — more opportunity to talk to the staff at each winery as there are often less people in attendance. This is especially true if the tour you intend to go on visits several of the region’s smaller wineries (which we would highly recommend) as staff levels are usually significantly lower.
Be Polite and Respectful
At many of the wineries you visit you will have the opportunity to speak to the owner about the wine. You would be surprised at how many people are quite rude in these situations, so remember this: The winery is like their home and they are providing you with samples of their wine for very little cost (and sometimes no cost) so be polite and respectful.
Show Interest in the Grapes
Winery owners love to engage with any visitors the winery receives and are often very receptive to questions about the particular types of grapes they use. If this interests you, ask where they are grown and what type of production methods are used. Also take this opportunity to discover more about the wine and the types of food it best compliments.
Don’t Get Carried Away with Buying the Wine
When going on Tuscany tours don’t feel like you have to buy a bottle from each winery; the owners won’t be offended if you don’t! It’s easy to get carried away and buy a couple of bottles at each location and before you know it you have a dozen bottles in your apartment with no way to get them home. If you do find a wine you really like, ask staff at the winery whether they are able to ship it to your location once you arrive home.
Mind How Much You Drink
Many novice wine tasters can fall into the trap of “tasting” a little too much wine while on the tour. The thing you have to remember is that you are there to sample a selection of Tuscany’s finest wines and that it’s not a trip to a bar or a pub. Drink small quantities of each wine; don’t drink it by the glass full as that will only ruin the experience for others on the tour.
Are you interested in booking yourself onto one or more private Tuscany tours and would like some assistance to select which ones?
Contact the team at Road to Italy for Italy today!
