Italy is synonymous with good wine. From a hearty red, to a crisp white, Italians produce some of the finest wines in the world.
Italy is synonymous with good wine. From a hearty red, to a crisp white, Italians produce some of the finest wines in the world. Whether you’re a serious wine drinker, or you’re just looking to explore Italy, here’s the Ciao Italy guide to the famous vineyards of Italy!
This is the first consideration, and it’s not an easy one! With over 20 major growing regions, you’re truly spoiled for choice when picking a part of Italy to visit. But, no matter where you do end up on your Italy trip, you’re never far from a vineyard or two.
Of course, some Italian regions are more famous than others when it comes to wine production. The Chianti region in Tuscany, or the Piedmont area near Cuneo are perhaps the ‘best’ regions for wine enthusiasts.
In amongst rolling hills and verdant fields, underneath a wonderfully hot Italian sun, sit bountiful Tuscan vineyards and wine producers. With world-class reds, whites, and dessert wines on offer, Tuscany is a great Italian region to select for a wine tour. But there are a lot of options when visiting Tuscany, so here’s some advice to narrow down which part you prioritise on your Italian vacation.
Bolgheri, located on the coast, produces wonderful full-bodied wines including the Bolgheri Sassicaia, one of the most expensive and sought-after wines in the world. Then there’s San Gimigano, one of Tuscany’s most popular towns, and it has a rich selection of vineyards too. Famous for producing what’s thought to be Italy’s first white wine, this part of Tuscany develops delicious wines known for their golden hue and floral notes.
Why not book your place on our ‘Wine Enthusiasts Dinner in a Tuscan Noble Villa Cellar’?
Bordering France and Switzerland, located at the foot of the Alps, Piedmont is another great choice for sampling some delicious Italian wines. After Tuscany, Piedmont is likely the most famous Italian wine region and it provides visitors with an excellent introduction into the country’s wine production.
There are a great many wines to sample when exploring Piedmont. Barbera is one that many locals drink, and it’s known for its opulent fruit flavours. The Dolcetto is a gentler wine with floral aromas. And there’s Nebbiolo, perhaps the best loved of the wines produced in Piedmont. This wine pours in a pale red colour, with floral cherry and rose aromas.
Once you’ve selected a region to visit, take some time to find the vineyard you want to explore. Booking a tour is a great way to experience one of the famous vineyards of Italy, and you can see the entire production process. From taking in the fields full of vines stretching towards the horizon, to sipping an elegant red as the sun sets over an Italian hill, a trip to a vineyard is certainly one of the more relaxing ways to experience Italy.
On your next Italian vacation, visit a vineyard, soak up the sun, and sample some of the world’s finest wines. You’ll fall head over heels for the country whilst sipping a heady red!
The Academy of the Art of Design, founded in 1563, was the first school established in Europe specifically to teach techniques of drawing, painting, and sculpture. The art collection displayed here was formed in 1784 to provide material for students to study and copy. The most famous work is Michelangelo’s David (1504) a colossal (5.2-meter/17-foot) nude of the biblical hero who killed the giant Goliath.
While much of Florence was rebuilt during the Renaissance, the eastern part of the city retains a distinctly medieval feel. With its maze of tiny alleys, it is an area that would still be familiar to Dante (1261 to 1321), whose birthplace allegedly lay somewhere among these lanes.
The richly-decorated cathedral, known alternately as the ‘Duomo of Florence’ and the ‘The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore,’ along with its orange tiled dome, has become Florence’s most famous symbol. Typical of the Florentine determination to lead in all things, the Duomo is Europe’s fourth-largest church and the tallest building in Florence.
The Uffizi, Italy’s greatest art gallery, was built between 1560 to 1580 CE to house offices for Duke Cosimo I. The architect Vasari used iron as reinforcement, enabling his successor, Buontalenti, to create an almost continuous wall of glass on the upper floor. This was used as a gallery for Francesco I to display the Medici art treasures. The collection was divided up in the 19th century. Ancient objects went to the archeological museum and sculpture to the Bargello, leaving the Uffizi with a matchless collection of paintings.
Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio have been at the center of Florence’s political and social life for centuries. The great bell once used to summon citizens to ‘parlamento’ (public meetings) remains here, and the square has long been a popular promenade for both visitors and Florentines. The piazza’s statues (some are copies) commemorate the city’s major historical events. Its most famous episode is celebrated by a simple pavement plaque near the loggia: the execution of the religious leader Girolamo Savonarola who was burnt at the stake.
