Brunello di Montalcino Wine Tour: 2 Wineries with Pairing Lunch

Taste Brunello at two family-run cellars, then sit down to lunch paired with their wines

A full-day wine tour in Montalcino takes you to two boutique Brunello wineries for tastings and a cellar tour, then to a pairing lunch at the second winery featuring local specialties. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, along with an English-speaking driver-guide and a small group capped at 8 guests. The day also includes time to walk the medieval fortress and artisan shops of Montalcino itself.

Step-by-step itinerary

Brunello wine tour and lunch

• Pick up at meeting point
• Visit first Brunello winery and taste wines
• Explore Montalcino town and fortress
• Lunch with wine pairing at second winery
• Meet winemakers
• Return to meeting point

The Experience

If you're arriving in Tuscany without a car or staying somewhere without easy access to the wine country, this tour handles the logistics: the driver picks you up at your hotel, drives the group to the first winery, and stays with you all day. The minivan is air-conditioned and carries bottled water. You'll spend the morning at a lesser-known boutique vineyard tasting their full-bodied Brunellos—the reds that define this region—and touring the cellar to see how they're made.

After the first tasting, you have time to walk through Montalcino itself: the medieval fortress sits on the hilltop, Romanesque churches line the streets, and small shops sell local crafts. It's a break from wine and a chance to see the town before heading to the second winery. There, the winemakers meet the group and pair their Brunello with a lunch of local specialties—the meal is built around the wine, not the other way around. The whole day runs about eight hours from pickup to drop-off.

The group stays small—eight people maximum—which means the tastings move at a human pace and the driver can answer questions without shouting over a crowd. English is spoken throughout, and the same driver-guide stays with you, so you're not switching between people or waiting for translations.

What’s included

• English-speaking driver-guide for the full day.
• hotel pickup and drop-off at your designated meeting point.
• visits to two boutique Brunello wineries with cellar tours.
• wine tastings at both wineries.
• pairing lunch with local specialties at the second winery.
• bottled water.
• air-conditioned minivan with WiFi on board.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Forzoni Tours

Is this one for you?Hotel pickup means you don't need a car or a ride to the wineries—the driver collects you and handles the route, timing and navigation for the whole day, which settles the logistics if you're staying in town without transport or arriving by train.

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Top questions

What exactly do I taste at each winery?

At the first winery, you taste all their Brunello products—the full-bodied reds the region is known for—during a cellar tour that shows how they're made. At the second winery, the same Brunello is paired with lunch, so you experience how the wine tastes alongside food.

How much time do I spend in Montalcino town itself?

After the first winery tasting, you have time to explore the medieval fortress, walk the Romanesque churches, and browse the artisan craft shops before moving on to the second winery for lunch. The exact length depends on the group's pace, but it's built into the day as a break between tastings.

Is the lunch included, or do I pay separately?

The pairing lunch at the second winery is included in the tour price, along with the wine pairings and local specialties served with it.

Do I need to arrange my own way to the meeting point, or does the driver pick me up?

The driver picks you up and drops you off at your hotel or its immediate surroundings, so you don't need to arrange transport to the wineries or back.

How many people will be on the tour?

The group is limited to 8 guests maximum, keeping the tastings and lunch at a manageable size.

What if I don't speak Italian—will I understand what's happening at the wineries?

Your driver-guide speaks English throughout the day and stays with the group, so tastings, cellar tours, and conversations with the winemakers are all conducted in English.