Montepulciano: Wine & Food Walking Tour with Pici & Tastings

Three Wine Stops & Handmade Pasta in Montepulciano's Medieval Streets

You walk through Montepulciano's medieval center with a local guide, stopping at a wine cellar to taste Vino Nobile DOCG and Rosso, a food shop for Pecorino cheese and cured meats, and a restaurant for handmade pici pasta. The pace is slow, the stops are real places locals use, and you taste your way through Tuscan tradition without a schedule pressing you forward.

Step-by-step itinerary

Food and wine tour in Montepulciano

• Walk through historic center
• Visit historic wine cellar
• Taste Rosso and Vino Nobile wines
• Stop at traditional food shop
• Taste Pecorino di Pienza and cured meats
• Enjoy bruschetta with olive oil
• Visit local restaurant
• Taste handmade pici pasta

The experience

Stone buildings rise straight from the cobblestones, their shutters the color of dried sage, and the street narrows so much that two people can barely walk side by side. This is where the tour begins: in the heart of Montepulciano's old town, where a local guide meets you and the walking tour through the historic center starts without ceremony. The pace is slow. You're not rushing between photo stops. You're moving the way someone who lives here moves, pausing when something catches your eye or when the guide points out how the buildings lean into each other like they're holding each other up.

The first stop is a historic wine cellar, and this is where you taste Rosso di Montepulciano and the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG. The wine that made this town's name. The cellar is cool and a little dim, and the wines taste different down there than they would anywhere else, somehow more themselves. After that comes a traditional food shop, where you taste Pecorino di Pienza cheese, Tuscan cured meats, and bruschetta with local extra virgin olive oil. It's not a tasting plate arranged for Instagram. It's the kind of food you eat standing up, talking to the shopkeeper, and then you want more of it.

The third stop is a local restaurant, and here you eat handmade pici pasta prepared the way it's been made for generations: thick, chewy, the kind of noodle that holds sauce the way it's supposed to. By the time you finish, you've moved through three different rooms of Montepulciano's food and wine world, and the guide has told you things about how people here actually eat that you wouldn't find in a guidebook. The whole experience is relaxed and informal. There's no script, no rushing, and no feeling that you're being herded through a checklist.

What’s included

Your tour includes a guided walking tour through Montepulciano's historic center with a local guide, a visit to a historic wine cellar with tastings of Rosso di Montepulciano and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, a stop at a traditional food shop for Pecorino di Pienza cheese, Tuscan cured meats, and bruschetta with local extra virgin olive oil, and a meal of handmade pici pasta at a local restaurant. All tastings and food stops are included.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 10:30 and 17:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (18 to 60 years) · Senior (61 to 90 years) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Infant (1 to 5 years)

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Italian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Valdichiana Living

Is this one for you?Right for food and wine lovers who want to taste Montepulciano's real flavors without arranging three separate reservations or figuring out which shops are worth the walk. The guide knows the places and the pace lets you actually taste what you're eating.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (6 to 11 years); Infant (1 to 5 years).

What wines are included in the tasting?

Rosso di Montepulciano and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, tasted at a historic wine cellar.

What food is included?

Pecorino di Pienza cheese, Tuscan cured meats, bruschetta with local extra virgin olive oil, and handmade pici pasta prepared according to traditional recipes.

Is this tour good for vegetarians?

The tour includes cured meats and cheese. Contact the provider to discuss vegetarian options before booking.

What should I wear?

Montepulciano's old town has medieval cobblestone streets. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.