How to plan a wine day in Tuscany

The Tuscan wine roads are designed to be travelled slowly. They join landscape, food, farming and direct contact with the people who make the wine, and none of that rewards a tight schedule.

Choose one area, not the region

Chianti Classico, Montalcino and Bolgheri are all worth a day, and they are not close to one another. Pick one. Two producers plus lunch is a full and satisfying day; three is a rush.

Book in advance

Many estates are working farms with small teams, and cellar visits usually need to be arranged ahead. Turning up unannounced tends to work only at larger tasting rooms.

• A tasting room stopUsually walk in, a short flight of wines, minimal commitment, good for filling a gap.
• A producer visitBooked, often an hour or more, a tour of the vineyard and cellar, and a conversation with someone who works there.

Allow for lunch and travel

Distances look small and take longer than the map suggests, on winding roads with reasons to stop. Build in a proper lunch. It is part of the point, and it also makes an afternoon of tasting far more sensible.

Sort the driving before you start

Designate a driver or arrange transport. Spitting is normal and nobody will think less of you for it, but the safest plan is not to rely on restraint.

Questions worth asking

None of these require wine vocabulary, and all of them invite the sort of answer that makes the visit memorable.

• Which vineyard did this come from, and what is different about it?
• How long was this aged, and in what?
• Which of your wines would you drink tonight, with dinner?
• What should I eat with this at home?

Buying and taking wine home

Buying at the cellar door is often the only way to get certain bottles, and many estates can arrange shipping. Rules on quantities, duty and delivery vary by destination and change, so check the current position for your own country before committing to a case.

A note on hospitality

Appointment times matter. A producer who has set aside an hour has usually stepped away from work to do it. Arrive when you said you would, and if plans change, say so.