Chianti Sunset Wine Tasting Day Trip from Florence

Bellissime degustazioni condite dal paesaggio del Chianti Classico. In particolare il sign. Maurizio ci ha scaldato il cuore grazie alla sua attenzione, dedizione e passione. Tuttavia la valutazione é figlia della guida che, attraverso i suoi modi, ha rovinato completamente l'atmosfera per 6 interminabili ore. Un misto di saccenza, prepotenza e invasività. Io e la mia ragazza non abbiamo avuto modo di degustare tranquillamente le specialità toscane senza i suoi occhi addosso, senza un attimo di intimità. Era ossessionato dai tempi, dai ritmi: ci tengo a specificare che, pur partendo mezz'ora in anticipo rispetto all'orario prestabilito, a detta sua eravamo in perenne ritardo (dovuto non si sa a cosa, siccome noi clienti ci fossimo limitati a fare lo stretto necessario lautamente pagato). Ciliegina sulla torta: orario di fine attività previsto per le 23, luii ha insistito col dire che in realtà fosse alle 22, rovinando completamente la cena al tramonto. Sconsiglio vivamente la guida.

Overall, it was a beautiful experience learning about the history of the region and taking in the breathtaking scenery. Our driver was incredibly knowledgeable and made the trip even more enjoyable. The first vineyard, however, spent a lot of time trying to persuade us to purchase a 12- or 24-bottle wine shipment. We had no idea the tour would include such a strong sales pitch. The prices were also much higher than expected, so I recommend doing your research before buying, especially if you’re from the U.S., as we found many of the same items for much less back home. The second stop was absolutely amazing and ended up being our favorite. It was owned by an older couple who were incredibly kind and welcoming. There was no pressure to buy anything, which made the experience so much more enjoyable. We still chose to have items shipped home because they offered much more than wine, including honey, olive oil, and chocolate. We loved that we could mix and match our selections.

We had an amazing time. Our trip only consisted of 4 people. We went to a winery and had a private tour with the wine maker ans his wife made us some lovely snacks. This winery even had a sweet puppy. The next winery was a little larger and once again we had the place to ourselves. Overall the day was very intimate and the wine with the scenery was beautiful! Highly recommend!

1/5 stars for three reasons. 1) We booked a tour that did not include dinner. At the meeting point, the guide informed us that the rest of the group had chosen a "sunset dinner" and that we could join for an extra €70 per person. Our choices were to pay or sit around waiting while everyone else ate. That felt like pressure, not a real choice. 2), the "sunset dinner" was disappointing. There was no scenic valley, castle, or vineyard view, just the side of another mountain. The meal was also small included only one bottle of wine, and no dessert. 3), the driver's behavior was unsafe. He sped around blind corners, nearly hit a cyclist, and drew angry reactions from other drivers. When asked to slow down, he replied, "I have a license." We understand that enjoying the wineries is subjective and would not leave a negative review over that. The issues above, however, were unacceptable.

Good things: being able to get around the small roads and see the countryside; the vineyard tours were quite interesting and Maurizio made the wine tasting really fun and different, with cheeses, truffle oil and a great explanation about olive oil! To be improved; we booked a sunset tour to be able to see fabulous views and the sunset, but our driver didn’t make any stops in between the wine cellars and we were home well before sunset. So really it should just be called a Chianti tour. Whilst the wine tasting was interesting, it felt like a bit of a sell too. Would have preferred far more time doing stops to look at the views instead of just out of the car window. Our guide didn’t explain very much as we were travelling.