Montepulciano Wineries - All You Need To Know About Visiting The Eight Historic Wineries

Last updated on November 14th, 2024

The best wineries in Montepulciano are right at your fingertips when visiting the historic village within the city walls of Montepulciano. But how to choose? The choices are overwhelming and they all seem to offer the same thing!

I have been living just down the road from Montepulciano for years now, giving me ample time to explore the best Montepulciano wineries. Over the years, I have personally set foot in every one of these historic wineries in Montepulciano and been lucky enough to try their wines and visit the underground wine cellars.

In this article, I will describe my experience at each one, helping you to pick the right Montepulciano winery for you. Whether you are traveling to Montepulciano with kids, on a honeymoon or with a big tour group, I will help you decide which of these eight historic wineries in Montepulciano is the right fit for you.

For on-the-go help, refer to my chart at the beginning of this article, which will help you pair your Montepulciano winery visits with other activities in the area.

View of Montepulciano buildings from afar.

Planning Help: Need help planning your short stay in Montepulciano? Don’t miss my Half-Day Montepulciano Itinerary and One Day Itinerary for Montepulciano. Both of them include wine tastings from these historic wineries!

Wine Info: For specific information and detailed guides to trying and buying wine in Italy, read Where to Drink Wine in Italy and Where to Buy Wine in Italy.

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Montepulciano Wineries Overview

Winery	Location	Best For	Required Pre-Booking Wine Cellar Tour	Pair With	Email
Cantina De’ Ricci	Upper Montepulciano	Large groups	Yes	A visit to the panoramic outlook in Piazza S.Francesco or Civic Museum in Montepulciano, both great things to do in Montepulciano!	info@dericci.it
Città Sotterranea di Ercolani	Base of Montepulciano	Kids and Families	No, but recommended	Coffee at Palazzo Avignonesi Caffetteria	info@ercolanimontepulciano.it
Contucci	Upper Montepulciano	People who love history	No	Visit to Piazza Grande	info@contucci.it
Crociani	Upper Montepulciano	Intimate experience	N/A	Lunch or dinner at Osteria Acquacheta	info@crociani.it
Fanetti – Teanuta S. Agnese	Base of Montepulciano (outside city walls)	Off the beaten track	Yes	Visit to outdoor market, S. Agnese Church or Giardini di Poggiofanti	agriturismo@tenutasantagnese.com
Fattoria Pulcino	Base of Montepulciano	Souvenirs to bring home other than wine (cheese, olive oil, etc.)	N/A	Light lunch at Vineria Enoteca, one of my favorite enotecas in Montepulciano!	fattoriapulcino@mailtrust.it
GattaVecchi	Top of Montepulciano	Full restaurant experience	Yes	Visit to the Fortezza	info@poggioallasala.com
Fattoria della Talosa	Top Of Montepulciano	Underground free tour	No	Climbing the bell tower in Piazza Grande	info@talosa.it OR shop@talosa.it

Large Groups At Montepulciano Wineries

Table full of wine glasses, wine bottles, and empty plates at a winery in Tuscany.

All of these historic Montepulciano wineries are happy to host large tour groups, catering to individual needs and specific requests. To do so, however, it’s mandatory to get in touch with them via email several weeks prior to your visit.

So what is a large group? I would say 6+. If you have any doubts, it’s better to ask beforehand then find yourself hoping for a private tour or more intimate tasting and finding them all booked up.

Wines At Montepulciano Wineries

Three shelves of wine bottles on display on a stone wall in Montepulciano, Italy.

What can you expect in terms of wine from these best wineries in Montepulciano? Red wine, of course! White isn’t what Montepulciano is known for, although some of these wineries make at least one white wine.

Rosso Di Montepulciano

Montepulciano red wine (Rosso di Montepulciano) is made from a minimum of 70% Sangiovese grapes. The remaining 30% can be a combination of other grapes and this is exactly what defines one Montepulciano winery from the next.

Hand holding up a bottle of wine from Contucci in Montepulciano with stacks of wine bottles on display in the background.

When tasting wines in Montepulciano, ask yourself (and the staff), what is it that makes their wines particular? What kind of grapes are used in the remaining 30%? This 30% is where lies the character and individual identity of these Montepulciano wines.

Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano

Are you wondering what makes a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano? The answer is simple:

70% Sangiovese + 2 years of aging, one of which must be in a barrel (the other in a bottle).

What is a vino Riserva?

A Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva is a higher quality wine with more complexity. It has been aged for three years instead of two and usually costs much more than a regular Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

Cantina De’ Ricci

Sign to left of wooden door for De' Ricci winery in Montepulciano.

Via Dé Ricci

Just down from Piazza Grande, Cantina Dé Ricci is one of the most reliable and still today, authentic Montepulciano wineries that you can visit while downtown.

My family thinks their wine is some of the best of all the wineries mentioned in this article, with attention to tradition and detail.

Wine glass and bottle sitting on outdoor table at restaurant in Italy.

To visit the cantina and tour the underground, you must pre-book your visit (I recommend email) at either 10:30 or 3:00 pm. The tour is extensive and the underground is one of the most interesting of them all but is not free. They have several different formulas as follow:

Guided tour of historical cellar and wine tasting (3 wines + bruschetta, Tuscan cheese and salame tasting): €20 per person
Guided tour of historical cellar and wine tasting (6 wines + bruschetta, Tuscan cheese and salame tasting): €25 per person

Do note that minors who will not partake in the tasting are only charged €10 for the cellar visit.

To confirm the booking, email them with names and your phone number. Payment is requested upon arrival at the cantina.

Città Sotterranea di Ercolani

Entrance to Cantina Ercolani in Montepulciano, Italy. There is knight's armor to the right of the entrance. Wine bottles decorate the shelves indoors and are displayed in boxes outside the entrance.

Via di Gracciano nel Corso, 80

Città Sotterranea di Ercolani is seemingly very touristy and cheesy. It is, to be honest, but it’s great fun for kids and it still makes good Vino Nobile di Montepulciano just as they did when they first started in 1988.

Ercolani is considered one of the historic wineries of Montepulciano but it’s relatively new to the local wine scene. They have invested a lot in free family-friendly tours several times a day, with a very fun and interactive underground visit to their wine cellar including a wishing well, old armor and a cistern.

Good To Know: Because the Ercolani tours are more kid-friendly then others, they fill up quickly. Stop in when they open and sign up for a tour later in the day so you don’t miss out! You can also email them ahead of time to pre-book your tour

This Montepulciano winery also sells a lot of local food products, which make great gifts or snacks to purchase for later.

Contucci

Hand holding up wine glass with a small amount of red wine. There are wine bottles stacked and displayed behind it.

Via del Teatro, 1

Cantina Contucci is Montepulciano’s oldest winery, dating back to 1008. It’s currently under its 41st generation of family-management!

Stop here on your way up to Piazza Grande and be sure to give yourself a quick tour of their cantina. What first drew me to Contucci, apart from its history, was the fact that you can go in and visit the cellar without a pre-booked tour. The winery doesn’t require a guide and you are free to move through at your own pace.

Display of olive oil bottles and wine bottles - 10 in total - along with brochures and prices. They are on a wooden table in Italy.

The actual tasting room isn’t very kid friendly because there are a ton of wine bottles and low tables but you can opt to have a more formal tasting with cheese and charcuterie boards up in Palazzo at the Contucci Enoteca. I highly suggest this for slow-travelers and families.

The staff is great and very helpful, especially Simona. This is definitely one of my favorite Montepulciano wineries!

Fit In: Learn How to Toast in Italian!

Crociani

Ivy over a glass doorway at a winery in Montepulciano. The building is brick and there are wine barrels with flowers out front and a large old machine.

Via del Poliziano, 15

I recommend Crociani for families who are looking for a more intimate experience, one that is a little off the beaten track. The doorway is beautifully covered in greenery, making it slightly hidden to passing tourists.

Inside Crociani Winery in Montepulciano. You can see wine bottles, glasses, t-shirts, olive oil bottles, and a clock on the walls and shelves.

They have an initial room with all their wine and olive oil for sale but you can ask for one of their free tastings in the side room where their staff will happily walk you through their collections.

Fanetti – Teanuta S.Agnese

Pink stone wall with a large sign for Fanetti il Vino Nobile above the glass door. Bottles of wine on shelf to left of door.

Viale Calamandrei, 29

Fanetti is my top pick for travelers who want a really well curated tasting without a lot of chaos. Because it’s located outside of the city walls, people who come here have actually gone out of their way to look it up.

Large wine barrels in the background and a table sest with wine bottles and glasses in front.

Giudetta, from the family’s 5th generation, is happy to offer a basic tasting but if you are looking for something more elaborate, email her first and she is happy to give you a more personal experience.

To visit the underground, you need to email ahead of time, as it’s not open to the public as other cantinas are.

Don’t miss their dessert wines as well: grappa and vin santo!

Fattoria Pulcino

Entrance to an enoteca in Montepulciano, Italy. Woman in red apron standing in front of arched entrance. Plants and wine bottles decorate the area in front of the shop.

Via di Gracciano nel Corso, 94/96

Fattoria Pulcino is the first of the eight historic wineries in Montepulciano that you will come upon if you visit the town from the base at Port al Prato.

Fattoria Pulcino has several tables in the back to sit down and enjoy a small snack with your wine if you are looking for a more complete experience.

Tarp sign for Fattoria Pulcino Restaurant in Montepulciano. There is a bus stop sign to the left and trees in the background.

Good To Know: Fattoria Pulcino does not offer underground cellar tours at the moment but you can visit their restaurant with panoramic view just outside the Montepulciano city walls (Strada per Chianciano 146), which is a very family-friendly place. They have a large sala or dining room with plenty of highchairs and a large parking lot. You can purchase all their goods including wine, cheese, pasta and homemade sauces at this location as well.

Gattavecchi

Via di Collazzi, 74

Gattavecchi is best for visitors who want to pair their Montepulciano winery visit with a traditional Tuscan lunch.

Their restaurant, located within the convent of Santa Maria dei Servi, offers sweeping views of the Valdichiana valley and the Temple of San Biagio. Pre-book either indoors or outdoors and mention that you are interested in a wine cellar tour as well. You can read My Recommendations for Montepulciano Restaurants.

This Montepulciano winery certainly has one of the best and more memorable locations because of its panoramic views.

Fattoria Della Talosa

Wines on display on two shelves outside the glass door of Talosa winery in Montepulciano.

Via Talosa, 8

Fattoria della Talosa was my favorite Montepulciano winery to visit because of how underground the wine cellar is, making it fun to explore. To get down, we walked down several flights of stairs, which led us into a wide room with countless enormous wine barrels.

Large wooden wine barrels stacked in a stone corridor at the Talosa winery in Italy.

There is no need to pre-book this self-guided visit but if you wish to dine at their mini restaurant/tasting room downstairs within the wine cellar, it’s mandatory to pre-book. You can decide with their staff ahead of time what kind of tailored experience you want and they can make it happen!

Although not the largest, my kids had the most fun at this underground cellar because of how deep down it was!