Just one of the beautiful vineyards located in Tuscany, Castello di Volpaia is a fully restored medival village that is also home to some of the most impressive wine cellars in the region. At around 15 Euros for the tour, it’s a bit pricier than some of the other vineyards in the surrounding area, but the amount of culture and history present throughout is impressive enough to make the additional costs well worth it.
Castello di Volpaia
Unlike a lot of modern wineries and vineyards, Castello di Volpaia doesn’t sit on the edge of town – it is the town. The winery grew very discreetly in the old buildings. Today, buildings from the 12th century are home to the wine cellars, bottling plants, olive presses and even a vinegar plant. The buildings appear almost untouched from the outside, but are updated enough inside to be very productive and even connected underground so that workers and visitors alike can move through the winery with ease.
Visiting Castello di Volpaia
If you’re thinking of visiting this amazing town, the best time to do so is in September. During the fall, the entire village is bustling with activity as grapes are harvested and the winery is put into full production. Outside the village, the rolling hills are turning the colors of fall and inside the town, purple grapes and lively locals are almost everywhere it seems.
Staying in the town brings you close to the action of Castello di Volpaia, and there are easy accommodations through bed and breakfast or rented apartments, but the town of Volpaia is also an excellent starting point for a trip through many of the other towns and attractions in the region. You can set up day trips to visit Sienna, Assisi and Volterra among many others.
Walk through the hills and vineyards on your way to a wine tour or perhaps even a cooking class associated with the winery. The owner teaches a few cooking classes as well, and you can taste her own recipes in the Osteria, a restaurant run by the winery located in the town. Perhaps most important of all, no matter where you settle down to have dinner on the nights that you stay in Italy, you can expect to have some of the local wine, which is – of course – outstanding.
