Top 5 Italian vineyards to check off your bucket list
With more than 310,000 vineyards in the country, you might wonder, “Where are the best wineries in Italy?” Here are our top five can’t-miss spots, each from a different Italian wine region.
From Milan to Mount Vesuvius, vineyards dot every hill, valley, and plain in Italy. Grapes are nearly a national treasure here, and over 310,000 wineries celebrate their vibrant, varied flavors. Given the vast selection, finding the best wineries in Italy can be a challenge—but it’s one we’re happy to guide you through. To help you navigate, we’ve included a map below, along with our top five can’t-miss spots, each from a different Italian wine region. (Psst! We’ve also shaded these featured regions so you can follow along more easily.)
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1. Possessioni Serego Alighieri—Veneto
Just a few miles from downtown Verona, you’ll find Possessioni Serego Alighieri—an estate with noble heritage and the best winery in Italy for literature lovers. For 21 generations, descendants of the poet Dante Alighieri have lived and worked here, making it a true mecca for culture and viticulture in the Veneto region. Like Dante’s iconic work, their wines are a testament to Italian legacy—rich in history, passion, and artistry. To this day, the family uses traditional techniques from the 1500s, drying grapes on lofted bamboo racks and maturing their award-winning wines in cherry wood barrels for at least 100 days. You’ll find a smooth roundness in every sip.
What to try when you go
When you visit the Verona countryside on our Food & Wine: Northern Italy & the Italian Riviera tour, we recommend a taste (or a few glasses…) of the Vaio Armaron—Wine Spectator’s eighth-best wine in the world in 2015. The grapes for this balanced red come right from the rolling hills surrounding the estate, and the taste is just as elegant as the property itself. If 24 hours in Verona isn’t enough to have you falling in love, this perfect symphony of plum sauce, black cherry, and smoky tobacco is sure to do the trick.
What our travelers say
“It’s been a couple of months since I went on this tour, but when I look back at photos, it reminds me of all of the great experiences I had,” said traveler Carolyn after visiting the Veneto region on our Food & Wine: Northern Italy & the Italian Riviera tour. “The food was fantastic, with delicious meats and cheeses. The wineries had great information and delicious wine. Amarone is now my all-time favorite.”
What to know about the region
Sited in northeastern Italy, Veneto is a prolific wine region. It’s also home to some of the country’s most romantic cities—including Venice and Verona. Visit Veneto on a tour of Italy to taste the wide variety of wines produced there, including prosecco, Italy’s beloved bubbly. After a few sips, you might even find yourself composing sonnets!
2. Marchesi di Barolo—Piedmont
Marchesi di Barolo could easily be called one of the best wineries in Italy. Situated on 430 stunning acres in Barolo, its cellars overlook the Castello Falletti di Barolo. The marchese and his wife, Giulia, began this winery over 200 years ago and shaped the Barolo category as we know it today. When they died, their assets were left to a foundation created in their name, Opera Pia Barolo, to help the city’s underserved communities. To this day, sales from Marchesi di Barolo support the foundation, and the winery’s rustic charm, philanthropic efforts, and decadent flavors will capture your heart when you visit on our Food & Wine: Piedmont & Tuscany with America’s Test Kitchen tour.
What to try when you go
The Barolo Chinato is the perfect dessert wine after a rich Italian dinner. Marchesi di Barolo adds herbs and spices to Barolo DOCG (check out our expert insight on things to know about Italian wine to learn what those letters mean) to create a warm, aromatic flavor. Our recommendation: Ask for it served over ice with seltzer water.
What our travelers say
“This tour was an intense and joyful discovery of a part of Italy most travelers don’t see,” said traveler Beverly after visiting Piedmont on our Food & Wine: Piedmont & Tuscany with America’s Test Kitchen tour. “The variety of wine and food from regions that are adjacent, but so different from each other, was delightful.”
What to know about the region
The Piedmont wine region of northwestern Italy is best known for its nebbiolo grapes, which produce two of Italy’s most prestigious wines—Barolo and Barbaresco. Here, you’ll also find the birthplace of the Slow Food movement, as well as some of the best vineyards in Italy that use organic and biodynamic methods. When you visit the area on one of our Italy tours, try pairing its wines with other local specialties, like chocolates or truffles. (You can even join a truffle hunt on our Food & Wine: Piedmont & Tuscany with America’s Test Kitchen tour!)
3. Casato Prime Donne—Tuscany
In Italy, winemaking very much remains a man’s business, but the women of Casato Prime Donne are out to change that. They run the first all-female Italian winery, not to mention one of the best to visit in Italy—its cellars are adorned with frescoes detailing the history of the area. The vineyard sits just below Montalcino, a postcard-perfect Tuscan town perched atop a sun-drenched hill. In other words: The ideal spot to create the area’s famous Brunello di Montalcino wines. Casato Prime Donne ages its Brunello in artisan-made, French oak casks for at least two years before further aging it in bottles to capture its fragrant fullness. Every glass is a knockout.
What to try when you go
Ask for a taste of the IOsonoDONATELLA when you visit on our Food & Wine: Flavors of Tuscany & Umbria tour. Casato Prime Donne ages this masterpiece for nearly three years in oak barrels with red ceramic hearts on them. (That way, the staff knows not to mix it with anything else.) Then, it takes a six-month nap in an egg-shaped vat to oxygenate it and impart a distinct, velvety mouthfeel—all before making it to a bottle. Sommeliers say the complex, fresh taste makes it the best Brunello Casato Prime Donne has ever made. And that’s saying something.
What our travelers say
“The wine-tasting menus and location were incredible—a wonderful experience suitable for the novice and expert,” said traveler Robin after visiting the vineyard on our Food & Wine: Flavors of Tuscany & Umbria tour. “To get this close and personal with the owners and representatives of the area’s best vineyard is a wonderful opportunity, and they are thrilled to have you. It’s a wonderful experience.”
What to know about the region
Of all the wine regions in Italy, Tuscany is one of the most famous and celebrated worldwide, known for its painterly landscapes and iconic vintages. If your idea of the ultimate travel itinerary is one packed with rustic, hearty cuisine and bold wines, a Food & Wine Tour that hits its exceptional vineyards is tough to beat.
4. La Guardiense—Campania
Wander into Benevento on our Food & Wine: Southern Italy & Sicily tour and you’ll find La Guardiense, one of Italy’s largest cooperative wineries. Together, nearly 1,000 farmers grow their own falanghina and aglianico grapes on 3,700 acres of mineral-rich, rolling hills. Eventually, each harvest finds its way to the town of Guardia Sanframondi, where the winery works its magic. Ricardo Cotarella, one of the best-known vintners in Italy, created a range of wines that highlight the region’s terroir while shepherding every grape to bottle as sustainably as possible. (The entire winemaking process runs on an innovative solar energy system.)
What to try when you go
If they have it on hand, see if you can get a sip of the 2011 aglianico, released under La Guardiense’s Janare brand. This award-winning red is full and intense, but also showcases sweeter vanilla notes thanks to time spent aging in wooden barrels. If you’re more of a white wine aficionado, the Laureto might be for you. This falanghina wine is fruity, with honey notes and an almond finish. Both selections are perfect companions for a meal that spotlights the region’s traditional foods.
What our travelers say
“The cooperative winery was outstanding,” said traveler Jeanne after visiting on our Food & Wine: Southern Italy & Sicily tour. “The wine was very good and the food was excellent. Thoroughly enjoyed it all—so delicious!”
What to know about the region
Campania is a southwestern Italian wine region known for its indigenous grape varieties—the history of cultivation in the area stretches as far back as the ancient ruins that dot its landscape. Thanks to its rich volcanic soil, Campania produces some of the country’s most complex wines, earning its reputation as one of the most distinctive growing zones in Italy.
5. Feudi di San Gregorio—Irpinia
With its blend of modernity, tradition, and volcanic soils enriched by nearby Mount Vesuvius, the renowned vineyards of Feudi di San Gregorio perfectly capture what makes Irpinia such a unique Italian wine region. Their vintages are nothing to sniff at, either—since opening in 1986, the winery has earned worldwide acclaim, as well as over 220 90+ reviews.
What to try when you go
Don’t pass on the Piano Di Montevergine Taurasi Riserva on one of our Food & Wine Tours. It’s made from the aglianico grape the region is known for, and spends up to 24 months in French barriques (smaller barrels that offer more contact between the wine and the wood). You’ll get a clear taste of dark fruit, clove, and blackberry. We’d even recommend buying a bottle and socking it away for a major anniversary or gift—sommeliers say it will develop even more personality over the next 20 years.
What our travelers say
“It was interesting to learn about their different style of winemaking and the focus on Southern Italian and Greek-derived varietals not well known in America,” said traveler Dennis after returning from our Food & Wine: Southern Italy & Sicily tour.
What to know about the region
Irpinia is tucked away in the mountainous inland section of Campania. Much like how many Italians proudly identify as Sicilian or Tuscan before calling themselves Italian, wineries here consider themselves Irpinian first. The subregion has distinct characteristics due to its high altitude, cooler temperatures, and unique microclimate, and when you visit on our Food & Wine: Campania, Puglia & the Amalfi Coast tour, you’ll taste some singular wines produced in the area.
Have you visited any of the top wineries in Italy? Have a favorite out of all the country’s wine regions? Tell us about it on our Facebook page!
