Looking for Frascati wine tours and tastings? These ideas for some of the best wine tasting near Rome should inspire you to head out of town and try some Lazio wines.

If you are staying in Rome, all of these Frascati wine tours can be done as a daytrip, and if you have a driver, you can probably plan to fit in three or even four Frascati winery visits in one day.

So without further ado, here are three Frascati winery tours with wine tasting near Rome, for a daytrip to the Castelli Romani (click for tips on reaching Frascati by public transport).

Frascati winery tour: Casal Pilozzo

Casal Pilozzo, a beautiful winery on sun-soaked slopes above the hamlet of Monte Porzio Catone, just minutes from Frascati, offers a taste of present and past on this Frascati winery tour. While the Pulcini family has been growing grapes in the area for centuries, they planted vines here only in the 1980s. Yet the estate is steeped in history, encompassing a maze of sandstone cellars which culminate in an early Christian altar, deep in the heart of the hillside.

This affinity with the passage of time is reflected in the style of the wines here: plenty of aged Malvasia vintages, and some elegant and unexpected reds, beyond the Frascati blends so typical of this region. Call ahead for a wine tasting near Rome, and descend into a world of historical Frascati wine-making.

The wine tasting here involves sampling four or five wines, plus a full spread of cold cuts, cheeses, salamis and homemade jams and conserves. Expect to try their typical Frascati whites and their signature Malvasia vintages, plus perhaps a Cabernet Franc red or a sweet dessert wine.

A Frascati wine tour of Casal Pilozzo is ideal if you are on foot and arrived in Frascati from Rome by public transport. The winery is located just a ten minute taxi ride from the centre of Frascati, above the pretty hamlet of Monte Porzio Catone. We wouldn’t advise on walking to Casal Pilozzo, although it’s less than 4km away, as the roads to get there don’t all have pavements.

Casal Pilozzo | Via Pilozzo, 17 | Monte Porzio Catone | Rome | Tel 06 944 9113

Wine tasting price: €20 per person
Minimum group size: For groups of 10 people and above
Drop ins possible: Plan to call ahead as they prefer to accommodate larger groups
Unmissable because: Plunge into history with one of the most impressive underground cellars in Frascati

Wine tour Frascati: the cellar at Casal Pilozzo
Visiting the historic cellar at Casal Pilozzo

Frascati wine tasting and tour: De Sanctis Vini

De Sanctis Vini is a modern, state-of-the-world winery, open 7 days a week, welcoming guests even for informal drop ins (although it’s always wise to book ahead).

Don’t be fooled by the handsome, state-of-the-art winery and villa – this is a historic, family winery going back four generations. Since 1816, the De Sanctis family have been making wines in this area – and they’re very good at it!

The current estate stands in the basin of an old lake that dates back to Roman times, and was the site of a famous battle between the Romans and local tribes. Look out for Roman insignia on many of the labels in response this; while their signature Frascati Superiore DOCG, is called 496 (AD), after the year in which the historic battle was fought.

The fertile terrain and natural groundwater makes this an excellent agricultural area. In the cellars, a fragment of ancient aqueduct still runs with freshly flowing water from the mountains. The adjacent lounge is a beautiful place to pause and admire some bottles, as the music of Mozart floats through the air.

For €20 per person, sample a selection of wines and cold cuts with local cheeses in a beautiful sunny dining hall, making this a really elegant wine tasting near Rome. They even have one guest room for those who want to sleep amongst the vines!

De Sanctis Vini | Via di Pietra Porzia, 50 | Frascati | Rome | Tel 340 705 8552

Wine tasting price: €20 per person
Minimum group size: From one person (no minimum group size)
Drop ins possible: Absolutely, De Sanctis Vini is open 7 days a week and they’re always happy to serve
Unmissable because: The friendly, round the clock welcome and state-of-the-art winery

Frascati wine tours and winery visits for wine tasting near Rome
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Frascati wine tours: Gabriele Magno

Gabriele Magno wines was born from a formerly family-only affair which relaunched 5 years ago as a commercial enterprise. Son and heir Gabriele decided to put his own name on the label – and the rest, as they say, is recent history!

While still a very new winery, in commercial terms, Gabriele Magno today produces an increasing variety of quality labels, ranging from a classic Frascati Superiore, to a rather good Cesanese, a red wine grape typical of the Lazio region.

In some senses, Gabriele Magno Winery is the most bucolic and breathtaking of all the Frascati wine tours in this area (see picture above for me enjoying my tasting in the vineyard!). The main villa above overlooks warm southern slopes that have cultivated grapes for centuries, and is enriched with a jewel-like swimming pool.

Yet this new enterprise prefers to offer informal dinners and tastings by setting up tables directly in the fields below between entwined bunches of grapes, making for a really picturesque wine tasting near Rome. As the golden light of the afternoon lengthens across the fields, you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Choose Gabriele Magno for an informal dive into wine making and a friendly, relaxed approach.

Gabriele Magno | Via di Valle Marciana | Grottaferrata | Rome | Tel 3355706931

Wine tasting price: Around €20 per person, but variations possible
Minimum group size: No minimum group size
Drop ins possible: As this is a small enterprise, call ahead even for informal visits
Unmissable because: Pull up a chair in the vineyard for an informal and intimate experience

If you enjoyed this post, but you are thinking of heading to Tuscany for a wine tasting, I can recommend the Tuscan winery tour and tasting at Villa Dianella near Empoli, or a dive into wine-making with an ecotourism stay at Il Paluffo.

Another great base in Tuscany for exploring wineries is hotel and restaurant La Chiusa in Montefollonico; plus, check out my guide on how to get to Tuscany from Rome.

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