A wine experience in Tuscany is a way to get close to the region’s world-famous wines. Whether you are looking for a Tuscany wine tasting, winery tour and picnic, or a broader wine experience in Tuscany, Carpineto Wines does it all!

Dating back to the 1960s, Carpineto Wines is one of Tuscany’s biggest and best wine producers. The winery was founded by two partners, Giancarlo Sacchet and Antonio Mario Zaccheo, whose families still run this ambitious company to this day.

Carpineto Wines was born in 1967 with the dream of making great Sangiovese-based wines in the Tuscan Classic appellations. From one small vinyard at Dudda, near Greve in Chianti, Carpineto today boasts five vineyards across Tuscany, each specialising in different wines, to produce some three million bottles per year.

Over the decades, Carpineto Wines has won numerous awards for its fine wines, which include Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Riserva wines, Brunello, Rosso di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Although 95% of the estate’s wines are red, Carpineto also produces a couple of whites and rose wines, including a very drinkable Brut rose.

I recently visited Carpineto Wines to get to know this extraordinary firm and Tuscan legend a little better. Read on for my experiences at Carpineto Wines, and information on how to enjoy a wine experience in Tuscany with Carpineto yourself!

Carpineto Wines: wine experience in Tuscany

Carpineto Wines is famous not only for its extraordinary vintages. This wine producer is renowned for treating its staff like members of the family, and for a responsible approach to innovation and sustainabilty.

Over the decades, the firm has proved a pioneer in many enological and scientific processes. Today, wines are produced in carbon neutral wineries, are vegan friendly and are made by Carpineto’s chief winemaker, Caterina Sacchet and her capable staff.

Twice a year, a great party is convened at the Carpineto winery near Montepulciano, Carpineto’s Tenuta del Vino Nobile, and in July 2022, I was honoured to be invited to be a part of the festivities. We ate great local Fiorentina steak and drank some of the firm’s best wines, on trestle tables set out at the edge of the vineyard.

The visit to Carpineto Wines near Montepulciano was also a chance to see their largest winery, which also opens to the public on key occasions. Here at Carpineto Wines near Montepulciano, you can book a comprehensive wine cellar visit, or enjoy a vineyard picnic with wine tasting. Expect to see the museum of wine makers tools, the imposing cellar, the tasting area and more. The Tenuta Vino Nobile del Montepulciano also boasts a wooded area where truffles are found, as well as a nature reserve. Prices start at €25 per head per adult and all the tours and Tuscany wine experiences are great value. Click here for all the information!

Carpineto Wines: exploring the legend

As part of my research about Carpineto Wines, I was also invited to visit the Carpineto Tenuta di Brunello, also known as the Appodiato di Montalcino. This extraordinary estate is where prized Brunello wines are made, and it also a unique and special winery for several reasons.

The Tuscan town of Montalcino is today synonymous with Brunello wines, but in its past, it experienced times of poverty and financial hardship. Around ten years ago, Carpineto bought out this estate – which they had been formerly renting – because they knew they had a real gem on their hands.

The Carpineto estate is located on the crest of the hill, less than 3 km west of Montalcino, and is entirely dedicated to growing Sangiovese Grosso. It is one of the highest vineyards where Brunello is made, at some 500 metres above sea level. Accordingly, it is distinguished by a mountainous climate, with mosses, lichens and rock plants growing at the foot of the vines. The estate offers breathtaking views over Montalcino and in the distance – on clear days – you can see the city of Siena.

The estate consists of 53 hectares and a historic stone wine cellar built three centuries ago. Surrounded by a dense forest, in ancient times, this estate was called Forteto del Drago, due to an ancient belief that a terrible beast wandered the woodland.

Once it was discovered that the terrifying animal was actually a large porcupine, the locals were no longer afraid, but the legend persisted! That is why an image of a dragon is still depicted on the Carpineto wine labels today, as a fond gesture to the past.

Where to stay when visiting Carpineto Wines

If you are planning to visit the Appodiato di Montepulciano, also known as the Tenuta del Vino Nobile, staying in the nearby town of Chianciano Terme can be a good choice.

This historic spa town has in some respects, passed its heyday, but has a maginificent infrastructure of stately spa hotels today, many of which have private pools. There are also major thermal spas and baths in the town, plus one of the biggest museums dedicated to Etruscan culture in Italy.

I recently stayed in the Grand Hotel Excelsior in Chianciano Terme which proved an excellent choice. Although the rooms are simple, the common areas are grand with period features and high-ceiling salons. The rooftop pool is perfect in the warm weather, while the breakfast is ample. Click here for more info.

Another highly recommended boutique hotel in Tuscany, this time in the town of Montefollonico, is the stunning La Chiusa. Follow this link for my exclusive review of this Tuscan hotel with pool.

Wine experience in Tuscany: some more ideas

If you love Tuscany and want to explore further, or add other destinations to your travels, check out my review of the Dianella Chianti wine tour near Empoli, or sustainable rustic hotel Il Paluffo, the perfect ecotourism holiday in Italy When in Florence, plan to feast off the beaten track with Eating Italy’s The Other Side of Florence Food Tour.

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