At Le Baccanti Tours, we specialize in organizing specialty food, wine and culinary tours but one of our most requested tours amount the hundreds we organize every year are: wine tours. Looking for a wine tour in Tuscany? If you are staying near Florence or Siena, there are many options for wine tours in Tuscany. Here are the top 3 wine tours in Tuscany that we suggest:Chianti Wine TourClassic! Perfect for a 1st time visitor to Tuscany and for those with a basic interest in Italian wine.Chianti Classico is truly the heart of Tuscany and its primary wine zone. The region's fame was confirmed in 1716 when Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici issued an ordinance to regulate the wine trade after some unscrupulous merchants labeled as "Chianti" a consignment of wines from dubious sources. Thus Tuscany became the first European state to safeguard an appellation of origin (label to distinguish wines). Today the Chianti Classico is one of Tuscany's most prestigious DOCG areas. The symbol of the Chianti Classico consortium is the gallo nero or black rooster, which you will see adorning road signs and wine bottles throughout the region. The Chianti area was further developed in the mid-1800s by Baron Bettino Ricasoli, who made Chianti wine by combining: Sangiovese grapes for strength and character, Cannaiolo grapes for grace and Malvasia grapes for zest. However, this wine was intended to be drunk young and was not suitable for aging. The modern recipe for Chianti Classico must have at least 80% Sangiovese grapes with the remaining 20% to be decided upon by the winemaker. Modern Chianti Classico is often very well suited to aging, especially the Reserva wines.Montepulciano Nobile Wine Tour Not the Montepulciano you may think it is- which is usually confused with the wine Montepulciano D'Abruzzo which is a wine made in Abruzzo with Montepulciano grapes. We are talking about a town in Tuscany which produces stellar sangiovese based wines.The walled town of Montepulciano is perched atop one of Tuscany's high peaks, at 605 metres, or 1,950 feet, above sea level. It contains many incredible art treasures, as well as Etruscan and Roman wine cellars, some dating back to the time before Christ. For lunch, you will have a delicious meal in local superior restaurant serving typical fare. In the afternoon you'll visit the nearby town of Pienza, in the Val d'Orcia. Pienza is an architectural treasure as well as a great place to shop for local food products, in particular tasty pecorino, sheep cheese. In the 15th Century, Pienza was a small fortified hilltop town of no particular distinction until Pope Pius II (Enea Silvio Piccolomini, 1405-1464, pope in 1458) decided to transform it into an ideal Renaissance city, a city planning endeavor in which he partially succeeded. Today the town's unique architectural and artistic characteristics have earned it a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Your last stop will be another great winery where you will have a chance to compare and contrast more Nobile di Montepulciano wine and discuss different wine making styles and techniques.Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is made from a Sangiovese clone that is locally known as Prugnolo Gentile. As early as the seventeenth century it was crowned by many as as "the king of Tuscan wines", and because the nobility eagerly sought it out, it became known as 'noble' and 'aristocratic' wine, hence the name. A wine tour in Montepulciano works great from Siena, Montepulciano, Cortona, Arezzo or Florence!Brunello Wine TourPerfect for real wine lovers and collectors- this wine is the ideal candidate for your cellar. The unspoilt character of the town of Montalcino and the surrounding countryside is impressive, and nowadays rather rare. No visit would be complete without a look at Montalcino's rolling Tuscan hillside scenery which can be enjoyed from the various wineries on a tour. On a Brunello wine tour in Montalcino, you can compare styles and techniques while learning more about this excellent wine. A short visit to Sant'Antimo Abbey may also be part of this wonderful excursion, depending on your time constraints. A bit of Brunello wine history: Brunello was developed by Ferruccio Biondi Santi a little more than a century ago, and almost immediately drew the attention of connoisseurs for its excellence. Brunello is produced exclusively within the Montalcino territory, and only from Sangioveto Grosso grapes, a Sangiovese clone perfectly suited to local conditions. Before release, Brunello must be aged for four years, at least two of which must be in wooden casks.Interested in more wine tours in Tuscany?Contact the expert travel staff at Le Baccanti to learn more about how you can have the Tuscan wine vacation of your dreams!