Montespertoli is a village of hills planted with vineyards and olive groves, half an hour from Florence, with many small family-run wineries. Here is how to find your way around, from a family that has made wine here since 1965.
A Chianti subzone
Montespertoli is one of the subzones of Chianti DOCG: the production area coincides with the municipality, and the wine is based on Sangiovese, which by the rules makes up at least 70% of the blend. Vineyards lie between roughly 170 and 440 metres above sea level on very varied soils: clays, limestone marls, sands and pebbles. Ours, for example, grow on clay-limestone soils between 250 and 350 metres, facing south.
Not only Chianti: IGT wines and Vin Santo
Alongside Chianti, many wineries make IGT Toscana wines, with more freedom in the choice of grapes. That is what we do: a Sangiovese, a red with Canaiolo, Colorino and Merlot (our Gran Rosso, in the Super Tuscan style), a white from Trebbiano and Malvasia, a rosé and Vin Santo, aged 4 years in chestnut casks.
How to visit a winery here
Many wineries in Montespertoli are small family businesses: always book ahead, because they often have no fixed opening hours and the tasting is led by the people who make the wine. A tasting usually lasts about an hour and comes with something to eat. Whoever is driving should go easy; in many wineries you can buy bottles to take home. The liveliest time is the Mostra del Chianti wine festival, every year between late May and early June; the grape harvest takes place between September and October.
The wine tasting at San Giusto
With us you taste every wine we make, white, rosé, red and Gran Rosso, finishing with Vin Santo and homemade cantuccini, together with our honey with cheese and a board of cured meats. The Classic Tasting costs €25 per person; the Territory Tasting, at €30, adds a guided tasting of our extra virgin olive oil. It lasts about an hour, in Italian, English or Spanish. Children are welcome; a vegetarian alternative is available on request (we cannot guarantee gluten-free food). You pay on site and parking is free. All the details of the tasting.
Getting here
We are at Via Forcile 18, Montespertoli (FI), about half an hour's drive from Florence and about 8 km from the village. A car is the easiest way to reach the wineries of the area.