Location: Montepulciano
Top Things to do in Montepulciano
What to do and see in Montepulciano, Tuscany: The Best Things to do
Montepulciano makes a great base for exploring the Tuscan hill towns. Just make sure to pack well-broken-in walking shoes, because cars aren’t allowed in the center of town. Explore the Duomo of Montepulciano and the Palazzo Tarugi… or sample the local wine, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which has been praised for centuries.
Restaurants in Montepulciano
1. Az. Agr. Poliziano
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 181 reviews
True Taste Of Tuscany
Reviewed By Mikey-Nishy - Jamaica, Caribbean
We were treated with Respect and Equality from we entered the door until we left. I learnt that was not a norm in Italy depending on where you are. That being said... Our host was very engaging and enthusiastic about imparting knowledge of the Winery and its processes and we learned a bit from her. The wines were also very good, we took a bottle to go. Tasting room is modern and relaxing and has a nice view of the vineyard just outside. Thanks for a great experience Poliziano!
2. Icario Winery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 120 reviews
Reviewed By GlobalWanderer11 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
We thoroughly recommend Icario, both for the wine and the experience. The wine tasting with Lucia was informative and a lot of fun (even in these dark days of COVID). The winery and grounds are beautiful and the passion of the owners towards wine-making is evident. You should definitely include this winery in your itinerary while in Montepulciano.
3. Avignonesi
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 653 reviews
Life through a glass! Transparent, Ethical, Eco-Tech, Elegant. Looking for the perfect Tuscan winery with a twist, immersed in the rolling hills of the magical Tuscan countryside? Avignonesi is just that and much more! Located just outside the quiet village of Valiano di Montepulciano, with Cortona on one side and Montepulciano on the other, the winery is comprised of 9 vineyard plots, a villa, a chapel and the historic wine cellars. Join us and enjoy one of the many different activities we offer throughout April to November. There is something for everyone!
Reviewed By PasssionateTraveler - Payson, United States
Really great! We’ve done this twice with different small groups of our friends. The grounds are beautiful and the English tours are very informative and interesting. We started in the morning with a cooking class. In this hands-on class, we made Tiramisu, Pici Pasta, and a roasted chicken dish that was started by being wrapped in Saran Wrap. All were delicious. Lunch was fabulous and being able to taste the wines we just learned about was well done. They have a nice gift shop with a good selection of wines. They ship, so of course we bought the Vin Santo! A must do when near Montepulciano!
4. Tempio di San Biagio
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 673 reviews
Reviewed By Toscoantico - Pisa, Italy
What I can say is that if you are visiting Val d'orcia and you know what you can expect, this church with its beauty, its Renaissance architecture, its harmony and its harmonious insertion into the landscape represents the Val d'Orcia at its best.
5. Contucci Cantine
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 476 reviews
Reviewed By T4232XIjohnb - Toronto, Canada
Contucci Cantine is located right on Montepulciano's main square and is a great spot to drop in for a taste (no charge and up to six wines are available for tasting). I enjoyed the 2015 Mulinvecchio Vino Nobile which can be purchased for 21E per bottle. You are free to wander through the main floor cellars (fun to do if you visit does not include a trip to a winery) ad you can peer down some stairs where the cellars continue well under the town of Montepulciano.
6. Gattavecchi Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 289 reviews
Gattavecchi Winery,known as Cantina Gattavecchi, is the cellar in the town centre -the vinyard is at 20 minutes distance - of an old wine making family, la famiglia Gattavecchi. Here we offer guided tours and tastings of the wines and local products as cheeses and other specialties. It is also a family restaurant! You will discover La Cucina di Lilian, in the charming refectory of the old Monastery of Santa Maria dei Servi (XIII Century), that proposes wonderful traditional dishes made by Lilian Gattavecchi paired with the family wines. Cooking classes on request.
Reviewed By CiaoCrissi - Nashville, United States
Our first day in Val d'orcia, the 4 of us drove directly to Cantina Gattavecchi Winery. What a wonderful experience. The food and wine pairings were fabulous. It was fun to hear about the family winery and meet everyone. We loved the wines, loved the food and loved the family. The last tasting of wine and dessert we had in the cellar which was a great atmosphere too. This was truly a great experience and I highly recommend to everyone. Some of the wines are still young and great for laying down for a few years so if you are interested, ask for an older vintage to buy and take with you. We bought a 2007 Vino Nobile and opened it a few days later while in the Dolomiti and yum yum was it delicious!
7. Cantina de' Ricci
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 424 reviews
Reviewed By Tualie - Varese, Italy
When approaching the town of Montepulciano, can see lots and lots of wine related proposals: tastings and visits. Is all about the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. We visited the other wine cellar (by the Big Square, Piazza Grande) it was OK but a little further we came across with this surprise. We entered through this building (Palazzo Ricci) unimaginable that through an “equestrian” staircase (wonder if in the old times they used horses to transport wine barrels up and down!) we would tour an underground world of tunnels, Etruscan caves, water wells, aisles and naves, an underground cathedral of wine!. Free entry, English spoken, tasting if interested, a must do when in Montepulciano.
8. Azienda Agricola Ercolani
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 561 reviews
La Città Sotterranea è un collegamento storico del XIV secolo di 7 palazzi sotterranei utilizzato in passato come vie di fuga dalle famiglie nobili. Adesso una parte è museo e una parte viene utilizzata dalla famiglia Ercolani come cantina di invecchiamento di Vino Nobile DOCG, Riserva di Vino Nobile DOCG e Vin santo Riserva DOC. Aperti tutti i giorni ad orario continuato comprende: - visita con guida gratuita; - degustazione gratuita del vino e dei prodotti; - uscita gratuita.
Reviewed By Samuelcd12 - Chatham, United Kingdom
Really impressed, completely FREE wine caves to explore. Very interesting to see how the wine is made, with some information boards about. We were expecting a tourist trap with this situated on the main street, but that it was not. After the caves, we did some wine tasting, getting to try four different reds, though we probably could have tried more if we wanted. We had only set out to buy one bottle, and we did not feel pressured to purchase huge quantities or anything like that. We loved the bottle we purchased and left very happy!
9. Piazza Grande a Montepulciano
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,863 reviews
Reviewed By Kroulak - Brno, Czech Republic
Really nice square on the top of Montepulciano with 8 parkings-my recommedation is parking on No.8,walk thrue town and make a circle another way back-its really better than walk up. Nice Duomo and tower with view to surrounding Tuscany nature????
10. Cantina Fattoria della Talosa
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 392 reviews
Since 1972 the estate has been owned by renowned entrepreneur Angelo Jacorossi, renowned entrepreneurs. Talosa was one of the first wineries in Montepulciano to undertake the quest for fine quality which brought this appellation to the heights of Tuscan and Italian winemaking. The main ageing cellar is in the old town centre of Montepulciano, in an underground area between two of the oldest buildings called Palazzo Tarugi e Palazzo Sinatti.He Talosa Cellar date back to the 16th century and visiting them is like stepping back time. The brick passageways contain a series of vaults and niches where the barrels are placed. Visitors to this magical place automatically assume an air of respect or even reverence for the force of history pulsating these walls. The winery applies this same respect and reverence to cultivation of the vineyards and production of the quality wines.
Reviewed By GlobetrottingWitch - London, United Kingdom
Booked the guided tour and tasting on the back of the great reviews I seen on Trip Advisor and was not disappointed. Martha is a great host and really brought the tour to life - so passionate, great sense of humour and speaks very good English. The tour included a history of the Talosa Winery, overview of wine making process, tour and history of the caves as well as the Etuscan tomb (very unique!). Lots of opportunities to take photographs. The second half of the tour takes you into wine tasting room where you taste 4 different wines along with traditional Italian snacks of bread, meats and cheeses - delicious! My husband and I chose to purchase 12 bottles of wine to ship back to the UK and on reflection I was a little surprised to be charged 20 Euros tasting fee per person when I had just spent over 300 Euros on wine - on other wine tasting sessions I had been to the tasting fee was waived or reduced, but I understand all wineries are not the same. Other than that, we loved the tour and would highly recommend. Some tips: - Book in advance, this tour is popular - There are quite a few stairs down to the cellar, so wear comfortable shoes
