Plan your wine tour of Italy: here's what you need to know

Wine-related tourism is a growing trend, and Italy, of course, is one of the most popular destinations for wine lovers. If you are a wine enthusiast and enjoy travelling, you can't miss the opportunity to treat yourself to a wine tour of Italy! You may choose to stick to one region and get to know its wine production in depth, or you might book a tour taking in multiple regions, to enjoy a more varied experience, incorporating more enological and culinary diversity into your journey. Either way, if you're planning a trip to Italy in search of excellent wines, we have a few tips on how to plan your very own wine tour in this beautiful country.

What is eno-tourism?

Eno-tourism (or wine tourism) is a form of themed tourism, which focuses on the tasting, history and evolution of wines and their production. A wine tour of Italy is a great way to discover the country’s best wines and most beautiful scenery. The Italian wine industry is one of the most important in the world and it offers a wide range of wines, from dry reds to sweet whites, from Chianti to Prosecco.

Italy and wine: an age-old love story

Italy has been known for its great wines for centuries. The Romans were already making wine here 2000 years ago, when they introduced viticulture to their new territories. Today there are more than 300 million vines planted throughout the country! The Italian wine regions span across different landscapes. The northern regions have cooler climates while southern regions have warmer temperatures with fewer rainfall during the year. These differences are reflected in the types of grapes that are grown there: grapes like Trebbiano Toscano and Morellino di Scansano thrive in Tuscany while others like Nero d'Avola, Frappato. and Nerello Mascalese flourish in the warmer climate of Sicily.

In fact, if you're planning a wine-themed vacation to Italy, you will be spoilt for choice: there are many beautiful towns where you can taste the best wines in the world — Barolo, Barbaresco or Brunello di Montalcino — but also many smaller places where you'll find less famous but equally delicious wines.

How to plan your wine tour of Italy

1) Visit famous wineries

Visiting wineries is a great way to get closer to local culture and traditions. You can learn about how grapes are grown on the vineyard before being pressed into wine, visit the cellars where the best vintages are aged; taste new wines that were recently bottled; listen to stories about past generations or taste some typical dishes made with local ingredients and excellently paired with wines by local producers.

2) Take a wine-tasting class

If you want to learn more about Italian wines, then consider taking a class on Italian wines at one of the many vineyards or wineries around Italy. Tasting wines after learning about their history, their characteristics and the way they were intended to be consumed is a transformative experience for any wine lover. You can also test your skills with blind tastings and compete with other wine enthusiasts, while you learn from professional sommeliers.

3) Visit wine producers during the harvest season

If you plan your visit during the fall season, you should try and look for wine producers that host open days during the “vendemmia” - the grape harvest. You'll be able to see how grapes are picked and processed first hand, and many wineries will host tastings or sell their own wines at very reasonable prices. If you want to try that in Puglia, book your stay at The Aia this fall: we work with some of the best wine producers of the region!

4) Accept that you will never be able to see and taste it all (and narrow it down)

Pick a theme or region for your wine tour of Italy. You won't be able to explore all of the country's wine production, even if you really had a lot of time on your hands. Each region has its own history and traditions when it comes to wine, and each is a world worth exploring. If you're thinking about visiting Piedmont or Tuscany, for example, make sure to spend some time learning about both regions before making any decisions. Both are very different from each other and have their own unique qualities that make them stand out as well-known destinations for wine lovers. It might be tempting to try and see as many regions as possible on your trip, but this can also be overwhelming. If you're not sure where to begin, start with one region that interests you most and plan accordingly from there.

5) Take your time

A hurried wine tour is an oxymoron. In fact, it negates the very philosophy of wine-tasting, which is all about taking your time to savor every drop and learning to tune in to what your senses are telling you. So make it count, turn your wine tour of Italy into a spiritual journey(pun intended), linger and enjoy the tasting experience.

The beauty of harvest season

Autumn is a particularly interesting season for those who want to experience their passion for wine and take it to a new level: this is when you can learn about winemaking processes and get closer to nature while enjoying some great food and wine pairings. In September and October, wineries come alive with the incessant work in the vineyard and the selection of the best grapes, an evocative time to visit the vineyards, participate with the winemakers in the grape harvest and the first stages of processing. We love to organize visits to local wine producers with our guests during these months. Thanks to long-standing partnerships with local wineries, we can offer our guests exclusive opportunities to participate in the different stages of the grape harvest and taste some of Puglia's best wines.

Our guests also have the chance to learn about the history of each producer's winery, its unique location within Puglia's landscape, and how they make their wines. And – it goes without saying – every tasting is paired with outstanding meals, prepared with locally-grown ingredients.

Would you like to learn more about Apulian wines? Check our blog post listing some of the best vintages in the region!