There are principally three wine growing regions in Italy – Tuscany, Veneto and Piedmont. Each area offers a unique set of wines to taste and wineries to visit. In Tuscany most tours center in Florence and, indeed, the vast majority of Italian wine day tours leave from Florence targeted at the Chianti region of Italy. In Veneto the focal point for the Italian wine day tours is Venice or Verona and the wines of the regions derived from the red Valpolicella grape.

The Valpolicella name is very familiar to most wine drinkers in the United States as millions of gallons of the most common form of this red wine are sold yearly as jug wine in the United States. Italian wine day tours from Venice or Verona focus on a much less common wine made from the same grape. Not far from Verona there are wineries that are still making the famous Amarone.

This is a wine that legends and lore date back to when Italy was still part of the Roman Empire, and many would swear that the same wine-making process is still used today. The final region to consider for Italian wine day tours is the Piedmont region. This region is the home of the understated Barolo and Barbaresco wines. Tours in this region of Northern Italy often originate in the Milan or Turin area.

Most Italian wine day tours start at nine in the morning and end around six in the evening and include lunch in a unique setting. Day tours can start at two hundred Euros and go up from there. As the form of transportation is a mini-van, the fuller the mini-van, the cheaper the tour is per person. Some of the better Italian wine day tours may actually include lunch and wine as part of the fee (which will be higher of course), but in most tours the price is simply for the mini-van and guide.

In Search of the Chianti

Chianti is the name given to the fermented grapes of the sangiovese vines in the region between Florence and Siena in central Italy. Most are familiar with the dry taste of Chianti wine and the more refined tastes of Chianti Classico. Italian wine day tours will typically focus on these wines, however, there are some other unique products you should seek in the region. The most unusual may be the form of balsamic vinegar known as mosto di chianti – this is vinegar that is aged in small casks for 15 to 30 years.

A Venetian Day Out

For the tourist staying in Venice, the wine tour of choice may well be the Euganean Hills. On these Italian wine day tours you should visit several wineries tasting the regional favorite, Fior d'Arancio, as well as more recognized wines such as Merlot and Cabernet. As with all Italian wine day tours these outings are not overly long, but permit the tourist to get a quick taste of the regions wine, agriculture and culture.