Local heritage and traditions
Exclusive Tour in the Florentine Chianti: Organic Wine, Local Flavors, and the Millenary Art of Terracotta
Exclusive Tour in the Florentine Chianti: Organic Wine, Local Flavors, and the Millenary Art of Terracotta
Introduction to the experience
Immerse yourself in the beating heart of Tuscany with an exclusive day tour that combines the culture of world-class wine, authentic gastronomy, and a unique artisanal tradition. Just a few kilometers from Florence, this itinerary will guide you through the discovery of two gems of the Florentine hills: San Casciano and Impruneta. A day designed for those who wish to experience the true essence of the region, far from the crowds of mass tourism, getting a firsthand look at the history and passions that make Tuscany famous worldwide
Detailed schedule
10:45 AM | San Casciano: Wine Excellence at Castelvecchio Organic Farm
The day begins among the vineyards of San Casciano at the renowned Castelvecchio Organic Farm.
- The Guided Tour: You will be guided through the historic cellars, where our experts will share the details of organic winemaking techniques and the secrets behind the wine aging process.
- The Welcome Glass: Your experience starts with a welcome glass of wine served on the farm’s stunning terrace, overlooking the famous “cypress vineyard”—a picture-perfect, iconic Tuscan landscape.
- The Seated Tasting: The journey continues with a professional guided tasting (comfortably seated in the tasting room or on the panoramic terrace), carefully crafted to let you fully appreciate the nuances of the estate’s organic wines.
1:00 PM | Impruneta: Traditional Lunch at Ristoro Bellavista
We then move to Impruneta for a relaxing and flavorful break. Lunch will be hosted in a local restaurant in Impruneta, where you can unwind and savor authentic Tuscan dishes made with fresh, local ingredients, all while enjoying a picturesque view of the rolling hills.
3:00 PM | Impruneta: The Charm of History & The Magic of Terracotta
The afternoon is dedicated to Impruneta, a charming hilltop town just outside Florence with roots stretching back to Etruscan and Roman times. The town is internationally famous for its age-old art of terracotta.
- Visit to the Historic Mariani Kiln: Step into the heart of artisan craftsmanship with a visit to this historic workshop (antica fornace). Here, you will see master craftsmen at work, guardians of techniques passed down through centuries.
- Live Craftsmanship: Get a close-up look at how premium decor pieces are shaped by hand—including traditional jars, vases, oil jars, planters, window boxes, garden ornaments, and wall decorations. It is a unique opportunity to truly understand the value of authentic, completely handmade Made in Italy craftsmanship.
Tuscan authentic
Leave Florence behind for the perfect half-day escape to Tuscany. Your journey begins with a visit to the Castelvecchio organic farm in San Casciano, featuring a winery tour to discover our winemaking and aging techniques. This is followed by a seated tasting of the estate’s wines on a panoramic terrace overlooking the famous cypress-lined vineyards. Next, enjoy a relaxed lunch at Ristoro Bellavista in Impruneta, savoring the area’s most traditional specialties, before uncovering the ancient art of terracotta at the historic Antica Fornace Mariani. Here, master artisans have been shaping clay into stunning vases, planters, and architectural works since time immemorial. An authentic, unhurried taste of Tuscany, far from the beaten tourist paths
Tour highlights
- Castelvecchio farm is in San Pancrazio in the Municipality of San Casciano Val di Pesa, 20 km south of Florence in the area of production of Chianti Colli Fiorentini Docg. The winery estate was founded by Renzo Rocchi in 1962 and today it is a family-run organic winery, also producing extra virgin olive oil and offering rural holiday facilities. The vineyards are at an altitude of 250 to 350 meters, exclusively located on hillsides with south-eastern exposure for mainly Sangiovese grapes but also Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, while on the north-west slopes Canaiolo nero, Merlot, Trebbiano and Colorino are grown. The quality of the wines is the result of the excellent grapes obtained with passion and of the continuous and constant care of the vineyards to guarantee the exclusivity of the product. The product line focuses on affirming the character and originality of the wines.
- Impruneta and Terracotta: Already inhabited during the Etruscan and Roman eras, Impruneta is a delightful small village located just outside Florence, renowned for its thousand-year-old art of terracotta. Nestled in the countryside, this culture-rich area has passed down for centuries its ancient craft of shaping and baking clay—a defining and signature element of the Tuscan architecture and landscape. The uniqueness of Impruneta's terracotta stems from the traditional mastery with which local artisans work the clay, a practice preserved over time and adapted through successive historical eras. This art has managed to stand out during major cultural shifts without ever losing its authenticity. Today, it arrives even richer in value and prestige, thanks to the refinement of new and modern manufacturing techniques.
- The Peposo of Impruneta: This famous traditional Tuscan beef stew originates from the hilltop town of the same name, renowned for its terracotta. It is a hearty dish made with beef, plenty of red wine, and black peppercorns, slow-cooked for hours until the meat becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender. The dish was born in the 15th century thanks to the fornacini—the artisans who worked in the terracotta kilns of Impruneta (just outside Florence). Legend has it that these workers would place a terracotta pot filled with ingredients near the mouth of the kiln while baking bricks, leaving it to simmer for hours. A well-known variation of the story tells that this very stew was the staple meal for the laborers building Brunelleschi’s famous Dome in Florence.
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