Truffle Hunting

Mario picked my husband and I up at our hotel and drove us in his Mercedes van to beautiful Montalcino. The entire day was like a dream. We visited several wineries, the town shops and castle, and had a breathtaking lunch.

This day was the highlight of our honeymoon in Italy. I have recommended Mario to anyone I know going to the Tuscany area. He truly made us feel like VIP the entire day. We ended up shipping several cases of the best wine in the world home to the US and now refuse to drink anything else. This was one of the best experiences in my life.

No other touring company could compare to the true hospitality we were shown. We left feeling like family and plan on going back as much as possible to see our friend Mario.

My day started with Mario around 11am and I didn’t know what it expect as it was a last minute booking due to a cancelation. I was so excited for the adventure with Montalcino Wine Tours! Mario was an outstanding conversationalist we hit it off right away! He took me to Montepulciano and recommended a restaurant and wine for lunch. The scenery was incredible! I loved every minute of my tour which led me through many small villages where I was able to meander through cheese and wine shops. On the way back to where I was staying Mario drove me through Montelcino which is the most quaint town. After a full 8 hours of spectacular scenery and wonderful conversation I was dropped off. It was truly the highlight of my 18 day trip to Italy.

One of the best parts of our last trip to Italy was finding Mario at Montalcino Wine Tours. He made our trip by taking us to different areas around Tuscany. We got to visit small wineries and have amazing meals at restaurants with stunning views. I highly recommend using Mario. He is truly knowledgeable about all of Italy. We cannot wait to go back!

Most enjoyable day touring the Montalcino vineyards! Chiara was our guide, and was awesome! Her passion for wine, and her knowledge of Montalcino and local wine were very evident. We communicated in advance so she could find out our wine background, interests, and preferences. We did the six-hour, 2 vineyard tour with lunch included.

Chiara picked us up at our hotel right on time and in a comfortable ride. She took us to 2 small, family-owned vineyards where we got a tour of the vineyard and quality time spent with the winemaker. Chiara acted as translator at the first vineyard where the winemaker did not speak much English. We had nice tastings at each vineyard (in the homes of the winemakers) and the opportunity to purchase wine from each vineyard. Chiara handled the details for shipping back to the US.

After visiting the vineyards, we had a marvelous lunch at the local cooking school (Locandra Demetra). Amazing lunch with an amazing view!!

Highly recommend Montalcino Wine tours and Chiara as a guide!!

We had an amazing day with Giovanni and his beautiful horses! The Montalcino landscape could not have been more stunning, and having the opportunity to ride among and experience the local wineries was an experience we will never forget. Plus, the lunch and wine tasting at local winery and restaurant il Cocco was delicious and gave us an up-close look at how wine is grown, bottled and sold in this unique region.

We had an amazing day with Giovanni and his beautiful horses! The Montalcino landscape could not have been more stunning, and having the opportunity to ride among and experience the local wineries was an experience we will never forget. Plus, the lunch and wine tasting at local winery and restaurant was delicious and gave us an up-close look at how wine is grown, bottled and sold in this unique region.

We just returned from a fabulous 3 week trip to Italy. Montalcino Wine Tours were there for us each leg of our trip. From transfers Venezia to Cinque Terra, stopping in Verona for lunch; Cinque Terra to Firenze stopping for a tasty lunch on the way. Mario was a very good driver, sensitive to my car sickness! On to our Villa Fonntelle in Montalcino, Giovanni took us for our best day of the trip. Wine tasting and a scrumptious lunch at his restaurant, beautiful view and the best food we’d had in the three weeks! Truffle hunting was another great day, never ending fun with these guys. Mario was a lot fun on our Cortona day trip, they all really went above and beyond a regular tour company.

Chiara and Giovanni were outstanding tour guides. They picked us up in some beautiful mercedes vans with air conditioning! As the weather was brutally hot. They are both very knowledgeable and showed us a great full day of wineries in the Montalcino area.

The hosts at each winery were wonderful and very knowledgeable about their wines and the history. We also visited Sant’Antimo Abbey in between winery visits and had a spectacular lunch.

Well well well worth the money and would use these guys for a tour again. Highly recommended

Having the day with Mario touring us around Montalcino was easily one of the highlights of our stay in Tuscany. Mario was a pleasure to talk with and was a wealth of information regarding not only the vineyards we visited that day but about the wines, other vineyards and the history of Montalcino. Obviously, with Mario being a native, we felt like we had an insiders view which he was very open in sharing. Brad, wanting to know as much as he could, about Montalcino vineyards, the different growing regions, Brunello di Montalcino and where the best restaurants & enotecas were… Mario had answers to All his never ending questions. While Molly & I had just met Mario that day, we felt we knew him as a friend by days end…which we didn’t want to end. What a fabulous, memorable day. We can’t wait to go back again and maybe this time help pick some grapes or olives!
Molto Bene Ciao for now, Brad & Molly Kushnir

There are not enough words to explain how wonderful of an experience we had with Mario on our honeymoon. By the end of our trip, we didn’t consider Mario a tour guide, but a good friend, and one that we knew we would be back to visit. His tours are so customized and personal, you feel like you are getting the true insiders view of Tuscany. His family has lived in the region for generations- he speaks about his home with pure contagious compassion. I will never forget the day he dropped us off for our next destination and how sad we were to part ways- we wish we could have had his guidance and company for the entire trip! We can’t wait to go back.

Unforgettable two days with Giovanni. First-class service. Memorable stories. Many laughs. Unparalleled access to authentic family wineries and their winemakers. Delicious lunches – one at the outstanding Locanda Demetra with sweeping views of the valley, and one at a winery with the winemaker. Could not recommend this more as THE way to explore this world-renowned yet humble and classic wine destination.

We hired this company for a transfer from Milan to Tuscany and a tour of the Modena and Parma on the way. Originally we were planning on a wine tour in Montalcino with them, but we ran out of time.
Unfortunately our plane from the US was several hours late, but we found Giovanni easily at the airport. He had booked a tour of a cheese farm that we also missed sadly. He got us to Modena in time for lunch and a tour around town. He also stopped by a modena balsamic vinegar facility spontaneously, and we were able to get a private tour and pick up our first Italy souvenirs. He drove us to our hotel in Greve and gave us all sorts of Italy info on the way. He is very likeable and easy to talk to on long trips. He is an outdoor enthusiast and I’m sure we be great on an outdoor adventure.
If you want a tour of the famous Brunello wineries, I’m confident this would be the group to do it with. They were all from the area and well connected.

From beginning to end Montalcino Wine Tours was absolutely perfect! We started with email correspondence with Giovanni. We only had one day for a guided tour, so he helped us by organizing the best day. Our guide Chiara was so knowledgeable! She was professional, but also personable and made us feel right at home. Our day began with a truffle hunt with Paolo (and his dog Millie). If you are in Tuscany during truffle hunting seasons, you must book this with Montalcino Wine Tours, specifically Paolo. Again, so knowledgeable. And an unforgettable experience. Our lunch was DIVINE! We had a little extra time in the afternoon, as we were ahead of schedule. Not a problem – Chiara drove us to the Abbey of Sant’Antimo to explore. A beautiful spot to walk off our lunch and take pictures of the gorgeous scenery. We ended our day at La Fornace Winery and sampled their delicious wine! We will definitely be recommending Montalcino Wine Tours to friends and family travelling in the area. It was our favorite day of our entire vacation. Thank you!!

Wonderful guides for trip in and around Tuscany. Very Knowledgeable, fun, and helpful. I highly recommend!!!!

We had the most amazing and memorable day in Montalcino thanks to Giovanni!! My boyfriend and I scheduled a private tour with Giovanni, and he was punctual, knowledgeable, warm, and created the most perfect day for us in this small wine country city.
He picked us up from our hotel, and we headed to our first winery. This was a small winery, that took the time to give a tour of their vineyard and their facility. It gave us such an appreciation of the wine we enjoyed later that visit. We met the winery owner and his daughter, and got know them and their experience as a winery owner in Italy.

From there we went to a medium sized winery and then a large one. Each appointment was set up in advance by Giovanni, and they were ready and expecting us. It was such a neat experience and not at all like the herd feeling we get when wine tasting in the US.

In between we went to lunch at a small restaurant in Giovanni’s village – which was so quaint – only 53 people live there! The food, wine, and service were amazing!

Giovanni was so knowledgeable, professional, and warm. He made this experience an experience of a lifetime and I would refer him and go back to him in a heartbeat!

We actually did the cooking class with his brother the next day, I’ll be sharing a review with them as well. Another absolute must while in Montalcino!!

Thank you Giovanni for the memories of a lifetime!

If in Montalcino, not to be missed. Giovanni and Chiara coordinated with us prior to our arrival to understand our interests to customize our day. We were looking for smaller wineries.

Giovanni picked us at 9:45. We visited two wineries in the morning. We spent time walking in the vineyards and cellars talking about the wine growing process and the special policies for cellaring and bottling the Rosso and Brunello de Montalcino wines. And of course tasting the wines. We met the winemaker at the second winery.

Next up was lunch at Locanda Demetra, a small restaurant and cooking school located just outside the city with beautiful views of the countryside. We ate outside and had an appetizer sampler, two small pasta dishes, a pork medallion, a bottle of Rosso de Montalcino, dessert of chocolate cake and gelato, and coffee. All part of the tour costs.

After a leisurely lunch, we visited the Abbey at San Antimo for a quick visit and off to one last winery.

We finished the day around 6:15 pm. We never felt rushed. We had time to soak it all in, ask questions, and really enjoy the whole experience. We bought wine along the way. All of the wineries ship back to USA. We decided to take our wine and let this company ship them all back together. Quite reasonable for international shipping. All of the wines from this region are of high quality and very reasonable comparing to Napa Valley for similar quality wines.

I would highly recommend this tour to anyone that is a wine enthusiast.

We enjoyed an all day wine tour with Giovanni in September during a 4 day stay in Tuscany. We were were traveling with our daughter and her husband, who had hired Giovanni two years previous, so we knew we were in for a treat. He arranged 2 different winery visits and tastings in the Montalcino area, plus a delicious Al Fresco lunch overlooking his own vineyard. One winery was a small scale, personal operation, and the other a more sophisticated larger scale winery, both with tours by the proprietors. The wineries were nicely curated for our interests, and we were delighted with both. The tours were fascinating, in depth and inspiring. We were picked up promptly in a spacious van, and Giovanni was quite personable and engaging and easy to talk with. We thoroughly enjoyed his company and would highly recommend his tours.

Our day started with a little adversity with a vehicle, which resulted in getting started a little later than expected, which ultimately caused us to miss first vineyard. Chiara handled the situation perfectly and in no time we were back up and running with a replacement vehicle and we were off for a fantastic day!

Chiara made a few calls whist we were visiting our first vineyard, and was able to make arrangements for us to make a visit to a 3rd vineyard/winery at the end of our day. WOW, talk about going above and beyond!

After our first stop we were taken to lunch at an amazing restaurant right in Montalcino which included wine and whatever we wanted to eat. We were given amazing treatment and service by the owner Antinio and the food was incredible!

After lunch we headed for our 2nd stop was absolutely incredible and were intrigued with her passion for her wines, her family and the pride was evident. we LOVED this stop, highly recommend and the wine was fantastic and free to pour as much as we wanted!

Our final stop was Baricci. Although the production is VERY small, if you love Brunello you have to make it a point to stop in here (if you can get a visit) or at least try their wine while in Montalcino. Francesco, his brother Federico and father Pietro are very busy as they are the heart and soul of this family run winery and we were VERY lucky (thanks to Chiara no doubt) to be able to get a visit to see them just after harvest! Francesco spent so much time with us we couldn’t believe it, his passion is second to none and it shows in the amazing product that they produce there! The POS machine was down during the evening, so we went back the next day to conclude our purchase, the entire family was there again working away! (Side note: They ship to Canada, wooohooo)

Overall the experience provided by Chiara and Montalcino Wine Tours was truly amazing and I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who visits the Montalcino area.

Once again, thanks so much for having us!

Where do I begin? For starters, the experience was so fantastic the first time, that we booked Mario for a second tour on our return two years later. Mario will gladly pick you up wherever you are staying, he’s prompt, his car is clean, and the anticipation for a day of wine tasting is next to none! Mario arranged for us to have private tours and tastings at each of the wineries we visited, and each one was just as fantastic as the one before. Mario is extremely knowledgable on all things Brunello wine….from how the location of the vineyard to how the grapes are processed and the impact on the flavor and quality of the wines.

Thanks to Mario, our wine cellar is full of many different Brunello wines, and each time we pop the cork, we travel back to exactly where the grapes were born. Absolutely, 100%, without a doubt, book Mario for your Montalcino wine tour!

Mario and his team is by far the very best tour guide we have ever had in our trips to Italy. He is personable, knowledgeable, accommodating and a pleasure to be around. We can’t wait to schedule our next trip with him.

Highly recommend. We had a wonderful time, and the tour was very well executed.

We asked for a one-day tour of Montalcino wineries, and Giovanni put together the itinerary.

We were 7 travelers, wine lovers but not experts, stopping in Porto Santo Stefano aboard a SeaDream Yacht Club cruise. Our driver, Luca, picked us up at the port in a clean, comfortable, and spacious van. Luca was friendly, knowledgeable, and funny.

We went to a medium sized, well known winery in the morning. We toured the vineyard and cellar and tasted 6 great wines. And these were pretty generous pours for a tasting (this was a theme for the day). We lingered, drank, and ate, and liked the wine so much that we bought several bottles on our way out. With the strong US dollar, we were surprised by the reasonable prices for decently aged (2010, 2012, 2015) Riserva wines.

I booked a full day in Montalcino with Giovanni in advance of a family trip to Italy (me, my wife, and both sets of our parents). I reached out to a number of tour operators, but many would not do a day trip to Montalcino due to the distance (we were staying at a villa about an hour south, on the border of Tuscany and Umbria). Giovanni ensured us that it would not be a problem and that we would have a fantastic, full day. He could not have been more right.

We were picked up early by our driver for the day, Mario, in a clean, spacious van. Mario was THE BEST – no better resource for a day of being in Montalcino. He has spent his life in and around Montalcino (his grandfather was the fireman, his father the postman, and his brother the Mayor).

Mario took us to two fantastic wineries, to the Abbey of Sant’Antimo, which was absolutely beautiful. We also had an amazing lunch in Montalcino and spent some time walking around the town. On our way back to the villa, Mario insisted that we make two additional stops, first was to see the villa that was featured in Gladiator, and then a stop in Pienza for the pecorino.

All in all a great day and highly recommended!

My husband and I booked the full day wine tour through Giovanni months in advance of arriving in Italy. Booking was very smooth over email. Mario, our driver picked us up at our hotel in the morning and assured us we had a great day ahead visiting three different types of wineries with a stop for lunch at Locanda Demtra. He took us to Collosorbo which was an old estate winery owned by a mother and her two daughters. We had a wonderful tour of the estate and the wine cellar which dated back hundreds of years and was so amazing to see! We bought a couple of bottles and Mario assured us him and Giovanni could ship the bottles home to us. Then Mario took us to Costanti. the woman who gave us the tour ( I forgot her name but she was lovely) also did the tasting and the wine was great. We bought another couple of bottles. Mario took some great photos for us in front of the vineyards and Montalcino town. He was a great guide and so knowledgeable about the town because he grew up there. This made the experience very personal which was great! Then he took us to lunch at Locanda Demtra which is owned by Gio and his brother. Wow. As soon as you walk in he kitchen and grounds they smell amazing and they cooked us a fantastic authentic local dish served with great wine overlooking the Tuscan hills. This place also offers cooking classes which unfortunately were booked but the people we met highly recommended them! Our last stop was the smallest winery but to me the most special because of Gemma- one of the owners. She runs it with her father and does everything from harvesting the grapes, to labeling the bottles and running the marketing. She took us through the vineyards and told us her father hand picks every grape for each harvest. Then we went inside for a tasting. At the end of the tasting she offered us her family batch of Vin Santo which made us feel so special and as if she was welcoming us into her home. We bought a few more bottles and our tour came to an end. Mario was so accommodating. He even stopped at a convenience store so my husband could buy some Advil. We left our bottles with Mario to ship home to us. Before dropping us off he recommended one of his favorite local restaurants Il Pozzo and helped us make a reservation. Then gave us his cell phone number in case we needed recommendations the rest of the trip. We ended up texting Mario the next day when we went to Pienza and he recommended a great farm for lunch that also has a cheese factory! Mario truly was a great tour guide from start to finish and we hope to return in the future to do another tour with him! Two days after we arrived home from Italy our wine arrived safe and sound in the US! Truly 5 star service!! This is a must do for your next Italy vacation! Thanks Giovanni and Mario!!!!

y wife and I booked unforgettable wine and food experiences with Chiara this past week. Chiara is a rock star in Montalcino and seems to know everyone in the area. You tell her what you are interested in and let her do her magic. There isn’t a reservation she can’t book. Total access and you will not only enjoy the tastings but the ride and conversation with her is worth the trip as well. She should be the Mayor of Montalcino. In any case she has my vote. 🙂
Also, if you have not done a deeper dive vineyard and food tour in Montalcino, then make it a priority. Just the best!

I have traveled all around the world and no guide has ever compared to the exceptional experience my family has received (on multiple visits!) with Mario and his crew at Montalcino Wine Tours. It’s worth a trip to Italy just to see Mario, traveling through the Brunello region under his direction. On a scale of 1-10, he’s an 11.

‘ve used them twice for wine tours, once in 2017 and once in June 2022. Both times I had a fantastic and knowledgable driver, awesome lunch, a well thought out and planned itinerary, and flexibility around my specific requests. This last trip in June 2022 we even had a little bit of extra time between appointments and they managed to find an opening at another winery, which ended up having absolutely amazing wine. These wine tours are as good as any I’ve had in other winery locations such as Napa and Sonoma. Highly recommend.

Our experience with Mario and his team was unforgettable. His passion for his home region in Italy is obvious and whether it was a pre-planned day or a spur of the moment trip, he ensured a seamless and enjoyable experience. Mario and his team are welcoming, knowledgeable, flexible and professional. Our experience did not feel like a tour, it felt like experiencing Italy with a good friend. We are headed back next summer… see you then Mario!!

Giovanni & his team were incredible. If you’re thinking about doing a wine tour in Montalcino, this is the only tour to do. Gio was so kind, and knowledgeable and made our experience 5 star.

We visited a nice mix of places, from very small family-run farms to midsized wineries. Each place had a unique brand and take on the wine process so it was nice to see the differences in the process each family does. We loved all the wines, he made purchasing and shipping product home incredibly easy. I hope to get the chance to take this tour again on our next trip to Tuscany.

Wow! I can’t say enough good things about this tour! We were in Tuscany for a wedding and a group of 13 of us booked this tour. Giovanni and Chiara picked us up at our Villa in 2 really nice, air conditioned vans. Then we were off to our first winery and tasting. We learned so much about the area, wine, weather and any other question we could throw at them!😊. They are so incredibly knowledgeable about the area. The first winery was fantastic, we learned so much about the process and tastes amazing wines. Then they took us to a tour of an Abbey which was so inspiring and beautiful, and then to lunch on their family farm. Holy smokes!! Alessandro, Giovanni’s brother and their family hosts an incredible lunch….you might as well be part of the family as that’s how you feel as soon as you sit down at the table! After a lunch that is so tasty, you are off to another vineyard and tasting. Another great choice! All the staff at both wineries are so friendly and make the tastings so much fun! Then they drove us back to our Villa…we were with them the entire day but it flew by as we were having so much fun learning about wines and the entire Tuscany area. I would HIGHLY recommend this tour! You will be treated to a fantastic day!

My family had an amazing day with Giovanni. I would highly recommend this group for a Tuscan tour.

Wonderful information, personalized service and fantastic venues, food and wine!

We can’t possibly recommend Montalcino Wine Tours enough! Our whole experience with them was absolutely fantastic. On the planning side, Chiara was so incredibly helpful and always available to answer questions and give us options for the things we wanted to do. She even helped us arrange transportation out of Montalcino, which isn’t the easiest thing to do. And then the experience itself was perfect. We did a Brunello wine tour with Giovanni, who is extremely knowledgeable about both the Montalcino area and winemaking (we learned more about wine in those hours with Giovanni than we have anywhere else), and it was everything we hoped it would be. Great wine, beautiful lunch, informative, and so much fun. Just tell Chiara and her team what you want to do, and they will make it all happen for you. Thank you SO much, Chiara and Giovanni! Our time in Montalcino was magical and everything we needed to relieve the stress of the last few years.