When is the best time to visit Chianti for a wine tour?

Many people will tell you that spring or fall is the best time to visit Tuscany. But we’ll let you in on a secret. A trip to Tuscany, including a Chianti wine tour, is fantastic almost any time of the year.

Each season in Tuscany offers something different to savor, from the blooms of spring to the grape harvest festivities of fall.  And, of course, there’s always a mouth-watering Tuscan wine to match any occasion.

Let’s look at the advantages of visiting the Chianti region during each season on the tourism calendar.

High Season in Tuscany (June to mid-September)

Summer is high season at the tourist spots in Tuscany. It’s when the weather is the warmest (average 31°C or 87.8°F) and attractions are the busiest.

However, there is usually a cooler breeze in the hills of Chianti during the summer. And the wineries are not as crowded as the museums in Florence, for example.

July is the middle of the famous 100 days needed for grapes to grow and mature. If you visit a vineyard on one of our wine tours at this time, you may see workers cutting back the leaves from the grapes so the sun can shine through. At the end of July, the grapes start to turn colour from green to red and begin to sweeten. This is a process called “invaiatura”.

You should note that it’s best to avoid planning a wine tasting trip in the second and third weeks of August.  This is when Italians take their holidays. Most of the wineries are closed so we don’t usually offer tours during that time.

Moreover, in summer  you will have the chance to taste the white and rosè wines from the wineries, as they usually have a small production of them and by September they are already sold out.

Shoulder Seasons (April & May, except Easter, mid-September through October)

The weather in Tuscany is most comfortable during the shoulder seasons and, except for Easter time, things will be a little less busy.

In spring, you may encounter a few showers but that’s what makes the wildflowers bloom.  Likewise, in late April to May, you will see tiny flowers begin to sprout on the vines, each one with the potential to form a grape.

In the fall, we celebrate the grape harvest during our wine tours.  This is when you’ll see the grapes being picked and crushed, along with the start of the fermentation process.  At lunch, you’ll have only the freshest seasonal products.

After the harvest, the leaves begin to turn red. There’s nothing like sipping wine in a colorful vineyard.

Low season (November to March)

With the cooler weather comes lower prices on accommodations and fewer crowds, (except for the holiday season and carnival time in February.) . During winter, the winemaker can show you how they care for the vines at this time of year by pruning them to promote spring growth.

We’ll also enjoy rustic home cooking that is typical for a Tuscan winter, along with a powerful glass of Tuscan red wine.

As you can see, Tuscan wine tours are enjoyable almost all year-round.  No matter when you visit, the wine is always delicious.

We’d be happy to host you on one of our wine tours from Florence. Join us on our most popular Chianti wine tour to three organic wineries.