Wine hotels in Tuscany

Tuscany is not only the most famous wine region in Italy but, arguably, one of the foremost wine regions in Europe. This is in no small part due to its romantic landscape of rolling hills, cypress-lined roads and iconic hilltop towns. As one of the country’s largest regions, not surprisingly, the choice of wine hotels in Tuscany is equally broad.

Its signature red grape, Sangiovese, is responsible for the distinctive flavours of Montepulciano and Montalcino wines while Cabernet Sauvignon is the main grape variety of the so-called ‘Super-Tuscan’ red wines. Some of the key areas - Chianti aside (see our separate guide) - are around Montepulciano, Montalcino, Orcia, Livorno and Cortona.

Wine hotels in Tuscany for food lovers

Food and wine always go hand in hand, and there are a great many hotels in Tuscany that are good at doing both. Here are a few of our favourites.

• Surrounded by vineyards near Chiusi, Il Patriarca has a Michelin-starred restaurant as well as romantic, four-poster bedrooms and a pool with dreamy views over the vineyards.
• In the heart of historic Montepulciano, Locanda di San Francesco has four large and elegantly furnished bedrooms with stunning views over this hilltop town. The excellent restaurant is in a stone-walled and arched dining room.
• On the northern outskirts of the main vine-growing region, but close to Pisa airport, Tenuta San Pietro, near Lucca, is a restored 16th-century farmhouse with crisp, cool bedrooms that combine original features with contemporary touches plus offers private terraces and glorious views. The atmospheric restaurant is renowned for its food, plus offers cookery lessons if you want to brush-up your Tuscan cooking skills.
• One of Tuscany’s finest hotels, Il Falconiere is all calm sophistication, elegance and superb service. Its Michelin-starred restaurant is set on a lovely romantic terrace with views over the surrounding countryside.

Wine hotels in Tuscany for those on a budget

Wine hotels in Tuscany are not necessarily all high end luxury. The Hotel Guru can recommend several which represent exceptional value for money, from rural agriturismi to simple guesthouses and B&Bs.

• Overlooking the Orcia valley, from the heart of Renaissance Pienza, Il Chiostro di Pienza is, as the name suggests, a former monastery. Bedrooms are graceful and simple with tiled floors and raftered or arched ceilings. Dine in the cloisters and relax in the pool with those lovely views.
• Also in the Orcia valley, Il Rigo is a country house with vine-covered terraces next to a working farm. It combines a simple rusticity with family antiques and outstanding Tuscan food - cookery lessons available - much home-grown and organic.
• A charming hotel overlooking a piazza in medieval San Quirico d’Orcia, La Locanda del Loggiato has just six spacious rooms in authentic Tuscan style with terracotta floors, raftered ceilings and wrought-iron bedsteads. Breakfast only but plenty of nearby wine bars and restaurants. The village also has a thermal spa.

Wine hotels in Tuscany for design lovers

• Poggio Piglia, near Chiusi, looks like a typical Tuscan farmhouse from the outside but step inside to unexpected sophistication: smooth wooden floors, huge windows, funky lights and modern art installations. Home-produced olive oil and wines, too.

• Siena House, near Torrita di Siena, also subverts the usual Tuscan clichés with four, minimalist-furnished rooms where vintage mixes with contemporary, plus there’s a cool kitchen for you to rustle up your own suppers. A great place for families or groups of friends.
• In the heart of Pienza, the chic townhouse La Bandita Townhouse has sharp bedrooms with exposed stonework, glossy-white furnishings, bold splashes of colour and stand-alone bathtubs. There’s a chic bar and very modern Tuscan menus, too.

Romantic Tuscan wine hotels

• Locanda dell’Amorosa is not just a hotel but an entire Renaissance hamlet. It’s a seductive idea, and it works. Rooms are spacious and filled with a mix of antiques and rustic furnishings, all with charming views either over vineyards or courtyards. It’s comfortable, private and discreet.

• Equally discreet, Monteverdi offers both vast boutique-style rooms and suites, and separate villas, all dotted around the hilltop village of Castiglioncello del Trinoro. Expect romantic, gauzy-white bedrooms with stand-alone bath-tubs and canopied four-poster beds.
• And if you want to splash out, Castello Banfi il Borgo is a 13th century castle surrounded by 7000 acres of its own vineyards. Bedrooms are lushly romantic with huge beds, thick drapes and acres of space. There’s a spa, impressive cellar and handsome, gourmet restaurant.

It’s a cliché but there really is something for everything in our range of Tuscan wine hotels, whether you want good food, great views, romance, relaxation or just a simple base from which to explore the area. This list only dips its toes in what we have. To see our full range, check out all our recommended hotels in Tuscany.

 

Written by Helen Pickles