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A Decanter Guide to Chianti Classico: The Heart of Tuscan Wine Country

Decanter is the world's leading wine magazine, based in the UK, covering wine culture and travel globally.

The route

11 stops·5 wineries · 3 restaurants · 1 hotel · 1 activity · 1 shop

1. 01

   WineryToscana

   Antinori nel Chianti Classico

   Gravity-fed architecture carved into Tuscan hills yields the Antinori family's benchmark Chianti Classico Gran Selezione wines, including iconic Tignanello.

2. 02

   Restaurant

   Badia a Passignano

   Michelin-starred Tuscan cooking meets centuries-old monastery vibes inside the Antinori estate's medieval monastery, naturally paired with Chianti Classico.

3. 03

   WineryToscana

   Castello di Fonterutoli

   The Mazzei family's 600-year estate near Castellina crafts powerfully structured Chianti Classico in a beautifully preserved hamlet.

4. 04

   Activity

   Greve in Chianti — Piazza Matteotti

   The arcaded piazza is Chianti Classico's beating heart, lined with a proper enoteca and stalls overflowing with cured meats and cheese.

5. 05

   WineryToscana

   Castello di Ama

   Perched in Gaiole's high altitude, this castle winery channels its distinctive terroir into single-vineyard Chianti Classico while showcasing contemporary art throughout.

6. 06

   Restaurant

   Osteria di Passignano

   Honest Tuscan cooking meets stellar wine list at this beloved trattoria where locals and connoisseurs alike queue for bistecca and ribollita.

7. 07

   Winery

   Fontodi

   Giovanni Manetti's organic estate in Chianti's Conca d'Oro amphitheatre is famous for the legendary Flaccianello della Pieve Super Tuscan.

8. 08

   Restaurant

   Macelleria Cecchini — Solociccia

   Dario Cecchini's Panzano temple to Chianina beef serves theatrical set-menu feasts at communal tables that feel less like dinner and more like a carnivorous awakening.

9. 09

   WineryToscana

   Barone Ricasoli — Castello di Brolio

   Italy's oldest family-owned winery perfected the original Chianti blend here in the 1800s, so you're literally tasting history.

10. 10

    Shop

    Radda in Chianti — Enoteca la Botte Piena

    Stock up on small-producer Chianti Classicos in this curated shop perched in the medieval hilltop village of Radda.

11. 11

    Hotel

    Palazzo Leopoldo

    This 15th-century palace in Radda's heart offers elegant rooms and a wine cellar bar perfect for exploring southern Chianti Classico.