3 Places for Al Fresco Wining & Dining in Tuscany
There is no shortage of incredible food and wine experiences in Tuscany. Here you can find my favorite places for wine tasting in the historic center of Montepulciano. If you have a car, here are my three recommendations within a 30-minute drive of Montepulciano for eating and drinking under the Tuscan sun.
Azienda Agricola CasaGori Pienza
1. Caseficio Cugusi
Solo travelers, romance yourself with a picnic. Walk into the shop at Cugusi and start filling up your basket with their cheese--fresh ricotta, spicy pecorino, truffle pecorino, drunk pecorino. You can get a small amount of each and then choose some local cured meats, honey, preserves, beer, wine, whatever your heart desires. The lovely staff will fill up your basket and include bread, napkins, a cutting board, and cutlery, then send you on your way for your picnic.
Even on a cloudy day, a Cugusi picnic is dreamy!
Take your goodies, and go bask in the glory of the Tuscan countryside. These are tables set up around the property with a view of the valley and the Temple of San Biagio.
Note that, as of May 2024, the picnic hours are 10 AM to 6 PM from late March until early November. You can make a reservation by emailing info@caseificiocugusi.it, but when I went mid-afternoon in May, it wasn’t necessary. The location is about a 10-minute drive from the center of Montepulciano.
Cugusi has been producing cheese in the area since 1962. If you can’t get to Cugusi’s property outside of town, they have a shop in Montepulciano’s center, so you can taste their products there.
2. Azienda Agricola CasaGori
As part of a biking tour, I had lunch with a wine and beer tasting at this biodynamic farm in Pienza, outside of the center. I had to pinch myself because it was authentic in every way—a true family feel with no pretenses and a breathtaking panoramic view over the Val d’Orcia.
The zucchini salad, prosciutto, bread, and CasaGori’s olive oil were heavenly, served alongside two beers and two wines. Sergio the dog was a constant companion during our lunch (he likes prosciutto, for the record. I can’t be trusted around your dog if they are going to look at me like this while I eat), and the goats came to pay a visit toward the end.
You can contact them via the form on their website to book a tasting or lunch.
3. Poggio Sorbello
About a 20-minute drive from Montepulciano, in Centoia near Cortona, is Poggio Sorbello, a family-run winery where you can tour the beautiful vineyards and taste their wines. It was all hands on deck the day I visited since they were bottling the wine. Despite all the activity, the other visitors and I were led through the vineyards, and then invited to relax under the shaded dining area surrounded by rose bushes and fruit trees for our wine tasting.
I am fond of their Syrah, and if you go for a tasting, I’d love to know which one was your favorite.
Poggio Sorbello also produces extra virgin olive oil, flours and seeds, and even saffron and elephant garlic.
Email the team at info@poggiosorbello.it to book your tour and tasting.