Castello Banfi cellar and vineyards in Montalcino

What it is

Castello Banfi is one of the great wineries of Montalcino, based at the Poggio alle Mura castle, in the countryside south of the village. The castle is of early medieval origin, was completely rebuilt in 1438 and lost a wing, mined at the end of the Second World War, which was later rebuilt. The Banfi wine house was founded by John F. Mariani. Today the castle brings together the cellar, an enoteca, two restaurants, a hotel and a small glass museum.

For anyone arriving in the Val d'Orcia without knowing much about wine, it is a good first contact: the visit explains vineyard, fermentation and ageing of Brunello in an industrial-scale cellar, and afterwards you have better judgement for visiting the small wineries of Montalcino.

The visits

All must be booked in advance, and booking is compulsory. Banfi publishes these options:

• Public tour with tasting: group visit of the estate and the cellar, of about an hour, followed by a tasting in the enoteca. €60 per person.
• Public tour with lunch: the same visit, followed by lunch at La Taverna with a menu paired with the house wines. €125 or €140 per person, depending on the menu.
• Discovering Excellence Tour: private visit to the Balsameria, a vineyard and the cellar, guided tasting of five wines, extra virgin olive oils and the Condimento Balsamico Etrusco, and a four-course lunch with four wines at La Taverna. It leaves at 11:00, lasts about 2 h 30 plus lunch and costs €300 per person.
• Discovering Excellence Tour Plus: the same private tour, from 16:30, with dinner at the Michelin-starred restaurant La Sala dei Grappoli; €450 (five courses) or €500 (seven) per person.

In addition, the enoteca holds guided tastings of the house range (Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, Bolgheri, Super Tuscans, whites and sparkling wines), requested through the contact form, and has a wine bar with charcuterie and cheese boards.

What the public visit is like

You meet the guide at the castle's enoteca and wine bar 15 minutes before the time. The cellar is about 4 km from there and you go in your own car behind the guide, so you need a vehicle. Private visits include a shuttle for groups of up to five people.

The website does not publish the days or times of public visits, or the languages: you see them when booking on its online system (SevenRooms), linked from Banfi's tours and tastings page. For questions, Banfi can be reached on +39 0577 840111 and at [email protected].

What else there is in the castle

• Museo della Bottiglia e del Vetro, dedicated to glass and the bottle, named after John F. Mariani.
• La Balsameria, under the north wing of the castle, where the Condimento Balsamico Etrusco is made.
• La Taverna, with traditional Tuscan cooking, and La Sala dei Grappoli, with tasting menus; both with online booking.

Getting there

The castle is at Poggio alle Mura, municipality of Montalcino (53024), in the countryside south of the village. Go by car: there is no convenient public transport and the public visit requires your own car. From Montalcino or from Sant'Antimo they are winding roads among vines.

Things to bear in mind

It is an activity for adults: the tasting is the centre of the visit and Banfi does not publish a minimum age or an option for children. If you are going to drink, have someone else drive or book the lunch and give yourself time before getting back behind the wheel. In September and October, with the harvest, the valley is very busy: book well ahead.