castello di verrazzano

We stumbled into Castello di Verrazzano almost by accident. We were driving from Montecatini to the Greves and had to pick an address on the GPS so we randomly picked the winery. We were just about to turn around when the directions took us up a dirt road but we decided to see where we were headed. We pulled into Castello di Verrazzano, didn't see a sole but rang the bell and were greeted by our tour guide who was from London. We ended up sending a delightful afternoon touring the winery, tasting wines and having a wonderful "lite" lunch. It was a wonderful day! We would highly recommend a visit to this winery.

We visited on a rainy misty day but the place is still so beautiful. Took the local bus from Florence to the bus stop for the Castle. The Castle sent a van down to bring us up the hill due to the rain. Loved the tour and the delicious light lunch with several wines. Charming guide-Learned a lot about the history of the Castle and the wine making process. Bought a case of wine and shipped it home. Our group was about a dozen or so people from around the world-very pleasant company. Especially the lovely Israeli couple who were kind enough to give us a ride back down the hill to the bus stop! Highly recommend this tour.

The Castello di Verrazzano was the highlight of our last trip to Italy. It is just off the Chianti Highway, a bit north of Greve center. You can take a bus from Florence to the foot of the hill, and it's a nice walk to the top, if you're a walker. The other reviewers said "have Gino as your guide," and sure enough, we got Gino and were VERY glad of it. I want to be Gino when I grow up. (This visit was off-season, in December, the best time of year to visit Tuscany in many ways -- mild weather, uncrowded, low stress, you just walk in almost anywhere and are treated like royalty. Reservations? Who needs 'em?) Okay, we did make reservations. There were just four of us on the tour — me the roving enthusiast, my companion the linguist, and two Brazilian doctors. We all had a blast. The tour was fun, the food stellar, the setting superb indoors and out. Gino? Words cannot etc. We spotted a neighboring Wine Castle. "Who are those people?" Gino snorted, "Don't look at them!" Aha. A grudge. We dutifully averted our eyes and learned no more. Perhaps you will be able to tell that story! This place has been operating for some 844 years, and they know what they're doing. You look out from the hilltop and imagine all the different armies and governments that have come and gone, while the vines continue to grow, and the wild pigs get fat on nuts in the forest. "The better to eat you with, my dear!" This visit will be as good as you and the people you are with allow it to be. Off season is best. Afterward, the walk down the hill was a joyful valedictory romp, surveying the domains, the vines, the neighboring competition. This, my friend, is life!

Returned for one of many visits with my son and daughter-in-law. They boast that it was the highlight of their trip to Italy. We have been a dozen wine tours in Napa and Toscany and this is by far the best. Gino is a fantastic host. Appeals to all levels. Not to be missed!

Stayed in the "farmhouse" at the Castello di Verrazzano and did the wine tour and "light lunch" the following day. Our stay was beautiful - it is about 1km from the castle in nicely decorated and clean rooms with beautiful views of the castle. The tour is fantastic - great views throughout and an immaculate property. The "light lunch" was to die for! Wonderful selection (see photos) and absolutely delicious! We will definitely be back.Visited April 2013

They were so friendly and accommodating, even to two poor American students. While I've only seen a sliver of Italy, when I go back I'll definitely go here again. The food was delicious, the tour guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and actually enjoyed her "job." This is a must do trip!

After going on several group tours while on vacations in Europe, I've determined that there are 4 types of people on a group tour. Canadians, you can usually spot these 4 types easily as they are generally America. They are, in no particular order:1) The Keener - This person has studied in advance of attending the tour and knows EVERYTHING about the subject. They can usually be seen raising their hand frequently to ask and/or answer questions.2) The Person that Doesn't Care - This tourist could care less where they are, sometimes have no clue where they are or why it is of historical significance. Beware of this person if there is alcohol involved as they tend to get sloppy. Bonus points if the "Don't Care" happens to be accompanied by "The Keener" - they make an interesting pair.3) The Loudmouth - This person is a more obnoxious version of the "Don't Care." They may be somewhat interested in the subject, but really are more interested in tooting their own horn on where they went to law school, their extensive wine collection, or how great they are at life in general.4) The Picture-Taker - This person has no idea what they're looking at, but they're going to take a picture of it anyways, then play it for all of their friends in a rehearsed slideshow when they get home. For fun, try pointing at a speck of dust on the ground with great interest. You'll quickly see this tourist rushing over to take a photo of it. Beware as this person can get aggressive, and their picture-taking takes precedence over you or anyone else trying to enjoy the tour.My boyfriend and I had the honour of going on a tour of Castello di Verrazzano with the most interesting collection of tourists: a group of loudmouth, drunk Americans, a Columbian family with a lot of plastic surgery, and 4 French Canadians. We were the odd people out and did not have strength in numbers to defend ourselves at the family-style lunch - while the groups of 4 on either side of us heaped piles of delicious pasta onto their plates and chugged back large glasses of wine, eventually looking at us to share a few final bites. It wasn't the tour's fault - you would expect people to have some common courtesy no matter what country you're from, but there was really no mechanism to ensure that the food was shared amongst all of the guests. The tour guide was engaging, friendly and funny. In the end, we had a fun afternoon and came home with a great story, and would definitely recommend the tour to others.

The tour is excellent. The installations and the quality of the wines is very good. The Wine taste experience together with a good food was marvelous!

We reached a little late for the wine tour, but got a chance to eat at their restaurant. The food was so authentic and apparently made by the women of the village nearby. Had some pastas and in-house wine. Was just fantastic. Couldn't have asked for a more relaxed meal. The view from the gallery outside is to die for. The servers at the restaurant were polite and knowledgeable. Great experience.

I did the Castello tour with wine tasting and lunch. The grounds are beautiful, olive trees, grape vineyards and more. The wine(4 vino selections with grappa at the end) is great; ending up buying and shipping some home. The food( maine dish wild boar sausage, beef ribs cooked over fire) was delicious! A must to do while in the Chianti, Tuscany region. Highly recommend and i would love to return someday.

We visited this place for a wine tour. It was so good and educational. I forgot a name of a lady who was our guide - older one, but very attractive and spoke a few languages - English must be her first one. She was the best wine guide ever! The views are breathtaking!

The tour guide was very nice, spoke good english. We met the Baron, who owns the vineyard! Bought a case

Beautifully articulated and wonderful at educating the public on the passion and pride in what they do at Verrazzano. extremely beautiful views.

Although we were staying at another castello, our guide said we must go to this beautiful winery for the tour and fantastic lunch. We were not disappointed. Gillian was such a wonderful ambassador and provided a great overview of the castello, interesting history, and connection to the Verrazano Bridge in New York. The lunch was so incredibly delicious, and brought home the idea of simple cooking using excellent ingredients. They took great pride in saying they don't have a chef, but a woman from the village cooks like she would at home. Could be a bunch of bull but I couldn't believe how wonderful each and every dish seemed. I could have eaten an entire platter of those ribs! I would definitely recommend this to others.

We did the "Wine and Food Experience" Tour and I highly recommend it! It was amazing! Get Gino for your tour guide, he is entertaining and passionate. The food was the best we had in Italy and the wine is awesome. The castle and scenery cannot be beat! Just go, you will not regret this experience!http://ourmapletree.com/?p=865