Bolgheri & Tuscan Coast Wine Tours: Super Tuscans
Bolgheri is where Tuscany broke its own rules: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot on the coast, Sassicaia and Ornellaia, the Super Tuscans that now sit at the top of the price list. This page compares the top-rated Bolgheri and Tuscan Coast wine tours: estate visits along the cypress avenue, tastings of the famous names and their neighbours, and the long days from Florence, Pisa and the cruise port at Livorno, with a note on the Maremma further south.
Bolgheri wine tours and tastings
What you’ll taste: Bolgheri DOC reds built on Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, from estates a short drive from the beach; the famous labels appear in tastings more often than on visits.
The avenue: five kilometres of cypresses from the San Guido crossroads to Bolgheri village, planted in the 1800s, the most photographed road in coastal Tuscany.
Further south: the Maremma and Morellino di Scansano, Sangiovese again, at gentler prices.
Bolgheri and the Super Tuscans
In 1968 Tenuta San Guido sold its first bottles of Sassicaia, a Cabernet from vines planted near the sea at Bolgheri because the owner liked Bordeaux. It could not be called anything but table wine under the rules of the day, and neither could the wines that followed it, so the trade called them Super Tuscans. The rules caught up: Bolgheri DOC arrived in 1983 and Sassicaia got a DOC of its own in 1994, the only single-estate appellation in Italy. Today the coast between Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci is Tuscany’s most expensive vineyard land, and its tastings are priced to match.
The estates
Tenuta San Guido, Ornellaia, Antinori’s Guado al Tasso and Grattamacco are the names; around them are a few dozen smaller estates making Bolgheri Rosso and Superiore at more approachable prices. Visits to the famous houses are limited and booked far ahead, and several tours taste their wines at an enoteca in Bolgheri village rather than at the gate. Read the listing carefully for which estates are actually visited.
The cypress avenue and the village
The Viale dei Cipressi runs five kilometres from the Oratory of San Guido to the walled village of Bolgheri, planted in the nineteenth century and immortalised in a Carducci poem every Italian schoolchild learns. Tours drive it, stop for photographs, and end in the village’s wine bars.
Getting there
Bolgheri is about 1 hour 45 from Florence, an hour from Pisa and 50 minutes from Livorno, which makes it a popular shore excursion from the cruise port. Florence tours are long days; Pisa and Lucca are closer bases for a coast-focused trip. See Pisa.
The Maremma
South of the coast road lies the Maremma, Tuscany’s cowboy country, where Morellino di Scansano DOCG makes Sangiovese at a fraction of Bolgheri’s price. Tours are rarer and mostly private; ask if you want to combine the two.
Prices and timing
Expect to pay more here than anywhere else in Tuscany: tastings from 50 euros, small-group tours from Florence 200 to 350 euros, private days from 600 per group. September is harvest; May to June and September to October are best; the beach is a bonus in summer.
How we choose
We list only experiences with a strong rating over a meaningful number of reviews and free cancellation where available, and we favour small-group and family-run hosts. FindEatLocal earns a commission when you book through GetYourGuide or Viator links on this page; it doesn’t change the price you pay. More about how we choose.
FAQ about Bolgheri & Tuscan Coast Wine Tours: Super Tuscans
Frequently asked questions
Why book a Bolgheri wine tour?
Because the estates here are the hardest in Tuscany to visit on your own, some are appointment-only weeks ahead, and the wines are the ones you have read about. A tour with the right contacts is the way in.
What is a Super Tuscan?
A Tuscan wine made outside the traditional rules, usually with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Cabernet Franc rather than Sangiovese alone. Sassicaia was the first; Bolgheri is their home.
Can I visit Sassicaia?
Tenuta San Guido receives very few visitors and by appointment only. Most tours taste Sassicaia at an enoteca or visit neighbouring estates instead; check the listing.
How much does a Bolgheri wine tour cost?
From about 200 euros per person for a small-group day from Florence, 100 to 180 from Pisa or Livorno, and 600 euros or more per group for private tours.
Is Bolgheri worth it compared with Chianti?
For collectors and Cabernet drinkers, yes; for a first Tuscan wine day, Chianti is closer, cheaper and more typical. See Chianti.
What about the Maremma?
Morellino di Scansano and the Maremma are further south and mostly visited privately; they suit a second trip or a coast-based stay.