Italian Landscapes and Wine | A Tuscan Winery Tour by Bike
Living in Japan and dreaming of cycling in Italy? Cicloposse Japan, based in Okayama, is the Japan-side partner of Cicloposse Italia. We help you plan and book your tour from Japan, in your time zone, with support in English by LINE or email. Our team in Italy speaks English too.
Italian landscapes and wine: how beautiful scenery shapes taste, and the joy of cycling
In Italy, the landscape is not just a backdrop to wine: it is an essential part of what shapes its taste. At Cicloposse we design special tours that combine wine and cycling so you can experience this for yourself. Pedalling through vineyards and feeling Italy's nature and culture with all your senses is a luxury you won't find anywhere else.
Rides that connect landscape and wine
The gentle hills of the Val d'Orcia are the home of the world-famous Brunello di Montalcino. In Sardinia, you ride through Vermentino country in the sea breeze and sunshine. Barolo in Piedmont, Primitivo in Puglia: the different climate and landscape of each region shape the character of its wine, and make our tours even more special.
A new movement shaking up the wine world
In 2024, at the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests, a groundbreaking agreement was signed between the Italian Sommelier Association (AIS) and the UNESCO Chair on Agricultural Heritage Landscapes at the University of Florence.
Key points of the initiative
Analysing how landscape influences the sensory evaluation of wine
Italy becomes the first country in the world to include landscape in wine tasting
AIS president Sandro Camilli said:
"Italy's vineyards and landscapes are unlike any others in the world. Scientifically uncovering the link between the beauty of the landscape and the taste of wine is a challenge that creates new value."
Why does this initiative matter?
The project not only makes Italian wine more competitive but is also an important step in promoting the value of our whole food culture worldwide. Undersecretary of Agriculture Giacomo La Pietra stressed:
"Together with UNESCO, work is under way to have Italian cuisine recognised as World Heritage. This agreement is a big step forward in sharing the richness that wine and landscape bring."
*Italian cuisine was later officially inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list on 10 December 2025.
Our view as lovers of cycling and wine
Cicloposse cycling tours are not just trips. They are a chance to feel the landscape, the other ingredient of wine, with your own eyes and skin. Riding through the hills, with vineyards before you and the scent of the soil, that landscape comes back to you when you taste the wine.
We hope this movement will make enjoying wine even richer, and inspire more people to discover the Italian countryside by bike.
Montalcino, the town of Brunello, by bike
Montalcino is a hilltop town at 564 m. From its 14th-century fortress (Fortezza) you can see across the Val d'Orcia, and the enoteca inside the fortress serves Brunello by the glass. Riding there, the last stretch is a climb through the vineyards, and the moment the fortress appears on the hilltop is unforgettable. Just outside town is the Abbey of Sant'Antimo.
For sightseeing in Montalcino and the highlights of the Val d'Orcia, see our Val d'Orcia travel guide.
What is a Tuscan winery tour?
You walk among Sangiovese vineyards, see the wine ageing in the cellar and taste Rosso and Brunello of different vintages. A light lunch in the cellar is often included, and some producers make organic or biodynamic wine.
On our Tuscany food tour we visit the Fanti winery (Tenuta Fanti) and taste Brunello with lunch.
Tuscan wine is more than Brunello
Southern Tuscany also has other famous wine areas besides Brunello di Montalcino, such as Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Chianti Classico.
Which tour should you choose?
Some Cicloposse tours include wine tastings in the programme, while on others you can add them as an option. On many tours you stay in places closely linked to wine. You don't need to know anything about wine at all.
For details, see the Tuscany food tour and Luxury Tuscany Wine Tour pages.
Finally: why not experience it yourself?
Wine, landscape and cycling: here is a journey where you can feel all three together."Wine and landscape: another kind of pairing." On your next trip, why not discover what that means while pedalling?
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