Wine towns
Members of the national association of wine towns, the Città del Vino.
29 lists
The best wine towns in AbruzzoAbruzzo makes more wine than almost any other Italian region and gets a fraction of the attention Tuscany does. These are the small towns the Montepulciano and Trebbiano actually come from.
The best wine towns in the province of CuneoNebbiolo hills, tufa cellars and Barolo villages in the province of Cuneo: wine towns in the Langhe and along the Belbo that all belong to Italy's national association of wine-producing communes.
The best wine towns in the province of PerugiaWine towns in the province of Perugia, from the Sagrantino hills around Montefalco to the olive terraces of Trevi and the cellars of Torgiano. Each belongs to the national association of wine-producing towns, and each is small enough to walk in a morning.
The best wine towns in the province of NuoroCannonau country in the Barbagia and the Ogliastra: granite villages, vertical vineyards and cellars where the wine is still poured from the tank. Six wine towns in the province of Nuoro, each a member of the national association of wine-producing towns.
The best wine towns in CalabriaCalabrian wine towns in the hills above the Ionian coast, from the Pollino foothills to the Sila plateau, where Gaglioppo, Magliocco and the dessert wine Moscato passito are made in places that belong to Italy's national association of wine-producing towns.
The best wine towns in Friuli-Venezia GiuliaTen wine towns across Friuli-Venezia Giulia, from the Isonzo plain and the Collio hills to the Karst above the Gulf of Trieste, each a member of the national association of wine-producing towns. White wine country, Roman ruins, Lombard churches and osmize.
The 6 best wine towns in LazioLazio grows more wine than its reputation suggests, from the volcanic slopes of the Colli Albani to the Ciociaria hills near the Abruzzo border. These towns all belong to the national association of wine-producing towns, and each one sits in a working vineyard landscape rather than beside one.
The best wine towns in LombardiaLombardia grows wine on terraced Alpine slopes above the Adda, on the morainic hills south of Lake Garda and across the Mantovana plain. These are towns that belong to the national association of wine-producing communes, from Sondrio and Tirano in Valtellina to Volta Mantovana and Monzambano.
The best wine towns in MarcheSix Marche towns that belong to Italy's national association of wine-producing communes, from Verdicchio country in the hills above Ancona to the Passerina and Pecorino vineyards inland from the Adriatic.
The 10 best hidden wine towns in SardegnaSardinia's wine country sits inland, in granite and basalt hill towns where Cannonau, Vermentino and Monica are made in small quantities and drunk locally. These are the wine-producing towns away from the coastal resorts, from the Barbagia to the Gallura.
The best small wine towns in SardegnaSmall Sardinian wine towns where Cannonau, Vermentino and Vernaccia are made in granite hill villages and vineyards behind the dunes. Each belongs to the national association of wine-producing towns.
The best small wine towns in CampaniaCampania's wine country runs inland from the coast into the Irpinia hills and the Sannio, where Aglianico, Fiano and Greco grow on volcanic soil. These small towns all belong to the national association of wine-producing towns, and most travellers pass them by.
The best wine towns that eat well in CampaniaCampania's wine country runs from the Falanghina slopes of the Sannio to terraced vines above the Amalfi coast, and these towns pair the bottle with a kitchen a dining guide has singled out. Aglianico, buffalo mozzarella, wood-fired pizza and lemon groves, in places built of volcanic tuff and sea-facing stone.
The best wine towns with a food festival in ToscanaTuscan towns that grow wine and then build an autumn festival around one ingredient: the truffle, the chestnut, the new oil, the pig. Sangiovese country and the Val di Chiana, plus a stretch of the Etruscan coast where the vines run down to the sea.
The best hidden wine towns you can reach by train in the province of SienaWine country in the province of Siena, reachable on the regional line: Sangiovese cellars, travertine and brick hill towns, thermal water at the edge of the Crete Senesi, and vineyards that turn rust-coloured through October.
The best hidden wine towns with a medieval festival in ToscanaTuscan wine towns that also keep a medieval calendar: crossbow contests, horse races between contrade, drummers in the piazza, and cellars of Sangiovese, Vernaccia and Morellino under the same stone streets. Best in late spring and early autumn, when the festivals fall and the vineyards are working.
The 7 best wine towns you can reach by train in CampaniaCampania's wine country runs inland from the coast, up the Sabato and Calore valleys and across the volcanic tufa of Irpinia, where Aglianico, Fiano and Greco di Tufo grow within walking distance of a working railway station. These are the wine towns you can reach without hiring a car.
The 7 best small wine towns with a serious restaurant in PiemonteWine villages across the Langhe, Roero and the Gavi hills where the cellar and the kitchen carry equal weight: Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and Cortese poured beside plin, raw veal and tajarin in dining rooms the strictest guides bother to list.
The 8 best wine towns within 90 minutes of SalernoInland from the Gulf of Salerno the volcanic hills of Irpinia and Sannio grow Aglianico, Fiano and Greco, while terraced vines cling to the cliffs above the Amalfi coast. Both wine countries sit within easy driving distance of the same city.
The 9 best wine towns that eat well within 90 minutes of PerugiaSagrantino, Grechetto and Vino Nobile grow within an easy drive of Perugia, on hills of clay and travertine where the vineyards run into olive groves and the restaurants take the local bottle seriously. These are the wine towns near Perugia where a guide-listed table sits inside the walls.
The 6 best wine towns you can reach by train within 90 minutes of PescaraMontepulciano d'Abruzzo, Pecorino and Trebbiano grow on hills that run from the Adriatic up towards the Maiella, and the regional railway lines out of Pescara reach wine towns where you can taste, eat and get back the same evening without hiring a car.
The best wine towns within 90 minutes of NapoliInland from Napoli, the volcanic soils of the Campanian interior grow Aglianico, Falanghina and Greco in hill towns built of tufa, where the vendemmia still sets the calendar and lunch runs long. These are wine towns within easy driving distance of the city, each a member of the national association of wine towns.
The 10 best hidden wine towns that eat well within 90 minutes of TorinoSouth and east of Torino the land folds into the vine hills of the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato, where Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Barbera and Moscato grow within an easy drive of the city and every village keeps a kitchen serving tajarin, vitello tonnato and agnolotti del plin.
The 7 best wine towns you can reach by train within 90 minutes of TorinoPiedmont's wine country runs out along regional railway lines from Torino, through Langhe hills of Nebbiolo and Barbera, tufa cellars under Canelli and hazelnut groves above the Tanaro. These are wine towns with a station, reachable without a car.
The best small wine towns within 90 minutes of TorinoSouth and east of Torino the hills turn to Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and Moscato, with vineyard villages of brick and tufo that hold a wine cellar, a butcher and a view over the Langhe. All belong to the national association of wine towns, and all sit within a comfortable drive of the city.
The best hidden wine towns you can reach by train within 90 minutes of UdineFriulano, ribolla gialla and refosco grown on the gravel plains and marl hills east of Udine, in towns the regional trains still stop at. Roman ruins, Lombard crypts and frasche serving prosciutto San Daniele, all without a hire car.
10 wine villages near BolognaTen Emilia-Romagna comuni within two hours of Bologna, picked for wine: Lambrusco, Sangiovese di Romagna, Pignoletto, and the smaller DOCG zones. With drive times and what to drink.
10 wine towns near VeronaTen Veneto wine comuni within 90 minutes of Verona: Valpolicella, Soave, Bardolino, Custoza, Lugana. Drive times, what each comune produces, and when to taste.
10 Tuscan wine towns near FlorenceTen Tuscan wine comuni within two and a half hours of Florence: Chianti Classico, Carmignano, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Montecarlo, Pomino. Drive times, what each comune makes, and when to taste.