4 Wines Tasting with 2 Tuscan Cheeses & Tour at the winery

Small wineries tell bigger stories. This experience takes you from Florence to a family-run estate near San Casciano, where you tour the cellars, learn how wine is made, and taste four Tuscan wines with two sheep’s milk cheeses. I especially like the personal welcome from the Martelli family and the chance to see the production rooms before sitting down to taste.

I also like the sensible tasting lineup: two IGT Toscana wines, a Chianti Classico, and a Chianti Classico Riserva. The main consideration is transport. You must reach Via di Perseto, 4, in San Casciano in Val di Pesa yourself, and the activity is non-refundable, so your plans need to be firm.

Key points at a glance

• A family welcome at Terre di Perseto: You may be greeted by the owner or a family member, giving the visit a personal feel rather than a large commercial winery setup.
• Four wines with a useful regional range: Taste two IGT Toscana wines, one Chianti Classico, and one Chianti Classico Riserva.
• A cellar tour before the tasting: See machinery, barrels, and the working side of production while learning how the wines are made.
• Two sheep’s milk pecorino cheeses: The cheese is not an afterthought. It provides a practical way to compare wine flavors with local food.
• Optional vineyard walk: A short walk among the vines may be possible, depending on the season and weather.
• Convenient for a Florence day trip: The estate is a short drive from Florence, but there is no transportation included in the experience.

From Florence to San Casciano in Val di Pesa

The winery is at Via di Perseto, 4, in San Casciano in Val di Pesa, in the Tuscan countryside outside Florence. That setting matters. You leave the city’s museums and traffic behind and reach the working source of the wine you are about to drink.

The location is described as a convenient short drive from Florence, making this a practical choice for a half-day outing. The experience itself lasts about 1 hour and 40 minutes, so the winery visit does not consume a full day. You can pair it with other plans in the Florence area, though you should allow extra time for your own journey to and from the estate.

The meeting point and ending point are the same. That is helpful if you are driving, arranging a taxi, or using another private transfer. The booking includes a mobile ticket and the experience is offered in English.

There is no listed pickup from Florence, and the available details do not specify public transportation directions. I would treat this as a self-arranged visit rather than a tour with city transport included. Check your route carefully before booking, especially if you are trying to fit the tasting between fixed appointments.

The group can reach up to 20 people. That is not an intimate private tasting, but it is still small enough for a family host to explain the wines and answer questions. The strongest personal touch comes from the people leading the visit, not from a promise of a tiny group.

Meeting the Martelli family at Terre di Perseto

The experience begins when you arrive at Terre di Perseto, the agricultural business of Niccolò Martelli. You are welcomed by the owner or a family member, and the tone is intended to feel more like being received by family friends than entering a polished tourist showroom.

That personal welcome is one of the main reasons I find this visit appealing. A family-run winery can connect the bottle on your table with the people, equipment, and land behind it. One particularly praised guide is Benedetta, who has been described as giving a detailed explanation of the winemaking process and the individual wines.

You should not expect a theatrical show. The appeal is a direct conversation about what the estate produces today. Terre di Perseto also makes olive oil, adding another layer to the visit, although olive oil tasting is not part of the listed package.

The setting may suit you if you prefer a smaller agricultural business to a grand wine palace. It is less suitable if you want extensive vineyard hiking, a large meal, or a full-day food program. The included experience is focused: cellar visit, wine education, four wines, two cheeses, and water.

Inside the cellar and production rooms

The cellar tour comes first. This is a smart order because it gives you a basic understanding of production before you start tasting. You see the machinery and barrels while the host explains the company’s background, current production, and winemaking methods.

For anyone who usually sees wine only as a finished bottle, this part adds useful context. You can connect the flavors in your glass to the stages explained in the cellar. The discussion covers how the wines are made and how the equipment supports that process.

The visit is not simply a walk past old barrels. The stated plan includes an explanation of the production process and a look at the machinery used by the winery. That makes the cellar worthwhile even if you already know the basics of wine.

The exact balance between history, equipment, and technical detail can depend on the host and the questions asked by the group. If you want more than a general overview, ask about fermentation, barrel aging, grape varieties, or the difference between the estate’s IGT and Chianti Classico wines. The hosts are there to explain the wines, so a few clear questions can turn a standard tour into a more useful lesson.

The four-wine tasting in a dedicated room

After the cellar tour, you sit at tables in a dedicated wine-tasting room. This is more comfortable than standing around a counter, especially when the tasting includes four wines and food.

The lineup includes:

• Two IGT Toscana wines
• One Chianti Classico
• One Chianti Classico Riserva

This selection gives you a chance to compare different expressions from Tuscany rather than drinking four nearly identical pours. The hosts explain each wine’s composition, flavors, and other characteristics as you taste.

The two IGT Toscana wines can help show how a Tuscan wine may be classified outside the stricter Chianti Classico rules. The Chianti Classico introduces the area’s best-known appellation, while the Riserva offers a comparison with a more developed version of Chianti Classico. The exact grape blend and flavor profile are explained during the visit, so you should pay attention to the host rather than relying only on the label.

I like this progression because it gives the tasting a clear educational shape. You are not just handed four glasses and left to guess what separates them. You can ask why one wine is classified as IGT Toscana, how the Chianti Classico differs, and what makes the Riserva distinct.

The tasting is likely to work best for curious beginners and casual wine drinkers. You do not need advanced wine vocabulary. You can simply note which wine you prefer and ask what creates that difference.

At the same time, the four pours are not presented as a full meal. The listed food is two local cheeses, with water included. If you want extra food, wine, liqueurs, or spirits, those may be added for an extra fee directly at the winery. Ask about the cost before ordering so the final bill does not surprise you.

Pairing the wines with two pecorino cheeses

The food pairing is simple and very Tuscan: two sheep’s milk cheeses, commonly known as pecorino. Cheese gives the tasting a practical side. It lets you see how salt, texture, and dairy richness affect the wine in your glass.

The exact cheeses are not specified, so you should not expect a detailed list of aging periods or a guaranteed style. Still, having two different pecorino cheeses is more useful than serving one generic snack. You may notice that a wine tastes softer with cheese, or that a stronger cheese makes a wine’s fruit and acidity more noticeable.

The pairing also keeps the experience tied to local food culture. Wine is not presented as an isolated product. It is served alongside a regional staple made from sheep’s milk, creating a small but meaningful link between the cellar and the table.

Past visitors have especially praised the cheese tasting, and one experience included cheeses with jams. Jams are not part of the listed sample menu, so consider them a possible extra rather than a promised inclusion. The dependable food element is the two pecorino cheeses.

If you are very hungry, plan accordingly. Cheese and wine can make a pleasant tasting, but this is not advertised as lunch. Extra food may be available for a fee, but you should not book this visit as a substitute for a full Tuscan meal.

A vineyard walk when the conditions allow

A short walk through the vineyards may be possible, depending on the season and weather. This is a welcome addition because it puts the vines in front of you before or after you taste the finished wine.

The important words are depending on the season and weather. The walk is not guaranteed, and you should not build your plans around a long outdoor tour. The primary experience remains the cellar and seated tasting.

When the walk is available, it can help you understand the setting in a more direct way. You see where the grapes begin, then visit the rooms where they are processed, and finally taste the wines. That simple sequence gives the visit a strong sense of place without requiring a demanding hike.

Wear sensible shoes if you hope to walk among the vines. This is practical advice rather than a promise about the terrain, since the available details do not describe the paths. If the weather prevents the walk, the indoor portion still includes the cellar, production explanation, and tasting.

What the $44.55 price gives you

At $44.55 per person, the value depends on what you want from a winery visit. You receive about 1 hour and 40 minutes at the estate, a cellar and production tour, four wines, two local pecorino cheeses, water, and explanations in English.

That is a fair package for someone who wants both wine tasting and a look behind the scenes. You are paying for the host’s time, the guided explanation, the four-wine comparison, and the setting outside Florence. It is more useful than a quick tasting where you receive pours without context.

The value is less clear if you are mainly looking for a large meal, a long vineyard excursion, or included transport. None of those is part of the core package. Extra food, wine, liqueurs, and spirits cost more, and your journey to the winery is your responsibility.

The strongest value comes from the personal element. Benedetta has been praised for tailoring the explanation and helping visitors gain a better understanding of Chianti wines. Another detailed experience led to six bottles being shipped back to the United States, which suggests the tasting can be persuasive if you find a favorite.

Of course, buying wine is optional. I would taste first, take notes on the wines you prefer, and only then consider purchasing or arranging shipment. Do not feel that the tasting fee obliges you to buy anything.

Group size, timing, and practical details

The maximum group size is 20 people. That gives the winery room to welcome several bookings while keeping the format manageable. If you want the most personal exchange possible, arrive ready with questions and stay engaged during the explanations.

The activity lasts approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes. The timing is long enough for the cellar tour and four-wine tasting without turning into a drawn-out wine lecture. Since vineyard access depends on conditions, the exact rhythm may vary.

Confirmation is provided at booking, and you can use a mobile ticket. The experience is offered in English. Service animals are allowed, and most people can participate, although the information does not describe specific accessibility features inside the cellar or vineyards.

This activity is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. I would book only after checking your Florence plans, transportation, and weather expectations. Since the activity is often booked about 21 days ahead, reserve early if your dates are fixed, but do not book casually if your schedule may shift.

Who will enjoy this winery visit most

I would choose this experience if you want a manageable introduction to Tuscan wine without committing to a full day in the countryside. It suits couples, small groups, and food-minded visitors who enjoy meeting producers and hearing how a bottle comes together.

It is also a good fit for wine beginners. The four-wine lineup gives you enough range to notice differences, while the host’s explanations keep the tasting from becoming a guessing game. You can learn about Chianti Classico without needing to study Italian wine labels beforehand.

The visit may appeal to experienced wine drinkers too, especially if you enjoy family-run producers and want to compare IGT Toscana with Chianti Classico and Riserva. Just keep your expectations realistic. This is a focused tasting, not an advanced certification course or a long technical seminar.

I would hesitate if you need guaranteed outdoor time, a substantial lunch, included transportation, or flexible cancellation. The tasting room and cellar are the reliable core. The vineyard walk and any additional food are conditional or extra.

Should you book the Terre di Perseto tasting?

Book it if you want a personal winery visit near Florence with a clear structure and a strong local-food connection. The combination of cellar tour, four wines, pecorino cheeses, and family hospitality gives you more substance than a simple pour-and-go tasting.

I especially like the chance to compare two IGT Toscana wines with Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Riserva. Add the warm welcome, the possibility of meeting Benedetta or another family member, and the chance to see the machinery and barrels, and the $44.55 price looks reasonable.

Skip it if your priority is a full meal, guaranteed vineyard walking, or included city pickup. For everyone else, this is a focused and friendly way to spend part of a day in the Tuscan countryside. Just arrange your own transport, allow for the strict cancellation terms, and arrive ready to ask questions.

FAQ

Where does the wine tasting take place?

It takes place at Terre di Perseto, Via di Perseto, 4, 50026 San Casciano in Val di Pesa, Florence, Italy.

How long does the experience last?

The activity lasts approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes.

How many wines are included?

Four wines are included: two IGT Toscana wines, one Chianti Classico, and one Chianti Classico Riserva.

What food is included?

The tasting includes two local sheep’s milk cheeses, or pecorino cheeses. Water is also included.

Is transportation from Florence included?

The available information does not list transportation or pickup from Florence. You meet and finish at the winery address.

Is the vineyard walk guaranteed?

No. A short vineyard walk may be possible depending on the season and weather conditions.

Can I add extra food or drinks?

Yes. Extra food, wines, liqueurs, and spirits may be available for an additional fee paid directly at the winery.