Cordella Winery in Tuscany

Last Updated on 05/05/2021

There are so many great options for wine tasting in Tuscany. How can you possibly choose? It’s a similar feeling to choosing only one flavor at a gelateria. We hadn’t done too much research and decided to stop at Cordella Winery mainly because it was on our way from Montepulciano to Siena. Now having experienced an afternoon here, I would go out of my way to visit this family owned and operated, 100% organic winery. Wine tasting at Cordella was one of the best decisions we made during our road trip in Tuscany.

Maddalena Cordella’s husband and the winery’s chef, Aldo, greeted us and made us feel welcomed immediately. He gave us an extensive personal tour of the vineyard, where the wine is aged and the production facilities.

The organic grapes are all picked by hand and aged for up to 5 years in French wood barrels. After the tour, he showed us into our personal dining room for two looking out onto the Tuscan countryside.

We opted for the light lunch with wine tasting option. A “light meal” in Italy is usually enough to tide me over for the rest of the day and Cordella was no exception. I had only given Maddalena a few hours warning that I had celiac disease and they were more than accommodating. I usually keep low expectations as you can’t expect people to have gluten free bread on hand, but they did!

The light lunch option included an impressive spread of bread with truffle butter, liver pâté and prosciutto (meat isn’t really my jam, but Mr. Petite Suitcase loved it). Aldo also made us a zucchini and ricotta appetizer splashed with Cordella olive oil. This was heavenly and I plan on recreating it at home.

Not only did Aldo create a delicious personalized lunch, the wine was exceptional. The tasting started off with their rosé, the Rosato. These days I rarely meet a rosé I don’t like, but this truly topped the charts. The wine tasting continued with Toscana Rosso, Rosso di Montalcino and then the crown jewel of the region’s specialty, Brunello di Montalcino. I am no sommelier and can’t begin to describe wine, but each one was better than the next and I adored the first.

The light lunch option usually doesn’t include a main course, but since he was making some pasta for a large party in the next room, Aldo happily gave a portion to Mr. PS. For me, he went out of his way to create a gluten free risotto made with their top rated Brunello di Montalcino. To conclude the tasting, they served their grappa and sweet dessert wine with biscotti.

Aldo educated us on each type before pouring us a taste almost a full glass of wine. They left the bottles on the table and told us to feel free to pour more of whatever we wanted. I felt completely at home with their sincere generosity. With a wine induced glaze over my face, we meandered around the vineyard and soaked in the Tuscan sun.

Needless to say, we left Cordella with more than a few bottles to take home (bottles range from $18-$120) and a wonderful, affordable wine tasting experience that can’t be topped. Be sure to book ahead so Aldo and Maddalena can plan in advance and prepare a wonderful meal for you!