Extending over 306 hectares across two sites – at Montalcino and Scansano – the winery of Fattoria dei Barbi goes back centuries and helps preserve the rich history and heritage of wine in the area. Having won prizes for their Brunello all over Europe since the late nineteenth century and continuing to do so to this day (but now all over the globe), this is the ideal spot for those interested in Tuscan wine and the Brunello variety, in particular. Just find your perfect getaway spot by browsing our luxury villas in Montalcino and then set aside some time to visit the winery for yourself and learn more about their business, history, and production while also getting to taste some exceptional wines in Tuscany.
Fattoria dei Barbi owes its origins to an ancient Sienese noble family, the Colombini, who were wool merchants and then, later, went into banking. In the 14th century, they first came to Montalcino and remain there to this day. In the 19th century, they began winemaking under Pio Colombini, who married Elina Padelletti, a young woman from an ancient and noble family of Montalcino. With this marriage to Elina, the family came into the possession of the Villa Podernovi, which is where Fattoria dei Barbi’s cellar and laboratories are located today. Their son, Giovanni, was a great innovator and pioneer of modern viniculture and was the person who proposed the opening of the first Italian public wine shop in the Fortress of Montalcino. He also began the practice of the mail-order selling of Tuscan wines and was the first to target many overseas markets. All of his ideas moved their customer base from an exclusively elite market to a much wider category and changed the way wine was sold.
As of the 1950s, the cellars of Fattoria dei Barbi have been opened to the public and, as they were in many other aspects of wine culture, they were trailblazers in encouraging the growth of wine tourism. Over 1.5 million visitors have now visited their cellars, which boasts a collection stretching from 1870 to the present day. Both innovating and preserving history, they are a forerunner in what a winery has been and can be in the future. If you want to attend their tours or tastings there are a variety of options at different price points, starting at just €5.00. Check out their website for more details.
As of the 1950s, the cellars of Fattoria dei Barbi have been opened to the public and, as they were in many other aspects of wine culture, they were trailblazers in encouraging the growth of wine tourism. Over 1.5 million visitors have now visited their cellars, which boasts a collection stretching from 1870 to the present day. Both innovating and preserving history, they are a forerunner in what a winery has been and can be in the future. If you want to attend their tours or tastings there are a variety of options at different price points, starting at just €5.00. Check out their website for more details.
