← Ecomaratona del Chianti Classico·Day trip

Chianti Classico: Driving the Course Estates

The estates the race runs through, seen again at 50 km/h from a car seat with a booked tasting and no gradient to worry about.

DurationDay trip
TransitCar with a driver, 15 to 40 min between stops
DepartsCastelnuovo Berardenga

After the Ecomaratona del Chianti Classico: The Wine Estates

The Route: Castelnuovo Berardenga → Castello di Brolio → San Felice → Castelnuovo Berardenga Logistics: A car with a driver. Tasting rooms pour wine, and anyone driving should not taste. Book both the driver and the tasting in advance, since Monday opening hours are limited and some estates are closed to walk-ins. Marathon Month: October Duration: Day trip

Castelnuovo Berardenga ──(car, 20 to 30 min)──> Castello di Brolio ──(car, 20 to 30 min)──> San Felice ──> back

The course leaves the road at Poggio Bonelli, crosses a chain of estates on white gravel, and drops onto the cypress avenue at Castelli in Villa around the point where the legs go quiet. Most runners see the scenery in bursts, between watching their feet and reading the mile markers. This trip is a chance to look properly, from a seat, with a glass in front of you.

October in Chianti: the harvest is usually finishing or over, and the vines are turning yellow, orange and red. Daytime temperatures are typically 12 to 20 °C, cooler in the mornings, and the lanes are dusty after a dry spell or slick after rain. Some estates run tastings that include a look at the cellars, and many reduce their hours after the harvest.

Do not drive after a tasting. The estates are a short distance apart, but the roads are narrow, bendy and used by farm vehicles. A hired driver for the day avoids the problem, and your accommodation in Castelnuovo Berardenga can usually arrange one.

The day

Start at Castello di Brolio, the seat of the Ricasoli family and one of the oldest wine estates in Italy. The estate is on the course, and the castle sits on a hill with long views across the vineyards. The gardens and the interior have their own opening times and prices, so check them and book a tasting in advance.

Continue to San Felice, another estate that features on the route, in a hamlet of stone buildings. Its restaurant and tasting room open by reservation and its opening days vary. Look at the wine list before you book and ask for a Chianti Classico Riserva or a Gran Selezione if you want a comparison across bottlings.

Then, if you want a view of the course itself, drive the road past Castelli in Villa and stop at the cypress avenue. It is the single most photographed spot on the route and it looks unremarkable when you are not running towards it.

Lunch works best at a small trattoria. Try ribollita, the thick bread and cabbage soup, or wild boar ragù on pappardelle. Many places close on Monday, so ask your host to phone ahead.

Getting back

Plan to be back in Castelnuovo Berardenga before dusk, since many estate roads are unlit. If you fly out from Florence or Pisa, arrange the transfer for the next morning rather than the evening.