Who owns Castello Sonnino?

The de Renzis Sonnino family. Isacco Sonnino bought the castle at the start of the 19th century, and Baron Alessandro de Renzis Sonnino and Baroness Caterina have run it since 1987. The technical director, in charge of the wine and the oil, is Samuele Mammoli.

Where is Castello Sonnino?

At Montespertoli, in the Chianti hills, about 20 minutes from Florence, Volterra and San Gimignano on the road towards Pisa and Livorno. The address is Via Volterrana Nord 6/A.

Can you visit Castello Sonnino?

Yes, by booking ahead. The Enoteca runs wine tastings, a gourmet tasting with food, a tasting that takes in the Vinsantaia and the barrique cellar, a light lunch and a full Tuscan lunch after a tour of the 16th-century rooms, and cooking classes. The cards on this page show what can be booked and what it costs.

Can you stay at Castello Sonnino?

Yes. There are three apartments: one in the 13th-century tower for up to four people, the 15th-century winemaker's apartment with three bedrooms for up to six, and a late-19th-century farmhouse behind the castle with a garden, also for six. They are booked through the estate.

What wine does Castello Sonnino make?

Chianti Montespertoli, the smallest of the Chianti zones, from Sangiovese and Canaiolo grown only on the estate, plus reds with Merlot, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec planted since 1987. There is a Vin Santo from Trebbiano dried for five months in the old Vinsantaia, and two olive oils, one under the Laudemio mark.

Who was Sidney Sonnino?

A statesman who lived at the castle. Born in Pisa in 1847, he was Italy's finance minister in 1893, prime minister in 1906 and again in 1909 to 1910, and foreign minister from 1914 to 1919, when he signed the Treaty of London. He died in Rome in 1922. His rooms and his archive of letters and papers are kept in the castle.

Castello Sonnino

Castello Sonnino is a family wine estate at Montespertoli, in the Chianti hills about 20 minutes south-west of Florence. A 13th-century tower and a 16th-century house stand over more than 40 hectares of vines and nearly 17 of olives. The Sonnino family has owned it since the early 1800s, and it was the home of Sidney Sonnino, twice Italy's prime minister. Today it makes Chianti Montespertoli, Vin Santo and Laudemio olive oil, and opens for tastings, lunches, cooking classes and stays in three apartments.

Tuscany
Tastings
Tours
Accommodation
Booking required

Book a visit 8 experiences · from €20

Castello Sonnino and its tower above a vineyard at Montespertoli, with the hills behind

About Castello Sonnino

Isacco Sonnino bought the castle at Montespertoli at the start of the 19th century. Its square tower dates from the 1200s and the house around it from the 1500s, and the family has lived there ever since. The best-known Sonnino was Sidney, born in Pisa in 1847. He was finance minister in 1893 and prime minister twice, in 1906 and from 1909 to 1910. As foreign minister through the First World War he signed the Treaty of London. His rooms are kept as he left them. His archive was found in the castle in 1967 by an American professor. It holds his letters, economic studies and the wartime papers of the foreign office.

The estate's modern chapter began in 1987, when Baron Alessandro de Renzis Sonnino and his wife Caterina moved in with their children Virginia and Leone. They restored the house, which belongs to Italy's historic houses association, and brought the vineyards back to life. Alongside the Chianti grapes, Sangiovese and Canaiolo, they planted Merlot, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. The couple also set up the Castello Sonnino International Education Centre, which runs study-abroad terms for American and Canadian universities.

The wine is Chianti Montespertoli, the smallest of the Chianti zones, recognised in 1997. The estate works only its own grapes, grown on the slopes below the tower, and the estate's cellars date from the 1600s. In the old Vinsantaia the Trebbiano grapes for the sweet Vin Santo dry for five months after the September harvest. They hang on hooks or lie on mats, in the old way. The olive groves, about 24 football pitches of Frantoiano, Moraiolo, Leccino and Pendolino trees, are hand-picked and pressed for two oils. One carries the Laudemio mark, a name reserved for the top Tuscan oils. Samuele Mammoli, the technical director and a trained sommelier, is in charge of the wine and the oil.

The estate opens for tastings, guided tours, cultural evenings and events through the year. The Enoteca runs wine tastings, one of them with a tour of the old Vinsantaia and the barrel cellar, and a gourmet tasting with small plates. A light lunch or a full Tuscan lunch follows a guided tour of the 16th-century rooms, and there are cooking classes. The Sonnino Restaurant cooks with organic produce from the estate and its neighbours. Three apartments take guests. One is inside the tower, one in the 15th-century winemaker's house on the tree-lined drive, and one a farmhouse behind the castle with its own garden. Florence, Volterra and San Gimignano are each about 20 minutes away.

Editorial · ItalianWines.co.uk

Plate I · TUSCANY

Castello Sonnino on the Tuscany wine atlas

Via Volterrana Nord 6/A, 50025 Montespertoli (FI)

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Visit & Experiences

8 bookable experiences at Castello Sonnino

5 tastings and 3 tours, checked by our editors. From €20.

At a glance, editorially verified

Tastings 5 bookable Tours 4 bookable

Accommodation Not bookable here

Booking Required in advance

Tasting

Wine Tasting

1h 30 From €20 per person

Wine tasting I is the simplest version of the wine tastings offered by Enoteca Castello Sonnino, ideal for guests looking for the opportunity to visit multiple places in one day. A selection of 3 labels and a gastronomic combination of 0 km products. What's included: - Wine tours 3 Sonnino wines (1 white/rose, 1 vintage red, the Chianti Montespertoli Riserva) - Ancient Grain Bread from Castello Sonnino paired with our extra virgin olive oil.

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Tour

Historical visit of Sonnino Castle

50 min From €25 per person

Visitors will be able to access the halls of the Castle, finding themselves immersed in a magical atmosphere given by the wonderful frescoes The visit will begin in the reception rooms in the 16th century private residence, followed by the extraordinary opening of the historical archive of the Prime Minister Baron Sidney Sonnino which preserves important documents and relics of the First World War, the library and the medieval kitchen of the Castle

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Tasting & Tour

Gourmet wine tasting with tour

2h From €45 per person

Visitors will take a tour of the aging cellar and the 19th-century Vinsantaia followed by a tasting of 3 wines, IGT Toscana Bianco, IGT Toscana Rosato, Chianti Montespertoli DOCG accompanied by a platter of cold cuts, cheeses served with our own honey, and bruschetta with seasonal vegetables

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Tour

Sonnino Light Lunch with visit

2h 15 From €50 per person

This is the most popular experience we offer our guests. A true immersion into the products and production areas of Castello Sonnino. From a guided tour of the 16th-century historic rooms to a tasting of products sourced entirely from the estate. In addition to the three wines normally included in our tastings, we add Vinsanto, considered one of the highest quality in the Chianti region. To ensure the ultimate sensory experience, the wines are paired with a menu specially selected by the estate for an impeccable pairing. Wine Tour 4 Sonnino Wines (1 white/rosé, 1 vintage red, the Chianti Montespertoli Riserva, and our award-winning Vinsanto del Chianti) Gastronomic Pairing: Antipasto of local (Km 0) products including cheeses, cured meats, honey, and jam. A first course consisting of ancient grain pasta from Castello Sonnino paired with a sauce prepared exclusively using products from our organic vegetable garden. And for

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Tour

Sonnino Tuscan lunch with tour

2h 30 From €65 per person

This is the most popular experience we offer our customers. A true immersion into the products and production areas of Castello Sonnino. From a guided tour of the 16th-century historic rooms to a tasting of products sourced entirely from the estate. In addition to the three wines normally included in our tastings, we add Vinsanto, considered one of the highest quality in the Chianti region. What is included Wine Tour 4 Sonnino Wines (1 white/rosé, 1 vintage red, the Chianti Montespertoli Riserva, and our award-winning Vinsanto del Chianti) Gastronomic Pairing - Appetizer of local products (Km 0) including cheeses, cured meats, honey, and jam. A first course consisting of ancient grain pasta from Castello Sonnino paired with a sauce prepared exclusively using products from our organic vegetable garden, and a main course featuring meat fed with grain from the estate. To finish, cantucci made with ancient grains from Castello Sonnino.

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Tasting

Cooking class at the Enoteca

3h From €145 per person

Guests will be welcomed in the wine shop where they will prepare two first courses with local and seasonal products, guided by a chef, while tasting a glass of wine of their choice between IGT Toscana Rosato or IGT Toscana Bianco. Following this, lunch will be served, consisting of a mixed Tuscan appetizer, the two first courses prepared by the guests, and ancient grain cantuccini, accompanied by a tasting of 3 wines, IGT Toscana Rosato or Bianco, IGT Toscana Rosso, Chianti Montespertoli DOCG, with the option to add Vin Santo.

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Food Pairing

Cooking class & lunch at Castello Sonnino

4h From €190 per person

Guests will be welcomed at Castello Sonnino. Here, they will prepare 2 dishes with local and seasonal products together with a chef, while enjoying a wine of their choice from IGT Toscana Bianco, IGT Toscana Rosato, or IGT Toscana Rosso. Afterwards, they will be taken on a guided tour of the castle's state rooms, the historical archive, the library, and the cellar. Lunch will then be served in the castle's dining room, accompanied by a tasting of 5 wines: IGT Toscana Bianco, IGT Toscana Rosato, IGT Toscana Rosso, Chianti Montespertoli DOCG, and Vinsanto del Chianti DOC.

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Tasting

Wine Tasting 2

2h 30 From €35 per person

Wine Tasting 2 is the wine experience where you will be able to visit the historic production areas; the 16th-century Vinsantaia and the historic barrel cellar. This will allow you to immerse yourself in the environments that were the cradle of the wines we will taste, to create an even more intimate connection between you and our wines. What is included Wine tour 3 Sonnino Wines (1 white/rosé, 1 vintage red, the Chianti Montespertoli Riserva) Ancient grain bread from Castello Sonnino paired with our extra virgin olive oil

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Stay in the tower, the winemaker's house or the farmhouse at Castello Sonnino

Accommodation

Castello Sonnino, Montespertoli

Stay in the tower, the winemaker's house or the farmhouse

Three apartments on the estate: one inside the 13th-century tower, 150 square metres for up to four, the 15th-century winemaker's house with three bedrooms for up to six, and a farmhouse behind the castle with its own garden, also for six.

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castellosonnino.it/

Via Volterrana Nord 6/A, 50025 Montespertoli (FI)

+39 0571609198

[email protected]

Common questions

The de Renzis Sonnino family. Isacco Sonnino bought the castle at the start of the 19th century, and Baron Alessandro de Renzis Sonnino and Baroness Caterina have run it since 1987. The technical director, in charge of the wine and the oil, is Samuele Mammoli.
At Montespertoli, in the Chianti hills, about 20 minutes from Florence, Volterra and San Gimignano on the road towards Pisa and Livorno. The address is Via Volterrana Nord 6/A.
Yes, by booking ahead. The Enoteca runs wine tastings, a gourmet tasting with food, a tasting that takes in the Vinsantaia and the barrique cellar, a light lunch and a full Tuscan lunch after a tour of the 16th-century rooms, and cooking classes. The cards on this page show what can be booked and what it costs.
Yes. There are three apartments: one in the 13th-century tower for up to four people, the 15th-century winemaker's apartment with three bedrooms for up to six, and a late-19th-century farmhouse behind the castle with a garden, also for six. They are booked through the estate.
Chianti Montespertoli, the smallest of the Chianti zones, from Sangiovese and Canaiolo grown only on the estate, plus reds with Merlot, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec planted since 1987. There is a Vin Santo from Trebbiano dried for five months in the old Vinsantaia, and two olive oils, one under the Laudemio mark.
A statesman who lived at the castle. Born in Pisa in 1847, he was Italy's finance minister in 1893, prime minister in 1906 and again in 1909 to 1910, and foreign minister from 1914 to 1919, when he signed the Treaty of London. He died in Rome in 1922. His rooms and his archive of letters and papers are kept in the castle.

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