Castello Banfi
The meeting point is the enoteca wine shop — a practical detail that turns out to be the right one, because it means you start with a glass before you see anything. Castello Banfi sits on a 7,100-acre estate south of Montalcino, anchored by a medieval castle with a crenellated tower and two inner courtyards, one of which preserves a Renaissance arcade of low arches on octagonal pillars and a 16th-century Medici coat of arms.
The estate runs deep: beneath the castle's north wing, the Balsameria ages balsamic in a long, dim room that feels like a wine cellar scaled down to something more intimate. A museum of bottles and glass occupies the 14th-century structure. The Michelin-starred restaurant is overhead, its walls painted with grapevines.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who come back tend to book La Taverna over La Sala dei Grappoli on a second visit — not because the starred room isn't worth it, but because pinci with wild boar ragù under stone vaulting in the old cellar is harder to replicate anywhere else. Reservations for tours are mandatory, so sort that before you leave home.
The story behind Castello Banfi
The castle at Poggio alle Mura developed between the 9th and 13th centuries, with its first documented appearance in a 1318 cadastre. It changed hands over the centuries and sustained damage in World War II, after which it declined steadily.
In the mid-1970s, Italian-American brothers John and Harry Mariani hired oenologist Ezio Rivella to scout Tuscan vineyards. They acquired land outside Montalcino and established their estate — named Banfi after their aunt — around 1977–78. The castle itself came into their possession in 1982–83, in precarious condition, and they undertook a substantial renovation. Cristina Mariani-May, John's daughter, now runs the operation as CEO.
Good to know
You'll need a car: the winery is 4 km from the castle, and the guide leads a convoy between them. The estate is roughly 90 minutes from Florence and 2.5 hours from Rome. Hotel Il Borgo is open late March through mid-November; plan accordingly if you want to stay on the property.
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What travellers say about Castello Banfi
Front Desk: 5/5 Bathroom: 5/5 Housekeeping: 5/5 Ammenties: 4/5 Room: 5/5 (jr suite) Location: 4/5 What a wonderful hotel, true 5 star service from staff and the property is breath-taking. Room was well designed with plenty of space including a massive bathroom (note this was a suite). Staff was so helpful in providing anything we needed and coordinating transfers and other services. 2 restaurants: 1 fancy, 1 more casual. Provided enough variation so you didn't have to eat at the same place every night. Location is great for tuscan countryside but note there isn't much around so not convenient in terms of proximity to closest town but you're in the countryside for a reason so should expect as much.
We came here for the winery tour + lunch. The grounds were absolutely gorgeous and the castle and trees were so picturesque! We started the tour with a quick intro and a look at the balsamic fermenting room, then drove 5 min to the cellars for the remainder of the tour before heading back to the restaurant for lunch. The tour was so interesting and the cellar was very cool. The barrels are huge! The lunch food was also very good and the balsamic and wine are top notch as well. We came with our 7mo baby and it wasn’t too difficult for us. They had a nice family washroom with a changing table, and provided us with a Tripp Trapp high chair during lunch.
Incredible experience. Stayed just one night during my holiday, and had dinner and lunch at the Taverna restaurant. The property is beautiful. The food, wine and staff were all excellent. Highly recommend.
Our stay at Castello Banfi was the one the best vacation experiences. The staff was excellent and just the best. We loved every minute of our stay at Castello Banfi. La Taverna was amazing, the food excellent. We will do everything we can to stay again.
This was our second stay at Il Borgo but it won't be the last. The staff, from top to bottom, are dedicated to their jobs and you can tell they love working there. The wait and kitchen staff at La Taverna and La Sala dei Grappoli are true professionals. We enjoyed one meal at each and both were the highlights of our visit. We will happily make reservations next spring when we have our annual spring trip to Toscana. Keep up the great work!
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