Vernaccia Vineyard Walk — Via della Cellolese
Vernaccia di San Gimignano was the first Italian wine to receive DOC status, back in 1966, and the vineyards that produce it begin literally the moment you step outside the town walls. A gentle 5-kilometre loop along Via della Cellolese and the surrounding farm tracks takes you through the heart of this ancient wine landscape with the towers always visible on the ridge above.
The Route and What You'll See
Start at Porta delle Fonti, the eastern gate, and descend toward the medieval washhouses (the Fonti, dating to 1237) before picking up the unpaved track that winds south through Vernaccia vines, sunflower fields in summer and silvery olive groves.
The soil here is a distinctive pale clay called tufo — light-coloured, almost chalky — which reflects heat upward onto the grape bunches and gives Vernaccia its characteristic mineral, almond-finish dryness. You will notice how different it looks from the darker Chianti soils further north.
Combining the Walk with a Tasting
Several working estates are directly on or just off this loop, including Fattoria Poggio Alloro and Tenuta Il Colombaio di Santa Chiara, both of which offer drop-in tastings for around €10–15 without a reservation in the shoulder season (April–May and September–October).
Return to the walls via the northern track for a final view of San Gimignano's tower silhouette against the sky — the classic postcard angle — before rewarding yourself with a glass of chilled Vernaccia at any enoteca on Piazza della Cisterna.
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