Osteria Brancaia — Attraction in Radda in Chianti

Stunning winery with a gorgeous vista that is slightly removed from the main drag of the Chianti/Monteriggioni wineries down a gravel forest path.

We came for the wine tasting in the afternoon and were very impressed by the quality and sophistication of all levels of wine they had to offer us! The Il Blu was our favorite with a smooth, deep bodied character, complex aromas and a slightly dry finish. The entry level Chianti Classico was also leagues above the quality of young “classicos” we’d tried at other wineries in the area.

The wine tasting room, adjacent dining area and the panoramic viewing area are all gorgeous but not overstated like some of the celebrity/Insta-famous ones we’ve seen. Most patrons would feel right at home in this setting enjoying an afternoon tipple in the shade with a snack without worrying about dressing up over the top for the occasion. I think lunch or dinner here would be fabulous.

Being non-Italian speaking foreigners we rely on suggestions by other wineries and advice by the sommeliers running the wine tasting on how to best appreciate the wines of the region. We did not however quite get the welcome we expected at this winery for our visit. On arrival I asked for wine tasting and the prices and was met with a sigh and fumbling behind the counter to find a hidden price list for different numbers of wines to taste which was plonked on the counter and the sommelier walked away. Eventually they came back to ask hastily how many wines we wanted to taste and then immediately asked which ones we wanted without telling us anything about them or making any local recommendations or giving us time to flick the menu. They seemed frustrated that we were there and we felt hurried to make a decision.

I feel that 95% of people doing wine tasting don’t have the full knowledge of a trained sommelier, want to understand the region better and most would appreciate an explanation of how each winery works and what the flagship wines are along with suggestions before making selections. It shouldn’t be up to the patrons to draw this information out embarrassingly step by step like we had to. I should also note that the wine menu itself did not offer any description of the wine qualities other than the name of the wine, a picture of the bottle and percentage of grape variety so making a decision with this alone - unless professionally trained - would be completely random.

We saw an amber colored rose wine on display which we asked about by using the term “orange” and was told this wine was not on the menu. Later I heard the sommelier talking to their colleague about the English people asking for an “orange” wine and laughing. Perhaps I misinterpreted this whole interaction due to the language and cultural barrier but given all of us felt unwelcome and uncomfortable initially before eventually working hard to get some warmth out of our interaction I think it’s important to note.

Tuscany so far has been an exceedingly welcoming place for us so with this contrast I feel compelled to provide the feedback so that improvements in customer experience can be evaluated.

Overall I DO recommend this place and imagine our less than average experience was a one-off blunder due to employee stress or something unknown to us given the consistent excellent reviews of...

We visited Brancaia Winery in May, 2024 with the purpose of testing and buying some bottles of high-quality wine. We started with the guide/sommelier from visiting the vineyard/terroir that is located near Radda in Chianti. The vineyard is beautiful, and the organic viticulture is kept in Brancaia. After visiting the cellar, we started our testing of five wines. Il Bianco 2022 as the first - a pure Sauvignon Blanc, very fruity and fresh. Then Chianti Classico 2022 - a pure Sangiovese, classification of Chianti Classico DOCG, very fine indeed. After that, Chianti Classico Riserva 2020 (80% Sangiovese/20% Merlot) - for me this one was the finest, with an intense ruby red colour, complex aromas of ripe fruit and the taste of tobacco (I am still a smoker...), good, round body, with medium tannins and a long finish. Afterwards, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2020 - a single-vineyard Sangiovese (Brancaia, Radda in Chianti, class.: DOCG) - this one is full-bodied, with strong tannins and a long finish. It's matured in tonneaux for 18 months and in concrete tanks for 3 more months. In the end, we tested Il Blu 2020 - that is Brancaia's flagship wine. The blend of 80% Merlot, 10% Sangiovese and 10% cabernet Savignon, with ultra-fine tannins and focused finish. For the lovers of Supertuscans (or however you call a very fine wine from Tuscany fermented mostly of French grape varieties). We bought Chianti Classico Riserva and Chianti Classico Gran Selezione. I hope to visit Brancaia more often, and... I am finishing for now, as I want to have another glass of CC Riserva from...

Last week me and my friend went to Casa Brancaia to have a wine tasting and had a wonderful and pleasant experience. My friend said it was really one of the best things we did on our week in Tuscany. And if she said it, you better believe it's true. What to say? we felt quite royal and special by the way they served and attended us. Definitely I'll recommend this place not only for the beautiful location, the very nice wine tasting but also for the food with homemade pasta. in general to dye for! We had a very nice tasting giving by Angela who made us fall in love with the wines directly. Thank you again Angela! Ok, the road to get there might be an adventure for some people and your car might be getting a bit dusty from the outside (at least our did), but you'll be rewarded with a beautiful view and a palate full of strong and delicate flavors. For sure I'll hope to be back there to remember the taste of Brancaia and see the lovely people again that put a smile on our faces and left us with a good taste in our stomach and in our mouth. ;)

PS: of course they wear mouth masks there, but I didn't want it to ruin...