Museum of Grapes and Wine in Montespertoli

The Museum of Grapes and Wine in Montespertoli, located inside the ‘I Lecci’ Centre for Wine Culture, collects pieces from the main product produced in the Chianti region, wine, through a research route which illustrates, in addition to the production phases (from collecting the grapes up to making and bottling the wine), the value of the tradition which is linked to the fascination of the terrain and its cultivation. The centre also has a wine bar where visitors can taste traditional Tuscan dishes. 

On the ground floor of the museum, there are screens and historical photographs of the Montespertoli countryside, while on the first floor there is a room dedicated to sharecropping, a homage to the system which dominated these lands for many centuries. The tour then moves on to the theme of earth and vines, which is followed by a section dedicated to the harvest cycle of grapevines: historic images showing the different phases of vine cultivation next to images of the modern grape harvest are projected onto the walls, while different work tools are on display on a stand.

In the museum, there is a reconstruction of two typical wine production areas: the tinaia and the wine cellar. The two spaces are continuously developing, as was probably the case on the farms. In the centre, on a large stand, the main wine production tools are exhibited, while along the walls there are pictures of the vat cleaning process and the production of Vin Santo and vinegar.  

The tour ends with the Laboratory of the Senses, which allows visitors to explore, through the senses, the sounds, smells and flavours of wine.