The best way to see Tuscany, is you guessed it, via bicycle. While it can be quite hilly, thus challenging on a regular road bike (although a good workout), you can focus less on exertion and more on wine drinking by renting e-bikes. There are two places you can rent e-bikes and go on a tour. One is Urban Bikery in Montepulciano and the other is in Lucignano called Vertigo. The start of your journey from Urban Bikery is a little more challenging given the steepness of coming in and out of Montepulciano. If you are looking for more of a beginner ride with a tour guide then you should look into Vertigo. At Vertigo, they will drive you and your bike to the start of the ride (ex. Cortona) and you will be accompanied with a local tour guide who will tell you about the area. Urban Bikery is all self-guided however they do give you a map (paper or on your phone) and give you suggestions on where to stop.
We rented e-bikes in Montepulciano at Urban Bikery and had a blast. The tires are big enough to withstand any kind of bumps or gravel roads, and they give you route options (long or short) plus wineries you can stop in along the way. You do need to make your own reservations at the wineries before heading out which I feel like is a slight miss by Urban Bikery but nonetheless, these places are off the beaten path and the wineries are used to the bikers coming through. Just know that on Sundays and Mondays, man places are usually closed which is why its best to call them in advance just to make sure. It can be hot but start early and bring lots of water. The long route goes from Montepulciano to Pienza and back but because we had so much fun at the wineries, we stayed at each place longer than expected and thus decided to skip Pienza on the way back. Below is the route we took.
Reserve your bikes at Urban Bikery in Montepulciano in advance to ensure they have the bikes available but also so you can start the day when they open at 930am (it gets hot). They are located right off the main square at the very top of the hill in Montepulciano. They have a cool shop located in an old stone refurbished building that also sells leather jackets, clothes, and other accessories. You can pay in card, cash, or Bitcoin!
Their service was great. We actually had a small issue with one of the bikes on our way to the first winery. One of the spokes broke so we called them and they came immediately and switched out the bike with a new one. Easy peasy and it was all done while we were sipping wine overlooking the vineyard.
Our first stop took us to a place called Fabbrica - an ultra modern winery off the beaten path of the hillsides of Montepulciano. They offer a nice crisp white, rose, Sangiovese and a Syrah (slightly different than what you might be used to in the area).
The second stop was a place closer to Pienza called Casa Gori Azienda Agricolo and it was unexpectedly amazing. Honestly, how can you be disappointed with anything in Tuscany, but I just love off the beaten path, slightly different ambiance and food choices anywhere I go. This family-owned place produces orange wine, beer, and they have their own food truck on site. All their food is produced from resources at the farm. Seriously, I would go back just for the food truck and orange wine. My husband is a beer connoisseur and loves their beer menu!
The third stop would have put us in Pienza but we decided to head on back to Montepulciano. We took our time at both stops because we were enjoying ourselves so much so by the time 4pm rolled around, we were ready to head back.
All in all a great trip, and I highly recommend this as an activity while in Tuscany. The electric assist definitely came to the rescue, especially after drinking wine and a belly full of tasty food.
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