Discover and Tour The Best Oil Mills Of Tuscany, Florence, Chianti and Livorno.

Italy has an age-old tradition of olive groves and all the products that can be acquired from these trees. As one of the world’s biggest producers of olive oil, second in quantity only to Spain and hardly paralleled in quality, Italy features some of the finest olive oils on the market, and most of them come from Tuscany.
If you’re visiting Tuscany and its stunning countryside, historical cities and diving into the culinary tradition of this Italian region, you have to stop by an oil mill to try from the source a sample of Italian olive oil, and discover the process and history behind this golden liquid that graces everyone’s table.
Here are some of the best oil mills in Tuscany. There are many more throughout the region, so don’t forget to check if there’s a mill close to you, or else you’ll miss the unique opportunity to try some of the best EVO oils of Tuscany, Italy and the world!

Antico Frantoio Toscano Peccianti

In Bibbona, near Livorno, we’ll find this first oil mill. Family owned for the most part, the Frantoio Peccianti focuses on producing extra virgin olive oil IGP Toscano (“Protected Geographic Indication”), sourcing olives from the several groves owned and handled by the Peccianti family. The mill has one of the largest production lines of Italy and produces cold-pressed EVO oil exclusively through an innovative, unique technique and fully automated machinery that allow for the milling of olives in the first 24 hours after the harvest. The entire process behind the production of olive oil happens inside the Peccianti mill: harvest, clean-up, milling, pressing, chemical analysis, preservation and bottling. The farms that provide the mill with olives grow the Tuscan varieties of Frantoio, Leccino, Pendolino, Cipressino and Moraiolo olives. The Frantoio organizes workshops and tasting courses and here you will also be able to buy their oil and other products. For more info or to book a visit to the mill, refer to the Frantoio Peccianti contacts page at www.peccianti.com/contatti/.

Frantoio Pruneti

In San Polo in Chianti, near Florence, you’ll find the Frantoio Pruneti, an oil mill with a 160 year long history of hard-work, family traditions and innovative technologies all contributing to the production of fine IGP Tuscan oils. The mill offers extra virgin oil as well as a separate collection of monoculture oils, made exclusively from olives of the Frantoio, Leccino and Moraiolo varieties. In addition, the Frantoio Pruneti produces fruity blends of oils that are perfect to pair with different foods and meal courses. If you want to learn more about how the oil is produced, from harvest to bottling, the mill offers visits and tastings. A 45-60 minute tour of the mill will allow you to discover the production process, the differences in the types of oils produced and what makes for a high-quality oil, along with a tasting experience. From April to September, another tour is available that will teach you how to best pair olive oils with food. You can book tours any day of the week and shop at the Frantoio Pruneti Mon-Sat from 9:30 to 18:30. Contact info at www.pruneti.it/contatti.aspx.

Gonnelli 1585

In Reggello, just outside Florence, you’ll find Gonnelli 1585. As the name suggests, the history of the company goes way back, and the mill now sources its raw ingredients from 43.000 olive trees from olive groves of the area. The mill receives olives of many varieties to produce EVO oil recognized as DOP Chianti and IGP Tuscan. With a wide selection of quality products, you can book a tour of the mill at the Gonnelli 1585 contact page www.gonnelli1585.it/it/contatti. The Gonnelli brand includes the Frantoio di Vertine oil mill, which you can visit to discover the cold-press production techniques as well as enjoy the surrounding countryside and medieval buildings.

Azienda Olearia del Chianti

Near Florence, in Panzano in Chianti, you’ll find the Azienda Olearia del Chianti. An oil mill that produces a stunningly wide selection of different oil varieties and oil-related products and snacks, this company is worth a visit just for the goodies it has to offer in their shop. The extra virgin olive oil they produce is of the highest quality and meets all production standards, and includes the DOP Chianti Classico oil, IGP Tuscan oil and 100% Italian and biological oils, made from cold-pressed Tuscan olives. The mill carefully and meticulously carries out chemical and taste tests to ensure quality down to the smallest detail on their 4 bottling lines, that produce over 20,000 bottles of oil per hour. State of the art machinery and innovative techniques meet with the age-old oil milling tradition and the purity of the locally sourced Tuscan olive types. Closed on week-ends, you can visit the Azienda Olearia del Chianti Mon-Fri from 8:00-12:30 and 14:00-17:30.

Lucca Guided Tour with Food Experience

Silvia is a reputable and licensed tour guide with years of extensive industry experience. As your premier tour guide for the Tuscany Region, she has a foreign language degree and speaks both Italian and English fluently. With more than 15 years if the tourism industry, she has organized countless tours of her hometown for tourists, visitors, and locals alike. From historic sites and architecture to the best in old town shops and jewelry venues, this amazing guide will truly show you the magic and mystique of Lucca. As a world renowned and popular tourist attraction, Lucca is blanketed with breathtaking scenery and picturesque landscapes at every turn. Explore the wonders of Lucca, which features medieval churches, art museums, Renaissance walls, and ancient palaces, that capture the true allure and essence of old Italy.

The Lucca Tour

As part of your guided tour, you will embrace the beauty of Lucca with its enchanting villages, parks, hamlets, and the resort town of Viareggio. The coastal region of Versilia is also a must see for those that love the ocean and stunning mountain views. After a day of touring, enjoy the hottest nightlife spots with world class cuisine, wine, and the perfect blend of traditional and contemporary music.

Lucca Wine and Fine Gourmet Tours

If you love to sample fine wines and delicious Italian delicacies and entrees, your guide will connect you to the finest restaurants and outdoor cafes in the region. Dazzle your taste buds with the best in Torta Derbi, Buccellato, Cioccolato, along with traditional olive oil and salami specialties. This is a must for fine gourmet connoisseurs and aficionados that want to sample and taste the best in Italian cuisine. While the aromas and scents will captive your soul, you will also love the historic churches, monuments, architecture, and burgeoning art scene that Lucca offers.

Lucca Gardens

The guide will also take you on a walking tour of the regionally renowned Botanical Garden. The Palazzo Pfanner garden and Guinigi tower are also situated within long and woody city walls that cannot be missed. The Lucca Gardens tour showcases some of the finest frescoes in the region that exemplify the historic traditions and culture of this fascinating city. From elegant floral arrangements to lavish shopping venues, Lucca welcomes you and your loved ones with open arms

Food Lovers Tour in Florence

I am German, 49 years old, deeply in love with Italy. I live in Florence for 30 years and I am an Art History major, with 24 years experience as guide and tour manager.

Florence does not only offers art, culture and architecture but as in any other Italian city it offers a vast array of foods and wines. This tour offers a possibly to explore gelato, espresso, chanti wine, and a visit to the central food market in the city. Not to be missed by any food lover!

Tour Guide: Juliane

I am German, 49 years old, deeply in love with Italy. I lived in Florence for 30 years and I am an Art History major, with 24 years experience as guide and tour manager.

Florence market food and wine tour – source

Customized private tour, not more than 8 participants.

Highlights of the tour: Central Food Market Hall of Florence, visit and tastings:
Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Truffles, Tuscan Specialities.
Walking tour along all the most important monuments: Duomo, Signoria Square, Ponte Vecchio. Stops for more tastings: gelato, lesson on Italian Coffee, Wine, Prosecco or Grappa, street food such as tripe and good Italian Panini.

Possibility to include the David of Michelangelo.

Duration: about 4 hrs

Meeting point: Pick up in your hotel, or at the Bell Tower of the Duomo.
Entrance fee for the Accademia Museum (David): 16,00 E. per person

Best Street food in Florence.

My trip to Florence, Italy was an adventure to remember. Among the sight-seeing, walking, shopping and general absorbing of this aesthetically pleasing city, I found some of the most delightful little street food vendors and places to get some of the best and most traditional foods Florence has to offer. To really take in and appreciate this Italian city for what it truly stands for, food wise, these were the best examples I could have tried. Known well for its consumption of wines, cold meats and cheese,
Florence is very well fed on flavoursome food and drinks. Eating here is an
absolute experience and they pride themselves on their many choices. Most
vendors will use the local produce meaning you get to taste the authenticity of Florence and Tuscan specialities.

It seemed just as I started to think of lunch, one of these beautiful little eateries would appear just as I needed them. Over all I found the Florence staff working at the venues to be really friendly and patient with my non-Italian lingo. Their English was wonderful and their accents understandable. I would recommend learning a little Italian before you
go as you can understand so much more when exploring their city and the food and wines Florence can offer.

I due fratellini in Florence.

Due Fratellini is a quaint and traditional little
sandwich and wine venue in the heart of Florence. If you are visiting Florence, I recommend you pop into this little treasure trove of fresh, mouth-watering, Tuscan food.

If you arrive here bang on lunch time like I did, then get in the que, the service is fact and the food is so worth the wait. It looked really daunting as I approached this hole-in-the-wall restaurant. There were at least 10 people outside the door waiting to be served. But I had a feeling it was going to be good because of the people eagerly waiting for their sandwiches and paninis.

With over 30 choices of filling for your Tuscan Bread sandwich or Panini, on any day of the week, it is hard to choose your combination of fresh cheese’s and cold meats and fish. The salad is as local as the Tuscan Ham with fennel seeds, all from small producers in Florence, you can guarantee it is as fresh as it possibly could be.

If you do get stuck with your sandwich filling, the family behind this traditional little street food vendor have put together a wonderful selection of suggestions from Green sauce to Tuscan Wild Boar Salami. The cheeses they have are a wondrous treat, so fresh and flavoursome. Pecrino cheese with Tuscan truffle for example was something I had never tried before my visit here.

The sandwiches are only 4euro so it is very affordable to eat here.

The gentlemen working behind the counter were very friendly and the food was amazing. People have heard a lot about this place and it has a great reputation so I would say a must see!

Their wine selection is extensive with a six foot deep wine rack holding hundreds of beautiful Chianti and Pinot Grigio, the rack spans the whole back wall of the counter up to the front door. The general trend here is to choose a sandwich or panini, then get yourself a lovely glass of Tuscan Wine to wash it down while accentuating the flavours of the Italian cheeses.

Panino Mondiale.

Panino Mondiale is a tiny little kiosk type, food vendor in
the Santa Maria Navella Train Station in Florence and offers some great street food. The name literally translates to World Sandwich.

The fillings available are plenty and their speciality is something called Lampredetto. This is a meat product which is served hot in your Tuscan Bread Roll, dusted with flour. It is lean and meaty and it comes from the
intestine of smaller cattle. This traditional Florence dish is not to be missed
and tastes great.

This is a good place to eat on the go with
the takeaway bags they provide and all at low street food prices.

The menu is impressive for such a small shop and I was pleased to see lots of children friendly options like burgers and sausages alongside their selection of dishes and sandwich fillings which are all bought fresh on a daily basis from the City Market.

L’antico trippaio.

L’antico Trippaio is a small food stall in the tiny unsuspecting location of the narrow historical streets in the city of Florence close to the Palazzo Vecchio. As a street food vendor, this place ticks all the boxes for a Tuscan Sandwich shop and give you an extensive menu of boiled meats and salsa verde aka green sauce. An elderly lady runs the little stall and
although not too friendly, she does know how to make you one of the best lampredetto smothered with a good serving of salsa verde and Tuscan cheese.

Rosticeria Giuliano.

Rosticceria Giuliano 3 this is beautiful and traditional
Italian take away deli. The menu offers some home-made dishes and the produce is all local from Florence itself. The ingredients are fresh and full of flavour. I had some Tuscan Ham, peas and potatoes and it was beautiful. The staff are very welcoming and friendly. Roast chicken is always a reccomended to try with visiting an Italian rosticeria.

Their wine selection is huge but the staff are happy to help guide you if you get stuck. I was torn between the Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG and the Super Tuscans. They allowed me to try both and I settled with the Chianti.

The chef comes into the deli and makes sure you and enjoying his culinary delights. An all-round lovely little place to get a nice glass of Chianti and a good hot meal. The display window shows an array of meats and cheese as well as their home cooked dishes. It’s hard to walk past and I just couldn’t resist the temptation.

Streed food tour in Florence.

Street food vendors are a plenty in Florence and you will no doubt discover some little gems yourself whilst wandering the streets and markets of this traditional little city. Many a review online can be found to show there is much excitement around the taste bud tingling flavours and discoveries found here.

Enjoy the views and absorb the ambience of Florence, the street food and wine is the final link to your full on Florence experience.