Everything You Need to Know About Wine Tasting in Milan

There is a lot to know about wine tasting in Milan, like in most places in Italy. Milan sits surrounded by many fantastic Italian wine regions like Franciacorta, Valtellina, and even the Langhe in Piedmont, which isn’t too far away. If you visit for just a short trip, you might find it tough to fit in a little wine-tasting trip or a full Milan-style wine tour.

So, why not taste your way through the city directly? We want to share a few of our favorite spots to go wine tasting in Milan and create memorable experiences—perfect for anyone searching for the best wine bars in Milan or a true Italian wine adventure.

Of course, if you want to explore the vineyards, scroll down and you’ll discover more about nearby wine regions that you can easily enjoy. You might even book a vineyard tour near Milan.

Wineries in Milan

Milan boasts plenty of excellent enoteche―wine bars, where you can enjoy a glass at any time. However, you can take your wine experience a step further at a few places in the city, with tastings or a peek into a charming vineyard—just like you would on a Milan wine tasting tour.

Did you know that right in the city, you will actually find a winery and a little vineyard? Cantina Urbana stands as the only so-called urban winery, producing wine directly within Milan. At the same time, you will discover fascinating places full of history, culture, and wine-making passion. Let’s explore these hidden gems of wine tasting in Milan.

Cantina Urbana winery

Every step of the wine-making process, from grape selection to refinement, takes place right within the heart of Milan. Cantina Urbana started with the idea to follow a passion for artisan quality and conviviality, and to make both accessible to all. The founder, Michele Rimpici, brought together five other winemakers to realize this dream.

They invite visitors to taste their wines at several locations around Milan, but they especially love when you visit proprio in cantina, right at the winery. A major part of their philosophy involves participation and bringing people to the center of wine.

They produce a wide range of wines, including sparkling, pet-nat, whites, rosés, and reds. You will always find a bottle ready for every wine drinker.

You can join a special led tasting of their wines, a tasting of their amphora-refined wines, or a “make your wine” experience, all at their primary location on Via Ascanio Sforza, 87, in Milan.

Consider these highlights when you visit Cantina Urbana:

• Led tastings of their signature wines
• Unique amphora-refined wine tastings
• “Make your wine” workshops, where you can blend and bottle your own wine

Definitely try the Make Your Wine experience. It takes you beyond the traditional tasting and lets you fully immerse yourself in the life of winemaking.

La Cieca

The most fun way to taste wine? Taste it blind! La Cieca (Via Carlo Vittadini, 6), meaning blind in Italian, operates as a wine bar unlike any other. It’s a tiny hole-in-the-wall enoteca. In fact, you might miss it if you aren’t searching for it. Locals love it, and wine connoisseurs from all over Italy flock here.

Here, you can participate in a wine tasting of their extensive selection, either by choosing your own lineup of variety or vintage, or by leaving it all in the hands of the professional sommelier at the bar.

If you want even more of a challenge, ask for a wine alla cieca. They’ll serve you a blind-tasting glass, and you’ll guess what you can about the wine. If you get the variety or region right, you enjoy a glass on the house. If you provide even more details, like the producer and name of the wine, you win a whole bottle!

Signorvino

Signorvino operates as a chain enoteca, but even so, they offer a great selection of small producers and highlight some unique wines whenever they can, with all the authentic Italian charm and expertise. You will find many locations, and one sits nearby the Duomo.

While you can visit any day and enjoy a glass of wine and a bite to eat, they also host wine-tasting events quite regularly. These tasting events might focus on a single producer, run vertical (by vintage), or horizontal (comparing the same vintage but different producers or styles) tastings.

Usually, their wine tasting in Milan includes a full glass, plus an accompanying bite to eat. Keep an eye on their website for future events.

When you visit Signorvino, you can expect:

• Regular themed tasting events by producer or variety
• Carefully paired food and wine options
• A focus on lesser-known Italian regions and small winemakers

Milano Wine Week

Besides the renowned Fashion Week, Milan also hosts another famous week. If you find yourself in Milan in early October, you will enjoy plenty of wine tasting! The Milano Wine Week runs for one week, when stores and enoteche open their doors to visitors for masterclasses, tastings, and special dining events.

While many events are reserved for industry professionals, many more open their doors for wine lovers of all kinds. Watch the official website to find out more about their events and the tastings available.

Wine tasting near Milan

Milan provides an excellent central location to visit many of Northern Italy’s famous wine regions. With just a short drive, you can plan a day trip to the vineyards of Franciacorta, Oltrepò Pavese, and even the Langhe, or Monferrato. If you’re searching for a vineyard tour near Milan, these destinations fit perfectly for a quick escape.

To visit these regions, you might rent a car, or join a tour, but since they are close, you definitely can fit a few winery visits into one day.

Franciacorta

If you love bubbly wines, you will want to take a trip to Franciacorta. The region along the southern coast of Lago d’Iseo produces famous sparkling wines following the metodo classico.

Blends of Pinot Nero and Chardonnay ferment a second time in the bottle, with months of fermentation, to develop complex layers of aroma and flavor.

The region also produces still wines under the name Curtefranca. These wines include blends of Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco, or red blends of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Merlot. You can certainly spot them in almost any wine tasting in Milan, too.

Oltrepò Pavese

Just south of Milan, the Oltrepò Pavese region is well known for its Pinot Nero wines, both sparkling and still.

Although this region does not enjoy much fame outside of Italy, you should not overlook it. You will find many excellent producers and beautiful vineyards to explore in this hidden gem.

Also, keep it in mind when you’re wine tasting in Milan, as you will surely find wines from this region in the best places.

Langhe & Monferrato

A bit further away into the region of Piedmont, you can discover two renowned wine regions: The Langhe, and Monferrato. If you don’t have the time to visit, you should make sure to ask for some of these wines during your wine tasting in Milan.

The Langhe, you probably have heard of, even if you don’t know it by name: this is where the famous Barolo and Barbaresco are produced.

Monferrato, in contrast, usually sits just off the beaten path, but it ranks as one of Piedmont’s most productive wine regions. Here you can try Barbera d’Asti, Nebbiolo, Freisa, and one of our favorites: Ruchè!

Sparkling wine lovers will also find a new favorite wine here with the Alta Langa—another blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Nero made with the metodo classico, much like Franciacorta.

FAQ: Wine Tasting in Milan

What are the best wine bars in Milan for a local Italian wine experience?

You will find many excellent wine bars in Milan, or enoteche, where you can enjoy both classic and rare Italian wines. Favorites include La Cieca for a unique blind-tasting experience and Signorvino, which features a wide selection of Italian wines from small producers. Cantina Urbana also offers a true Italian wine experience right in the heart of the city.

Can I join a wine tour in Milan or nearby regions?

Absolutely. While Milan itself offers wine tasting experiences and urban wineries, you can also join a Milan wine tasting tour or a vineyard tour near Milan to explore regions like Franciacorta, Oltrepò Pavese, and the Langhe. Many tours offer transport from the city and include tastings at renowned wineries.

Is it possible to do wine tasting in Milan without leaving the city?

Yes! In addition to the best wine bars Milan has to offer, you can visit Cantina Urbana, an urban winery producing wine right in the city. Enoteche like La Cieca and Signorvino also host regular tastings, giving you an Italian wine experience without leaving Milan.

What wine regions are easiest to visit on a day trip from Milan?

Milan is an ideal starting point for a vineyard tour near Milan. Franciacorta (famous for sparkling wines), Oltrepò Pavese (known for Pinot Nero), and the Langhe & Monferrato (Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera d’Asti) are all within a short drive, making them perfect for a day trip.

When is the best time to experience wine tasting events in Milan?

October is a fantastic time, as Milano Wine Week brings masterclasses, open tastings, and special events to the city. Throughout the year, many wine bars and wineries host regular tastings—just check their websites for the latest events.

Are you ready to taste your way through Milan’s wine scene? Whether you’re looking for the best wine bars Milan has to offer or planning a vineyard tour near Milan, you will always find an Italian wine experience for every palate in this iconic city.