From 19 to 23 November 2026, the Tuscan town of Montalcino will host the 35th Benvenuto Brunello festival. Representatives of 116 wineries will present new releases of Brunello di Montalcino and other local wines. The five-day programme includes professional tastings, meetings with producers and expert-led masterclasses. The first two days are reserved for invited journalists, while tasting stands open to wine professionals and enthusiasts from 21 November.
New vintages and the importance of Benvenuto Brunello
Benvenuto Brunello is organised by the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, which protects local wine appellations and promotes the region's producers. Unlike a general food festival, this event focuses on assessing upcoming wine releases before they reach the wider market. Journalists, sommeliers and buyers examine the characteristics of each vintage, while visitors to the public tastings can meet individual winemakers and discover how much variation exists within this relatively small area of southern Tuscany.
The principal wines are Brunello di Montalcino 2022, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2021 and Rosso di Montalcino 2025. The new Brunello releases are scheduled for commercial debut in January 2027, while the younger Rosso category follows a different release timetable. Sangiovese is the grape at the centre of these wines, but soil, vineyard altitude, slope orientation and ageing techniques result in distinctive interpretations. Comparing bottles from different estates therefore reveals far more about the territory than tasting only a single example.
19 and 20 November – private sessions for the international press
On Thursday 19 November, proceedings begin at the Chiostro di Sant'Agostino, a historic monastery complex in central Montalcino. From 11:00 to 17:00, invited Italian and international journalists will attend seated tastings with sommelier service. This structured format allows participants to compare samples carefully, examine the new vintages and record their impressions without the movement associated with public tasting stands. The evening programme also includes invitation-only dinners at participating wineries across the surrounding wine-growing territory.
On Friday 20 November, the press tastings continue at the same venue from 09:00 to 17:00, followed by an invitation-only gala cocktail scheduled for 20:00. A separate public moment takes place at 18:30, when the Christmas lights are switched on near the historic Fiaschetteria di Montalcino. Organised with local institutions, the ceremony marks the beginning of the festive atmosphere in the old town. Visitors should distinguish this town-centre celebration from the professional wine tastings, which remain restricted to invited participants throughout these first two days.
21 November – public tastings and official presentations
On Saturday 21 November, the official programme begins at 09:30 at Teatro degli Astrusi. The Consorzio will examine the 2026 agricultural season and present its assessment of Brunello 2022 using the Brunello Forma system. A discussion about the identity, reputation and lasting value of Made in Italy products follows, moderated by Luciano Ferraro, deputy editor of Corriere della Sera. The morning also includes the Leccio d'Oro awards and the unveiling of a commemorative ceramic tile dedicated to the 2026 harvest, whose design is associated with the Italian Vespa brand.
From 10:30 to 18:00, the Chiostro di Sant'Agostino hosts walk-around tasting stands attended by the producers themselves. Unlike the seated media sessions, visitors can move between estates, ask questions about individual vineyards and compare the styles of different wineries. At 15:00, the Tempio del Brunello hosts a paid English-language masterclass with wine educator James Smith, widely known as Wine With Jimmy. Using eight selected wines, he will explore Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino beyond the characteristics of a single vintage.
22 and 23 November – masterclasses and the final tastings
On Sunday 22 November, tasting stands open at 10:00 and continue until 18:00. At 11:00, Master of Wine Cristina Mercuri will lead the paid Italian-language session La piramide del Brunello. It compares three expressions of local production: standard Brunello, wines from individual vineyards and the Riserva category. Nine wines from the 2019, 2020 and 2021 vintages provide examples of how vineyard location, winemaking choices and additional ageing influence a wine's character and evolution over time.
Monday 23 November is the final festival day, with public tastings again taking place from 10:00 to 18:00. At 11:00, Gabriele Gorelli MW leads a specialist masterclass reserved for invited participants. The session provides another opportunity to examine different expressions of Montalcino wine through a professional perspective. Although the public programme concludes that evening, preparation of the new Brunello releases continues ahead of their market debut. The final day still allows regular visitors to meet producers without attending the invitation-only educational session.
Montalcino – a medieval town shaped by wine
Montalcino lies in the province of Siena, surrounded by the hills, vineyards and olive groves of southern Tuscany. Its historic centre preserves narrow streets, stone façades and buildings recalling the medieval period. Above the old town stands the 14th-century Fortezza di Montalcino, while Piazza del Popolo and the Palazzo dei Priori remain key landmarks. The central tastings take place within the historic Sant'Agostino complex rather than in an isolated exhibition hall, connecting the wine event directly with the town's architectural and cultural heritage.
The vineyards of Montalcino occupy slopes with different elevations and exposures, creating conditions in which neighbouring estates can produce noticeably different wines. Outside the town, the Romanesque Abbey of Sant'Antimo is another important landmark, set within the rural landscape near Castelnuovo dell'Abate. By November the grape harvest is complete, and winemakers are concentrating on maturation and cellar work. A festival presenting new releases at this time of year therefore reflects the agricultural calendar as well as the commercial life of local wine estates.
Getting to Montalcino from Florence Airport
Florence Amerigo Vespucci Airport (FLR) is one of the principal international arrival points for Tuscany. Tram line T2 connects the airport with Florence, from where regional journeys towards southern Tuscany may continue through Siena. ItalianAirports.eu has a dedicated Siena destination and airport connections page. Travellers heading on to Montalcino should pay attention to the final stage of the journey: the medieval town has no passenger railway station in its centre, so buses or road transport are needed after the main intercity connection.
For people attending Benvenuto Brunello, a private road journey can reduce the number of changes between the airport, railway station and accommodation. This may be particularly relevant after a late arrival or when travelling with bulky luggage, although individual transport arrangements depend on the carrier. ItalianAirports.eu provides a directory of transfer routes across Italy for researching published connections. The existence of the directory does not in itself confirm a specific bookable transfer to Montalcino, and access to streets within the old town may be subject to local traffic restrictions.
Arriving from Pisa Airport and travelling through Siena
Pisa Galileo Galilei Airport (PSA) is another possible gateway to the region, serving international and domestic air passengers. The PisaMover automated link connects its terminal with Pisa Centrale station, from which rail journeys towards Siena involve regional connections and possible changes. The onward stage to Montalcino can be completed by bus or road transport. Because the festival includes morning events on several different days, the actual departure schedule and connection times matter more than any rough estimate of the distance between the airport and the venue.
Siena is an important regional transport hub for journeys towards Montalcino. Local buses serve the area, including a connection commonly identified as route 114, although services can vary between weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The festival runs across all of those days, and some scheduled presentations begin early in the morning, so an itinerary suitable on Friday may not work identically on Sunday. ItalianAirports.eu describes destinations and transfer options, while current public transport timetables and operating conditions are determined by the relevant local transport companies.
Admission, tickets and events at local wineries
The principal venues are the Chiostro di Sant'Agostino, Teatro degli Astrusi and Tempio del Brunello. Tastings on 19 and 20 November are reserved for invited media representatives; from 21 to 23 November, the walk-around stands admit wine-sector professionals and enthusiasts under the organiser's arrangements. The James Smith and Cristina Mercuri masterclasses require separate paid admission, while Gabriele Gorelli's session is by invitation only. The official Benvenuto Brunello website publishes the programme and visitor information, making the distinction between public tastings, paid activities and private sessions clear.
Additional events are organised by local wine estates alongside the main festival programme. Tenute Donna Olga is hosting Flamenco Divino on 22 November, an evening devoted to flamenco music and dance. On 22 and 23 November, Fattoria dei Barbi will offer aperitifs featuring Brunello and regional products such as olive oil, cheese and truffles. These activities are organised independently of the main monastery tastings and have their own participation arrangements. Together they illustrate how the wine presentation connects with food traditions and the wider cultural life of Montalcino.
Five days of Brunello and Tuscan wine heritage
Benvenuto Brunello 2026 brings together 116 wineries, international wine specialists and visitors interested in the latest releases from southern Tuscany. Over five days, the event allows participants to compare Brunello 2022, Riserva 2021 and Rosso 2025, hear directly from producers and attend detailed educational sessions. Its location in Montalcino's historic centre underlines the connection between wine, agriculture, architecture and everyday local life. When the festival closes, the new Brunello wines will continue their journey towards commercial release, informed by the first professional assessments of the vintages.
