At the very name of San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, lies the essence of this Tuscan village on the borders of Umbria and Lazio: an ancient spa tradition sustained by thermal waters long prized for their healing properties. Today, that identity is being complemented by a renewed ambition to promote wine culture in a region already synonymous with Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and the Super Tuscans.

This vision inspired the first edition of Fonti di Vino, a wine festival featuring tastings and masterclasses dedicated to the wines of the village’s nine wineries. Each producer approaches viticulture and winemaking differently, yet all share a deep connection to this land: Azienda Agricola Gianni Barzi, Cantina Giacomo Mori, Cantine Ravazzi, Giacomo Baraldo Vigneron, Il Poggio, Tenuta Le Forconate, Podernuovo a Palazzone, Sassopra and Sancaba. Throughout the day, the wineries hosted complimentary tastings open to the public as well as masterclasses for professionals and sommeliers.

“San Casciano dei Bagni is a large territory with just over 1,400 inhabitants,” says Agnese Carletti, mayor since 2019. “We are few in number, which makes it easier to think and work collectively.” A philosophy graduate and also President of the Province of Siena, Carletti describes a small community with considerable potential and a strong attachment to its traditions. In her view, food and wine are essential components of the local tourism strategy: “We have conceived a development project centred on the archaeological excavation as a catalyst, around which we are building a cultural, hospitality and gastronomic offering that already exists and is firmly rooted in the territory.”

One example is La Terrazza, a cultural festival now in its tenth year, featuring talks and interviews with prominent figures on a wide range of subjects. The municipality has also acquired a building that will become a centre dedicated to pici, the traditional hand-rolled pasta that originated here.

Tuscany is one of the world’s most recognisable brands, associated with postcard landscapes of cypress-lined roads, rolling hills and the stone farmhouses of Chianti, where wineries display the emblem of the Black Rooster. Yet San Casciano dei Bagni, thanks to its extraordinary archaeological discoveries in the ancient Etruscan and Roman thermal pools, has secured a distinctive place within the region’s tourism offering, demonstrating once again Tuscany’s capacity to surprise.

Here are nine wineries to discover in and around San Casciano dei Bagni

1. Podernuovo a Palazzone interprets the most authentic Tuscany with a contemporary, elegant style, housed in a sustainable winery that also includes Godiluva Wine Resort — a villa with pool and spa available for exclusive hire.

2. Il Poggio is a fully rounded organic family estate — viticulture, livestock, restaurant, agriturismo — with an ancient cellar carved into the tufa rock for wine ageing. Vineyards are planted with Sangiovese, Merlot and Ciliegiolo.

3. Cantine Ravazzi has its roots in 1956, when the first Sangiovese vineyard was planted. Today, the third generation leads a project ranging from historic labels to Super Tuscans, alongside P64 — an artistic venture where wine becomes visual and cultural expression.

4. Sassopra farms four hectares organically with a biodynamic approach, on blue marls and clay soils with spontaneous fermentations, tiny production runs and artist-designed labels. An uncompromising, fresh Sangiovese that speaks the land without concession.

5. Azienda Agricola Gianni Barzi is an organic project launched in 2001 at Podere Bulgherino, where vineyards, olive groves, cereals and legumes coexist within a holistic farming philosophy that also encompasses truffle production.

6. Sancaba was born from Carlo Franchetti’s vision: in 2011 he discovered a Pinot Nero vineyard and decided to bet on the elegance of this variety, planted on galestro and limestone soils under certified organic management, to express the freshness and minerality of a high-altitude terroir. The name Sancaba is a tribute to its place of origin.

7. Cantina Giacomo Mori carries the long memory of local winemaking, with roots stretching back to the late 19th century and a production today focused on Chianti and Castelrotto — wines that carry the family’s history in both name and character.

8. Giacomo Baraldo Vigneron is the youngest and most international face on the scene: after experiences across the wine world, Giacomo returned to San Casciano to produce artisanal wines that reflect, with each vintage, both the grape varieties and the land.

9. Tenuta Le Forconate, founded in 2008 by the Barbanera family, is the largest estate in the area with over 26 hectares planted to Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Vermentino. Tastings are available in a room immersed in the Tuscan landscape. The wines here are elegant and clean — a style that leans toward finesse over power.