Tuscany
Wineafterwine – Simone Vergamini
Private Wine Guide · Tuscany, Italy
Credentials
AIS Sommelier · Best Sommelier of Tuscany 2023 · Three-time podium finisher, Best Sommelier of Italy (2018, 2021, 2022)
Languages
English · Italian
Tour style
Private only
Simone is, by the measure of his peers, the strongest sommelier credential in this part of Tuscany. Best Sommelier of Tuscany 2023, third place in the Best Sommelier of Italy competition three separate times. He is an AIS Sommelier based in Lucca, where he runs Wineafterwine alongside a wine consultancy and an online wine shop.
He works in parts of Tuscany that most guides skip. Lucca, the Colline Lucchesi, and Montecarlo are genuine wine country with very little tourist traffic, and Simone covers them with the depth you'd expect from someone who competes at the national level. He also guides further afield into Bolgheri and Chianti Classico for guests who want the famous names. He travels constantly to find small producers, and the wineries he visits are mostly family-run estates where guests are received personally.
The reviews land on the same two words again and again: knowledgeable, and kind.
Simone's standing in the Italian sommelier world opens doors at small family wineries that work by relationship. He focuses on the producers around Lucca that rarely appear on a standard Tuscany itinerary, and extends to Bolgheri and Chianti Classico on request.
- Family wineries of the Colline Lucchesi and Montecarlo DOC, rarely visited by tourists
- Bolgheri estates including established names on the coast
- Chianti Classico producers across the appellation
- Small producers Simone selects through constant travel and tasting, not booking platforms
- Private in-villa tastings of the wines of the Lucca province
Tours are private and built around the guest. A typical day visits two wineries with vineyard walks, cellar tours, and tastings of four to six wines each, paired with local products, with lunch available as an option. Simone collects guests from their accommodation and handles the driving.
Private visits only · By inquiry
Wineafterwine – Simone Vergamini
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This operator was personally evaluated by Michelle Ryan: WSET Level 3, French Wine Scholar, IATA Certified Travel Advisor. Vetting criteria: guide credentials, access to producers not available through public booking platforms, and knowledge intake process. Not every operator we evaluate makes it onto this site.