Random question---

On my trip to Italy next week, I expect to be visiting wine bars, etc with my 18 year old sister. While I am an "accomplished" drinker, I suspect that my sister is not. If she wants to partake (and who am I to say no), are there any weak Italian-style drinks to steer her to? I'm think a white wine spritzer? I also have heard of "fresh wine" in Venice, but I have no idea what it is.

As for me, any suggestions for good Italian wines: I am familiar with Prosecco (hmmm), Chianti, Pinot Griggio, and Barbera d'Asti....any other suggestions to look for...I tend to like Pinots, Shiraz, Cabs...I don't like Merlots, sweet wine, or American Chardonnay.

Grazie!!

texstout, you must have been reading my mind. I was just wondering the same thing. Not for myself, but rather for my mother who will be with me in Rome next week and can not drink very much due to an illness and medications.

I was thinking a spritz con aperol might be nice for her, but I am used to having them in Venice and don't necessarily know if I can easily find them in Rome as it's more of a Venetian speciality.

I would also be interested to hear if Prosecco is available in Rome, as well as suggestions for any other lighter/less alcoholic wines and specialty drinks.

Alcoholic drinks are pretty much what they are. Beer is probably the lowest in alcohol that you can drink. You can always go with light on the alcohol mixed drinks. I have also seen many people add water to their wine to thin it down.

BTW, I would suspect that many 18 year olds are more accomplished drinkers than you think.

Statia is on the mark with the Spritz con Aperol. If you can find that, drink it. It was my favorite drink in Italy and on a hot day, it is like mana from heaven.

Is you sister already in college? If so, you might be surprised. And if she is really green, you are surely the safest person to take her out for her first big night.

Statia,

What is aperol? I've seen it written a few times, but am unfamiliar with it. I am sure that we'll find Prosecco in Rome -- I remember drinking it there a couple of years ago, and I buy it all over the States.
I do hope to find something mild (besides beer) that she'll enjoy. Its strange to me (having started early), but my sister hasn't ever drank before - but she is starting to get curious.

Statia -- My husband was making fun of me this weekend becuase I was talking to him all about your your island and the trip reports that I have seen from you on Fodors and written about on another board. He was like "your crazy that you are refering to to these people as if you know them".

thanks!

Hi t,

Light white wines:

Prosecco (fizzy)
Frascati
Orvieto
Lacryma Christi
Verdicchio

All have about 11-12.5% alcohol.

>I tend to like Pinots, Shiraz, Cabs...I don't like Merlots, sweet wine, or American Chardonnay.<

Unlike the US, where varietals are king, Europeans usually blend their wines and rely on "terroire" rather than type of grape.

Amarone
Barolo
Brunello di Montalcino
Chianti
Rosso di Montalcino
Salice Salentino
Valpolicella (good for beginners)

Are all good red wines

texstout, have a great trip w/your sister.

Statia, I was in Rome a couple of weekends ago and enjoyed Prosecco both in restaurants and from the grocery store. I hope you have a terrific trip with your mom and sis--it's been fun following your trip and I look forward to the report.

texstout, the link below provides some info on spritz con aperol. BTW - I assume you are from Texas like I am?

(I hope this link doesn't spread out and make the left-hand column wide)

http://www.theitaliantaste.com/inter...erol_eng.shtml

I laughed out loud when reading about your husband's response. Just give it time. My husband seems to know the regular Fodorites by name and he doesn't even really participate on the board. I'm flattered that you mentioned me, though. (blushing)

mvor, thanks for the info on the Proseco and the well wishes. Only 5 days to go now! We are all three really getting excited about this once in a lifetime opportunity together, especially since we didn't think we'd have my mom around any longer to be able to do this two years ago.

I'd also recommend she try a few full-alcohol wines and such, just go easy on the quantity; starting her off responsibly is probably the best thing you can do. Plus it's Italy, if you're going to start drinking wine somewhere, it's hard to beat.

Just a note on Italian wine:
I am (usually) a real lightweight, but I seemed to feel no effects from the wine we were drinking freely in Rome and Florence. I mentioned to my sisters that I thought the wine must not have the same alcohol content or something.

Come to find out from a winery tour we took, (Accidental Tourist), the wine in Italy has no sulfites and the sulfites are what gives one the headache, etc., that sometimes accompanies a glass or two of wine. So you may find that she will enjoy Italian wine. (We mostly just had the house wine although we had Chianti Classico that was ambrosia!)

Have a wonderful trip!

After dinner, order a sgroppino (I don't think they have taken to calling them Singing Gondoliers yet, even with my lobby effort)

Lemon sorbet
Cream
a touch of vodka
Prosecco

Not very alcoholic, but delicious!

Maitai, that sounds fabulous! Yum! How exactly do you pronounce that?

There are many non alchohol drinks. One I remember was a fabulous almond flavored drink that my sister loved who is a non drinker.

"Maitai, that sounds fabulous! Yum! How exactly do you pronounce that?"

Unfortunately by the end of meals in Italy, I can barely pronounce my own name, but to my knowledge (what little there is) it is
Sgro - rhymes with grow
ppino - like Pinot in Noir

My Singing Gondolier recipe can be found in the epic
http://travelswithmaitaitom.typepad.com/travels/

Soon to be a major motion picture,
Enjoy.

LC: That is simply not true. Wine in Italy has sulfites, they are just not required to say so on the label as they are in the US.

I think all wine has sulfites, it's part of the chemical reaction that turns grape juice into wine, right?

I figured I would add Moscato d'Asti to the suggestion list. This is a fruity/sweet wine that doesn't come on strong at all. My wife refers to herself as lighter than lightweight, a bubbleweight, but she has no problems downing a glass of the Moscato d'Asti. Some of are favorites are Sori del Re, Sarracco and La Serra. These are 5%-5.5% alcohol by volume, so half that of typical wine.

Tex: What you called "fresh wine" is probably very young wine which would be available during the month or two right after the harvest in the fall. The white will often have some fizz in it.

Ira: Why in the world is Valpolicella "good for beginners?" This is an often superb wine from the Veneto around Verona that is not particularly low in alcohol. Amarone, a serious, very dry red, is a Valpolicella.

All wine, including European and American wines, contains sulfites. This article will help clear up the myth that it's the sulfites in wine that causes headaches.

It's the wine that is causing those headaches.

http://waterhouse.ucdavis.edu/winecomp/so2.htm

I stand corrected - note this website:
http://waterhouse.ucdavis.edu/winecomp/so2.htm
Yeast produces sulfites during fermentation so all wine contains sulfites. I was misinformed.

So what accounts for the fact that I found it less intoxicating that usual and that I never had that "wine headache"? Just one of the mysteries of Italy?