Wine for a teenager.
 

I'm going to Italy for the first time in about two weeks. I'm sixteen and going with a group of about 15 people from my school. Anyways, i was wondering about what wine I would like. I've never drank wine before and I'm exited to try! And no, i'm not going to go wacko over the no drinking age thing. What wine is commonly served at restaraunts that is good? And feel free to add any other traveling tips. I'm going to Florence, Venice, Rome,Pisa, and a couple of other places. Oh, and what are things I can do from becoming a victim of pick pocketing?? Besides the obvious...Thanks.

Well, Simsy, if I were you, I'd concentrate on grammar and spelling a bit more than what wine you will be able to drink. And I assume if you are American and going with a group from school and there are chaperons, no way are they going to let you drink.

> I've never drank wine before
Good joke :D :D

You will have the opportunity to taste different "house wines" both vino rosso (red) and bianco (white) at each restaurant. Teens in Italy are very accustomed to be offered and served whatever is the wine of the region and you can try them all. You will be offered a small jug/carafe and can pour as much or as little into your glass as you like. (If you like what you drink, you can ask what it is and then look for it back home-sadly, you will likely have to remember it for 3-5 years given the unenlightened liquor laws in North America.)

Italian teens always celebrate the birthdays of friends and end of school term with groups of their peers in local restaurants and, by 16, they are savvy food and drink consumers. They NEVER finish all the wine at the table: it is considered ill-mannered. (But don't worry, as a tourist no one will judge you, if you like it and want to finish as long as you can handle it and don't get loud or silly, which it doesn't sound as if you would.)

As far as the pickpocketing thing: I was a don (kind of a house-mother) for a residence of a college of teens in Italy. In all the time we were involved with them and taking the kids from our school to Rome, Florence, Sorrento, Verona etc. we NEVER had one of the group successfully pick-pocketed. Number one: as a teen, you are not viewed as easy pickings as you are likely alert and athletic. Number two: you are not seen (most probably) as wealthy. If you are sensible and don't show-off your money, camera, fancy jewellery, it is unlikely you will be bothered.

Stay with your group, by all means if you are shy or nervous. But try to find some time all by yourself to wander and discover your own Italy.

Have a wonderful trip!

Just so you know, i am going with chaperons and they are completly fine with us drinking wine. As I stated above, i do not intend on going out and getting drunk. I may be a teenager, but i am not stupid. As for my grammer: this is an online forum. Get over it. I'm asking for advice, not criticism of my age,grammer, and nationality. Thank you.

It's spelled grammar, just so you know.

> i do not intend on going out and getting drunk. I may be a teenager, but i am not stupid.
Now it seems is the time to learn that going out and getting so "pissed" you can't stand is actually great fun. :-). You just need a safe environment. Don't waste you youth :-), you can stay sober later.

&quot;<i>Get over it.</i>&quot;

And you hope to get exactly where w/ that???

If your chaperones are OK w/ you drinking - maybe ask them (and how does the school feel about it?)

lol. Thanks :). Grammar.

When I was in high school I went on a school sponsored trip to Europe for teens. The chaperones did allow us to drink, but in moderation. By that I mean we were allowed one beer or one glass of wine and that's it, end of story. The reason we were given was that we were following the local custom by sampling the local beer or wine, but nobody in our group was allowed to have more than one.

As for pickpocketing, our teacher told us that every year someone in the group gets pickpocketed, and of course, it did happen to a girl in our group. She was walking down the street in Rome while thumbing through her purse. A kid ran by and snatched her passport. (In case you don't know, a US passport is a hot item on the black market) So she spent the entire next day at the US Embassy getting a new passport, since you cannot get on the plane without it.

The reason you could be a target is that kids who take these trips are usually not seasoned travelers and do not take the necessary precautions. My advice to you is to keep your passport, extra money and credit cards in a money belt under your clothing. If you are female, keep your purse close by at all times, in fact it's best if you can carry it with the strap across your chest instead of over one shoulder. (I hope that makes sense) When you are at a restaurant, do not hang your purse on the back of your chair. If you are a guy, keep your wallet in your front pocket and always be aware of anyone bumping into you. Of course, this advice does not just apply in Europe but anywhere in the world, including your own country.

On a personal note, my first trip to Europe as a teen was like a dream. I've been back many times over the years, but nothing will ever compare to being a teenager seeing Europe for the first time. Please make the most of this trip, and have an absolute blast!! :-)

Sorry if i sounded like a snob. :)

I first went to Europe at 17 on a 4-H trip... many years ago. We spent quite a few evenings in bars with our chaperone.

When my daughter was headed to France with her teacher I thought back to this experience. I told her to drink what her host family served. And be safe. I think she was better behaved than others of her group. LOL

Be responsible. That's the best any of us can do.

I guess I would recommend that you first drink the house wine. Order red, white or rose. See what strikes your fancy. From there try to taste what is local. See what kind of wine calls to you. Remember, your taste will probably taste many times over your lifetime. But it is good to taste and see what you enjoy NOW.

Bon Voyage!

Ignore the moralists...

For reds, Chianti and Valpolicella are probably the ones you should look for. Brunellos, Amarone and Barolos are more high end.

For whites,pinot grigio and orvieto would be good choices.

These are fairly wide categories, but it should be a good starting point.

Avoid grappa!

Simsy, we were posting at the same time, please scroll up to see my post.

Simsy, I really don't care how well you spell.

If your post is sincere, I offer the only advise I can to a 16 year old with such a question. Please do not drink. I am very sincere with my answer. The adults going along on the trip are morons if they are indeed going to allow you and your classmates to &quot;try&quot; wine. I'm sorry but as a parent of a recovering 22 year old who never drank before college I have NO tolerance for such idiotic behavior.

oops... I meant to type that your Taste will Change over the years.

&gt;Please do not drink. I am very sincere with my answer. The adults going along on the trip are morons if they are indeed going to allow you and your classmates to &quot;try&quot; wine.

So Italians and French must be all idiots, right?

Hahaha..thank you guys! I had to laugh at some of the posts.

At age 16, it is very unlikely that you will appreciate the dry wines served with meals. I have heard young people call them 'bitter' or 'sour' especially when they were expecting something with a sweet taste like a dessert wine. Unfortunately, even a wine that you don't like starts tasting better and better when the alcohol starts doing its evil deed. So be very careful.

The most likely thing that will happen is that you'll get falling-down-drunk one day, maybe even puking your guts out, and you won't want to touch a drop of wine for a year or two. At your age, that's maybe not a bad thing to happen. I didn't start appreciating wine until I was 21 even though it was readily available to me starting at about age 12.

Prost Simsy! ;-)

I went to Denmark at 17 and the Danish families I stayed with served Aquavit... a whole bunch stronger than wine.

Hello Simsy, no you didn't sound like a snob you merely sounded like a typical 16 year old having a little temper tantrum. May I gently suggest if someone in Italy annoys you that you try to respond with better manners as that will make your visit to beautiful Italy so much more pleasant.

Now about wine, if you and the other students are allowed by your school and chaperones to order wine I would suggest that you start with a very light and bubbly and reasonably priced white wine that is known as Prosecco. It is from the Region of Veneto (which is the region that Venice is located). My daughter at your age really found this wine refreshing and in that it will no doubt be a tad warm to hot in Italy (I am assuming that you will be there this summer) you should find it refreshing. Another wine you might want to try is the white wine from Orvieto. Orvieto is just about an hour north of Rome btw.

Will you be bringing a money belt? When travelling from place to place you would probably find having one would be relaxing as you could put your extra money and any documents that you will have on you in the money belt (or will your chaperones be in charge of your passport, airline info etc?). The money belt goes under you clothes and around your waist. Many travellers find that if they turn the money belt around so that the zippered pocket part of it is in the back they are more comfortable. Of course if you are going to be wearing low rise pants that wouldn't work unless you had on a top that covers your waist. Personally I don't think a neck pouch would work as they usually show with summer clothes.

If you are going to be visiting churches do keep in mind many churches (and especially St. Peter's at the Vatican) require you to have you shoulders, the upper part of your arms (no sleevless tops), no low cut tops and a skirt or pants covering your knees. Many females carry a lightweight shawl or a lightweight cardigan to put on if the top they are wearing does not meet the church's clothing requirements.

And may I gently suggest, although I know you said that you will not overindulge with the wine, that keeping a clear head at all times and not being friendly to people that are trying to bother you etc. will sure help keep you safe. Just don't make eye contact or talk to beggers..even little children as sadly their parents send them out to take advantage of tourist.

You will find if you read the various Fodor's threads here on the Europe Board that you will pick up a lot of good information for Italy.

Have fun planning your trip and do let us have a trip report after you return home! Best wishes to you.

I've chaperoned several groups of students to Europe and (if they had parental permission) they were allowed to drink at meals (in moderation of course). It is far better to learn responsible drinking habits than to fall into the American college habit of binge drinking.

As for the OPs question - I would try the house wines offered as in Italy they are generally good. As someone who's never had wine, you aren't likely to need to shell out big bucks to enjoy your wine experience.

And of course, you are wise to be responsible in your consumption - wine can &quot;go to your head&quot; quickly, even after one glass - which is a great limit for the inexperienced :-).

If you act with respect and stay aware of your surroundings you will have a fun, safe, enjoyable trip!

It may be worthwhile pointing out that the reason the Europeans have less of an underage drinking problem than the UK is precisely because they teach their youth to drink responsibly, with family and friends as part of normal day to day life. Visiting Italy as a 16 year old should incorporate taking on board some of their traditions so go ahead and sample the odd glass that is offered to you by your host family, your chaperone isn't going to allow anyone to get legless, and you'll hopefully return from your trip a more rounded and wordly person with a more positive attitude toward alcohol.
Enjoy! :)

Ok, so you're a bit grammar and spelling challenged. So bit it. I like your spunk. Please know that in Italy, if you stick with small, family-style trattorias, simply order the &quot;vino di casa&quot; -- house wine -- rosso e bianco. Both red and white will be robust, delicious and inexpensive. If you go to big, tourist-trap pizzerias and ristorantes, I suggest not bothering with wine at all. It will suck. Buon viaggio.

Well - I tink the european attitude to liquor is a much more sensible one than ours. (And remember ours is really a function of a DRIVING issue - not a drinking issue.)

Our parents did the european thing - and from the time we were 12 or 13 we were allowed small amounts of beer and wine with meals when they were having it. As a result - by the time we went away to school at 17 we knew a decent wine from a bad one - and since &quot;alcohol&quot; was;t forbidden fruit we wern't tempted to down a gallon of &quot;Old Sweat Sox&quot; - as were many kids - in a frenzy of being released from the rules.

If the kids are limited to a glass or two (since they haven;t had the innoculation proces) I think that's an important step in their growing up - learning how to handle alcohol (since most adults do drink at least on occassion.)

As for what to drik - stick to the house wine. You won;t have enough experience to pick out specific wines - and just tasting the house wines - and asking what they are - will give you some comparisons.

Simsy, you've gotten some great advice on here. My first real trip to Europe was as a teenager, and half a lifetime later I still remember so many great details!

I know you have said that you'll drink responsibly, but I want to give you some advice in case you have a glass or two too many. I think it's definitely better to know what to do than to suffer the consequences!

One thing to know is that the sweeter the drink, the worse of a hangover(!). This is also often true for bubbly drinks, like champagne or prosecco. Wine often contains sulfites, which some people have a bad reaction to even after one glass (flushed skin, headache, etc.).

If you do drink too much, some things you can do to counteract the alcohol effect are:
- Drink *lots* of water. A good rule of thumb is one glass of water for each alchoholic drink; if you don't drink it during the evening, drink it before you go to bed.
- Don't drink on an empty stomach.
- If you have overdone it, take 2 advil or aspirin before you go to sleep (in addition to the water!).

Also, IMO you've gotten good advice here about pickpockets. I'll repeat: Don't have anything of value in accessible pockets (jacket, back pants pocket, etc.). And don't let yourself or your friends get distracted by groups of young children, frantic old ladies, etc. My travel-pro friends have fallen victim to these ploys too often!

In addition to the wine, enjoy the cappucini, gelati, and all the other good eats in Italy! Have a great trip!!

Authored by: Never got to go on a high school trip to europe;) These attitudes towards drinking always amaze me, its the taboo that attracts people remove the taboo and drinking becomes ordinary. I grew up in Montreal, with a very balanced aproach to wine. I never got to go to europe and especially Italy until I was an adult if my boy ever goes I would be the first to authorize, supervised tasting of wine, secondly I give him enough cash to enjoy the best Brunello de Montalcino, especially considering its half the price there!!!

Silly silly North American Values....Travel More open your mind!!!!!

If the OP is sincere he's already said he'll be responsible. As others said already the Europeans are used to drinking wine as children and there is no big problem with abusing alcohol like there is in the US.

Simsy - have a ball, and don't worry about becoming a wine expert on your first trip. Best advice above is from sangaetano - sample the house wine in little trattorias and forget it in chain restaurants.

LilyLace - so sorry about your child; it is a difficult burden for a parent to carry. Please think about Al-Anon as a place to get some help for yourself and to learn more about alcoholism.

We took our three teenagers to Italy in January, although our daughter is legally allowed to drink at home in Australia. Our 16 year old son liked the idea of being allowed to try wine but in practice only drank it a couple of times. Agree that the house wine will be more than adequate for you - and often cheaper than soft drink.

I went with a school group at the age of 16 and our parents signed a consent for us to have a wine sample in CH. Each of us got a bock of very generic wine, no food, in a dank bar type setting...no one liked its vinegary taste at all except one kid who, unbeknownst to the chaperones, chugged others' leftovers. I'm sure she didn't really like it either.

Long story short: she ended up barfing down her shirt in the bus and 40-50 very unhappy people had to smell the stench for the rest of the 45 minute ride...how NOT to be popular.

I'd try the house wine in a 25 cl carafe - red with darker, stronger meats/sausage and red sauced pasta or white with fish/seafood. Respectable places generally have a nice enough table wine and if you don't like it you can leave it and won't feel like you've wasted a fortune or feel like you should drink it anyway.

Hi Simsy,
It's great to 'soak up' the atmosphere of the place you are visiting and its good that you recognise that wine is an important part of life here in Europe.

Its a shame that many people have put you down and been quite unfair and nasty to you.

You are quite right this is a forum and not a spelling/grammar exam, crikey we would all be in trouble if it were the latter !

I second the suggestion of trying house wine, several posters have given you good advice here too.

It is important that you savour the taste, drink slowly, gently and in small amounts.

Wine can be very potent, especially when drinking it on an empty stomach.

So take it easy, drink lots of water too.

Enjoy your experiences in Italy, you seem pretty sensible to me, remain sensible throughout your trip keep on guard against pickpockets and if your peers do stupid things that the chaperones miss you don't have to follow them, use your head.

Just relax, enjoy yourself, there is plenty of time for getting 'pi$$ed' later, it's really not all its cracked up to be.
However, you are experimenting with life and learning about wine, that doesn't necessarily mean getting pi$$ed.


Have a great time, enjoy yourself.
Before you know it, you will be fully into the throws of adulthood, enjoy your youth, and try to be in a position to remember the good trip you had.
Good Luck

Muck

I would recommend the house wine. This is best served at your own house with your parents present. Why seek the recommendations of Fodorites when you have experts right at home. Who knows you best and has your best interests at heart? Mom &amp; Dad.

A pre-trip wine tasting with your parents will satisfy your curiousity, allow your parents to assess your ability to handle alcohol, and perhaps save you from potential mishaps in Italy.

I am sure your parents will be happy to discuss responsible drinking with you. But here are some essentials they might not cover: Did you know that to truly appreciate wine you must drink it while gazing across the table into your true love's eyes? It is also best served with a once in a lifetime meal, or perhaps in a quiet corner accompanied by a good book, and a roaring fire. Are any of these activities on your Italian itinerary?

ttt

i believe there is a drinking age in Italy - 16 for beer and wine but it's seemingly not enforced - in any case if i were a chaperone i'd ask parents beforehand about allowing folks under my charge to imbibe. Nothing against it because as others say families in Italy often serve wine to minors - if may even be legal at restaurants in that scenario.

You seem way more mature than some of the Fodorites who delight in savaging such questions as a means of getting their jollies and imposing their morality on others.

American's are extremests. We either drink too much or believe anyone who drinks goes to Hell.

Most schools have have the parents sign a waiver that guarentees the school no liability or the individual teachers who are going on the trip.

Most kids will find wine bitter compaired to sodas. Try the blush wine first--it is the sweetest wine. Later try the white wine and usually the red is the driest--bitterest.

Remember to eat food when you drink wine, otherwise you will feel the alcohol very soon.

If I was in charge of the tour, I would want the young students to taste the wine but I would not want to be around a bunch of drunk kids.

But I find the wine to be cheaper than sodas in Europe. I actually filled up my water bottle with wine from the vat for 1 Euro. Not bad, and either was the wine.

Personally, I believe if more American families served wine at the dinner table, more parents would know what their children are up to. I glass(or two) of wine certainly gets my mouth flowing.

And you might get free wine on the plane as you fly to Europe--if you are on a foreign carrier.

I chaperoned a trip to Europe and we chaperones were not even allowed to drink.