My husband and I will be traveling in Italy next week, starting in Florence, then to Positano, and finally Rome before we fly back to the US. We have read several posts on shipping wine and think that we should just bring it home with us. So, is it worth buying wine in Florence and lugging it for the rest of our trip, or is there fabulous wine in Rome and just wait until the end of trip to buy the bottles of vino? I have heard that wine can be regional and may not be able to find the same labels in Rome as they have in Florence. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!

My experience is that there were better buys and more selection for wine in Rome than in Florence. There was a Wine Spectator issue on Wine in Rome a few years ago which gives names and addresses of some good wine shops in Rome.

Hi jend,

I gather that you are not seeking particular wines which are not available in the US.

In that case, I would get some in Rome before leaving.

If you come across a good red Lachryma di Christi on the AC, get a bottle and carry it with you.

No, not looking for any particular wines. Just trying to avoid carrying around more baggage than we have to carry.

Regionally, The wines that are produced near florence are superior to the wines produced near Rome.
Price wise, there are few bargains to be had in these wines since the Euro/dollar gap widened.
Unless you will be in some of the wine towns in Tuscany and can pick up some of the limited production wines, there is no point in lugging it around.
The duty free shops at the airport sell most of the wines produced in large quantity anyway.
But if you are in a restaurant in Tuscany and have a wine you LOVE, get a few bottles, you might not see it again.