Wine in Rome
 

Taking a grape o phile to Rome in April -- any ideas on how best to explore Italian wines? Classes, tours etc... Thanks for any suggestions or leads you may have.

My wife and I were in Rome last September and we found a great wine shop and restaurant across from the Piazza Cavour called Cosantini. We also drove to Tuscany and visited the winery at Castello Banfi south of Montalcino (www.castellobanfi.com). If you're traveling to Tuscany I'd highly recommend Castello Banfi. Good luck.

Hi Katharine,<BR>I live and work in Rome as a tour guide. My office is right near Campo di Fiori and Piazza Navona. I recommend that you try Cul de Sac near Piazza Navona. They have approx 1,400 Italian and foreign wines. Also great antipsto. In the summer be prepared to take a number and wait a little while as it is very popular with the locals. Another place to try is the Vineria in Campo di Fiori with an excellent choice of wines and a great atmosphere sitting in the piazza trying them out!<BR>There is one of the oldest wine bars situated in Via della Croce (off Piazza di Spagna. this is a really popular place for tourists and locals as the wines are fantastic and the antipasto is to be enjoyed sitting at the bar soaking in the atmosphere and taking a look at the sink which is an old marble slab that came from the ancient Roman Forum.<BR>You can also visit the wonderful wine area of Frascati and have a visit at one of the vineyards. At certain times of the year you can watch the wine making process as well as sampling some of the local wines. A great thing to do is to sample the local Porchetta (pig on the spit) sitting at wooden tables with big lumps of bread and good local wine overlooking the city of Rome whilst the sun is setting. A fantastic experience and one that not many people realise is just 30 minutes by train out of Rome. <BR>Katharine, if you would like any other help (or anyone else) please feel free to email me direct and I would be more than happy to try and assist.<BR>Regards<BR>Marianna

I have excerpted most of this from (my own posting on) a previous thread. I'm sure you will want to get OUT of Rome SOME - - but there is much to enjoy at the various enoteche (plural of enoteca) and wine bars IN Rome.<BR><BR>====================================< BR><BR>The best ones (wine bars) I have visted (and sadly, I have failed to make note of the name of many of them) are not "bars" as we might ordinarily think of such, nor places where people go "to eat" - - though they DO sell wine by the glass, sometimes have (a few) tables - - and a variety of appropriate things to eat with wine, including panini (sandwiches) or actual piatti (courses). Some might be part formaggeria or salumeria, but most are first and foremost wine SHOPs. <BR><BR>I guess you can go anytime in the afternoon or evening (doesn't seem like a "morning" kind of activity to me) - - whenever they are open. For what it's worth, I have sometimes gone at what we might call "happy hour" - - and from there, went on to a restaurant carrying a half-dozen bottles in a shopping bag. And while I might not try this in a "fancy" restaurant, I have also asked the waiter if we could have one of my purchased bottles with our meal, and I have NOT gotten funny looks (probably some nominal fee for "corkage" and the glasses was added to the bill - - don't remember, and I would have expected it). <BR><BR>Proprietors seem to think it entirely normal that you come to spend an hour or more there to talk about wine, taste wines, and of course buy wines. They often have a dozen or two bottles already open to sell you a glass, or offer you just a taste. And they will always open and pour for you what you buy - - especially after you sample your way through some they already have open and point them in the direction of "more like this..." or "like this, but not so... whatever..." <BR><BR>One of the few I can name for sure is Buccone on via di Ripetta (near Pzza del Popolo). Regrettably, I have forgotten the names of places I have visted in Venice, Verona and Tremezzo. <BR><BR>A search on Yahoo for enoteche will produce 1000's of hits, and tons of lists in various towns; many of these sites will be in Italian only, but usually a picture or two, the name address, telephone number. And www.vinit.net has a listing for every province in Italy. <BR><BR>Best wishes, <BR><BR>Rex<BR>

I have excerpted most of this from (my own posting on) a previous thread. I'm sure you will want to get OUT of Rome SOME - - but there is much to enjoy at the various enoteche (plural of enoteca) and wine bars IN Rome.<BR><BR>====================================< BR><BR>The best ones (wine bars) I have visted (and sadly, I have failed to make note of the name of many of them) are not "bars" as we might ordinarily think of such, nor places where people go "to eat" - - though they DO sell wine by the glass, sometimes have (a few) tables - - and a variety of appropriate things to eat with wine, including panini (sandwiches) or actual piatti (courses). Some might be part formaggeria or salumeria, but most are first and foremost wine SHOPs. <BR><BR>I guess you can go anytime in the afternoon or evening (doesn't seem like a "morning" kind of activity to me) - - whenever they are open. For what it's worth, I have sometimes gone at what we might call "happy hour" - - and from there, went on to a restaurant carrying a half-dozen bottles in a shopping bag. And while I might not try this in a "fancy" restaurant, I have also asked the waiter if we could have one of my purchased bottles with our meal, and I have NOT gotten funny looks (probably some nominal fee for "corkage" and the glasses was added to the bill - - don't remember, and I would have expected it). <BR><BR>Proprietors seem to think it entirely normal that you come to spend an hour or more there to talk about wine, taste wines, and of course buy wines. They often have a dozen or two bottles already open to sell you a glass, or offer you just a taste. And they will always open and pour for you what you buy - - especially after you sample your way through some they already have open and point them in the direction of "more like this..." or "like this, but not so... whatever..." <BR><BR>One of the few I can name for sure is Buccone on via di Ripetta (near Pzza del Popolo). Regrettably, I have forgotten the names of places I have visted in Venice, Verona and Tremezzo. <BR><BR>A search on Yahoo for enoteche will produce 1000's of hits, and tons of lists in various towns; many of these sites will be in Italian only, but usually a picture or two, the name address, telephone number. And www.vinit.net has a listing for every province in Italy.<BR><BR>Oh, and feel free to write me to talk further by telephone or get together, if you wish (I assume www.germanvillage.com means that you, too, are in Columbus).<BR><BR>Best wishes, <BR><BR>Rex Bickers<BR>Westerville, Ohio<BR><BR>

Katharine, another right place, a very famous wine bar: Trimani WIne Bar. It is located at Via Cernaia, near Porta Pia, close to UK Ambassade.<BR>Ciao.

an oldie but goodie<BR>