Tom, forget the house wines. We spent some time in Italy this past summer and I was surprised at how modestly priced the wines were in the restaurants. The markup there, if I judge by US retail prices, was remarkably low. Good (and I use the term loosely) Brunello was in the 30 euro range in nice places in Rome and Florence, maybe a bit less in Naples and Sorrento.
Just one more sip.
Posts: 22109 | Location: NY | Registered: Oct 18, 2001
I'm not much of an Italian wine fan, so I didn't go into the wine shops in Italy. I was more concerned with buying wine in the shops in France and Spain, though I did search for Chateau Porto Carras in Greece with no luck.
Just one more sip.
Posts: 22109 | Location: NY | Registered: Oct 18, 2001
BO is correct on the restaurants. The Italians want you to enjoy the wine and food together. Wine mark-ups are very small (5-10 Euros over retail unless you hit the 2 or 3 star Michelin spots). You will find the wines in retail shops to be reasonable. I don't know where you will be but I can recommend a couple.
Enoteca Charleston in Arezzo is a great shop (Stefano) with a great cellar. (Ex. Sette Ponti Oreno is 33 Euros)
Bruno Dalmazio Enoteca in Montalcino is about 3-5 euros less than anywhere else in the Montalcino area.
If you are up North, Grandi Vini in Alba is the best place for Barolo and the piemonte wines.
The Enoteca Capranica in Rome is a good place to both eat and buy wine. They will sell you anything off the wine list. You just need to tell them you want the wine price without service.
Hope this helps.
Posts: 696 | Location: Midlothian, VA | Registered: Aug 22, 2005
Most of your Mom and Pop kind of eating places don't have much of a wine list, but they have really good food. The house wines vary from place to place, but most are very food friendly and go well with the atmosphere. We prefer these types of places to the overpriced tourist stops; much more friendly, and better experience for us.
Figure that Tuscany will be the most expensive place to buy wine, with a few exceptions. I never remember names of places.
If you are going to Firenze, go to Enoteca Bar FuoriPorta. Its in the Access Guide to Florence. Their mapnumbering is are all wrong, but the addresses and streets names are right. You'll know what I mean when you use it. Don't disregard it though, the info is good, and maybe they've fixed it since the 7th edition. To give you a general idea of where it is, the enoteca is down the hill and across the Arno from Duomo, then take a left. Go a ways, past an arch I believe. Sort of a mini-Arch de Triumph. You will have to check a map. It's near the ancient "ramparts of the city" as the book says. I'm not sure what that means exaclty, but the buildings were old, Lots of tall rock and mortor walls to keep enemy combatants of the state at bay. I think G.W. came up the plan. Anyway, the wine list is fantastic, it is affordable, and the food does not compete, but complements perfectly with the wine. Get some crostini's and try some Fattoria di Felsina verticles, like a '97, '99' and 2001. Oh how I wish I were there now.
Posts: 600 | Location: SLC,UT | Registered: Jan 03, 2005
Before we left for Europe, I started a thread here asking for restaurant advice. Someone (I don't remember who) recommended Cantinetta Antinori in Florence. It's on Pazza Antinori, a one block long street, in the middle of town, a few blocks from Il Duomo. We were happy with the food, wine, and service. I'd recommned it and also like to thank whoever it was who told us about it.
Just one more sip.
Posts: 22109 | Location: NY | Registered: Oct 18, 2001
Originally posted by TomNYC: Howdy Folks, Looking for a couple of ballpark prices for my Italian Trip Budget.
How much is a decent bottle of everyday wine from wine shops in Italy?
How much should we expect to pay for a decent bottle in a restaurant?
Finally, how good are the "house" wines at Italian restaurants?
Any feedback is much appreciated. Thanks!
Granted, I haven't had it since I lived there, but I wouldn't be on this board if it weren't for the house wines at Italian restaurants. The whites are light and fruity and usually have a good deal of spritz and the reds are smooth and very drinkable. They bear no resemblance to the wine discussed on this board and I'm sure people here could find a million and a half things wrong with the "acidity", "mid-palate", etc. but it's no two-buck chuck. They taste good.
Don't forget to try Ferrari Brut, which is hard to find in the U.S. It's pretty cheap and I'd say it's slightly better than Veuve Cliquot yellow label.
One thing that people don't understand about Italy is the great QPR you can get on everything (wine, food, clothing) if you buy stuff that isn't exported. The export markup has got to be like 500%.
Posts: 570 | Location: Oakland/Rockridge, CA | Registered: Dec 13, 2006
Spent two weeks in Italy in 2000 -- Firenze, Asissi, Orvieto, Roma, Napoli, etc. Always try the local house wines - wonderful wines at incredible bargains.
About a week into the trip, we had yet to find a poor wine, so we went to the local liquor store and bought the cheapest wine we could fine ~$3. That was bad. So I'd say anything above $4 is doable. OK, maybe a little higher, but you get the point.
OK, maybe a little higher, but you get the point.
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