Wine is intrinsic to Roman culture. It’s far more than a drink to enjoy with a meal; wine is something as culturally Italian as pasta. “In vino veritas”, as the saying goes - in wine there is truth.
Delicious wines are easy to come by in Rome’s restaurants and bars, but it’s exciting to realize that the capital itself is part of a wine region. And it’s even more exciting to realize that you can visit some of Italy’s other vineyards from your base in Rome.
With over twenty wine regions in Italy, here are the best wine tours in Rome and beyond the borders of the city.
Explore Frascati, close to Rome
Frascati is a town 12 miles southeast of Rome and it produces a white wine of the same name. Considered wealthy and elegant, there has been a settlement in the place where Frascati stands today since 1 AD, and Emperor Nero’s father owned a villa nearby.
It is filled to the brim with spectacular villas, past or present holiday homes of the Roman aristocracy, museums and religious sites. All these landmarks are set amongst beautiful vineyards.
A day tour to Frascati encompasses vineyard and olive grove tours that’ll include more than a few tastings. Don’t be surprised if you end up buying a bottle or two of Frascati’s finest after these!
Make Your Pasta to Pair with Roman Wines
If there’s one thing better than wine, it’s food and wine!
You can experience a quintessential Italian culinary delight when you join a pasta making class in Rome. Imagine learning how to make some of the most delicious food in the world in a family’s home located near the Vatican? You don’t get more Roman than that!
Before beginning your class, you’ll go shopping for the freshest ingredients at Mercato dell’ Unità, one of the traditional indoor markets that were used before the arrival of supermarkets. Fresh fruit, vegetables, meats, cheeses and flowers will delight your senses and work up an appetite for your foodie experience.
Once you’ve completed your pasta cooking class, sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor with a glass of wine. Life doesn’t get much better than this!
Enjoy the Roman Nightlife and Aperitivo
Rome’s pulsating love of life through the day doesn’t go to bed once the sun goes down. Rome’s nightlife is as busy and as bustling after dark as it is during the day.
You can enjoy the buzz of Rome at night when you join a night tour of the Eternal City. Rome’s most famous sites, including the Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona, are gorgeous to see against a night sky.
Best of all, exploring Rome after hours means you’re right on time to enjoy the “aperitivo”. This enchanting hour or two includes a stroll to neighborhood bars to enjoy a light meal of appetizers and a small glass of wine. It’s a sociable and relaxing way to end the day, and a classic Roman activity.
Visit Tuscany, One of the Best Wine Regions in the World
You might be surprised to realize that you can visit Tuscany’s world famous vineyards on a day trip from Rome, but you can!
Tuscany’s landscape really is the stuff of fairytales, and these fairytales take on even more magical overtones when you consider the vineyards and wines of the region. Protected as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, Tuscany’s landscape is yours to enjoy in all its splendor when you visit.
Along with the hill towns of Montepulciano and Pienza, with their secluded piazzas and narrow streets, you’ll also be invited to tour a vineyard. More than just a day trip, a three-course lunch with the best of Brunello wines will give you a taste of Tuscany you’ll never forget.
The truth is that exploring the spirit of the grape on different wine tours from Rome will give you a deeper understanding of the Romans themselves. What a delicious way to become an honorary Roman!
