You don't need to be a sommelier. Just know these 10 words and one rule: drink what they grow where you are.
Plan your Italy trip →Drink local. In Tuscany: Chianti, Brunello, Rosso di Montalcino. In Piedmont: Barolo, Barbera, Nebbiolo. In Veneto: Valpolicella, Soave, Prosecco. In Sicily: Nero d'Avola, Etna Rosso. The local wine is what the kitchen cooks with and designs dishes around. It always pairs best with the local food.
In a trattoria, order the house wine. It's local, it's decent, and it's absurdly cheap: €5-10 for a half-liter carafe (mezzo litro) or €8-15 for a full liter. The house white with seafood, the house red with meat or hearty pasta. You can't go wrong.
Italian wine lists are organized by region or by color (Rossi = reds, Bianchi = whites, Rosati = rosés). Prices by the bottle range from €15-30 in trattorias to €40-200+ in fine dining. A good mid-range bottle: €20-35.
Rome/Lazio: Frascati (white, light), Cesanese (red, earthy).
Tuscany: Chianti Classico (red, medium), Vernaccia di San Gimignano (white, crisp).
Piedmont: Barbera d'Asti (red, fruity), Barolo (red, powerful, expensive).
Sicily: Nero d'Avola (red, bold), Grillo (white, mineral).
Campania: Aglianico (red, complex), Falanghina (white, floral).
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