A wine fan in Rome: La Fiaschetta, Il Goccetto and Verso Sera

Hey, are you coming along for my intro to Rome? Oh, of course! My former Hallmark colleague, Denise, texted me asking if she wants to come along on the staff trip. A year ago, I was still on the party committee, and now I'm going along as an intro. Good story, though. And it's great to see everyone again. Another colleague, Steve, is joining us, and the three of us are exploring Rome for three days.

TL;DR – Espresso macchiato, wine, and good food.

Before I start talking about wine, I want to say a few words about coffee in Rome. We spent the whole weekend sipping espresso macchiatos at bars. While in the Netherlands you can easily pay three euros for a sip of coffee—because it's nothing more—here you pay a mere 90 cents. Provided you drink it standing at the bar. The best coffee can be found at Tazza d'Oro , one minute from the Pantheon.

Un milione di turisti

Yes, there are a million billion tourists teeming here, especially if you're visiting this city during Easter weekend, like us. But no worries, you'll find i turisti mainly around the main attractions. Luckily, I got tips from a near-local, and we made the most of them.

It's truly a beautiful city and one of my top three European cities. What other cities? Uh, right now I'm saying: London and Porto . It's bizarre to walk somewhere where buildings that were 2,000 years ago still stand. And it never ends. All sorts of things are still being discovered underground. They've been expanding the metro network for years, but they keep finding something new. A marble floor of at least 30 square meters, for example. Fascinating, isn't it?

To make sure we've spotted all the highlights, we're taking a bike tour on Saturday morning. Wonderful! We'll stop here for a look at the Pantheon.

The Fiaschetta

Tucked away in a side street off the bustling, touristy Campo de' Fiori is La Fiaschetta. It's everything you'd expect from an Italian restaurant: a charming entrance, delicious food, and fine wines. Tutti bene. We kick off dinner with bruschetta with mozzarella and tomatoes. It's wonderful how simple life can be. Then we share a plate of spaghetti alle vongole and each choose a main course. With the pasta, we enjoy the delicious Etna Bianca from Tenuta Nicosia.

La Fiaschetta, Via dei Cappellari, 64

Italian wines at The Goccetto

In another small alley, you'll find Il Gochetto, a quaint wine bar serving only Italian wines. We walked there from the Pantheon, which prompted a few groans and moans from my traveling companions. It was quite a walk, but I had my destination in sight: a glass of bubbly. What is that? On vacation, around four o'clock (okay, three), I crave a refreshing glass of bubbly. There are two benches in front of the bar, where we soak up some sun and observe Italian life. I chose Abata Nero, a Trento DOC, by the way. No bubbles no party. Trento DOC it is!

We see a few passersby taking pictures of the building across from the wine bar. It's a dull, gray building; we don't understand it, but we're fascinated when a moment later someone walks by and picks up their phone to take a picture. What's going on here? It turns out to be a two-Michelin-star restaurant called Il Pagliaccio. I take a picture. mental note for the next trip.

Il Goccetto, Via dei Banchi Vecchi 14, Rome

Restaurant Life

A restaurant with an English name—admittedly, that sounds dubious, but appearances can be deceiving, because it was fantastic. We didn't come up with this ourselves either, but it came as a tip from someone who had been there before. After a quick glance at the menu, we were sold. You can order everything a la carte, but they also offer several set menus, including one with truffle and one with lobster. My mind was racing. I asked if I could combine the menus: the first two dishes with lobster, then two with truffle. Sure, grazie mille!

We enjoyed, among other things, the delicious Chardonnay from Marina Cvetic in Abruzzo. A bit of oak, a bit of malo, but everything in perfect balance. The Montepulciano from the same house is also fantastic. For the main course – tournedos with truffle – I chose the Barolo 2014 from Poderi Luigi Einaudi. Happiness in a glass.

Restaurant Life, Via della Vite, 28

Verso Sera

Now you might be wondering, did you do nothing but hang out in wine bars? No, not really. We wanted to, but it wasn't meant to be. We had tickets for Lazio – Chieve, but we couldn't get in because the three tickets were in the same name, and that couldn't be changed. The height of bureaucracy, and €120 wasted. We decided to just waste it and searched for more wine bars.

Erik ( @barrelstobottles ) gave me a tip on Instagram to check out the wine bar Verso Sera. Luckily, we got the only sunny table. The holiday feeling was instantly palpable, and this setting naturally called for a Vermentino di Sardegna. Absolutely. The wine is delicious; you don't need to order the appetizer platter here...

Verso Sera, Piazza del Biscione, 84 (near Campo de' Fiori)

Verso Sera restaurant and wine in Rome, Italy

VyTA Enoteca Regionale del Lazio

We still have an hour before dinner at Restaurant Life, and we stroll through the streets of Rome. We come across VyTA Enoteca Regionale del Lazio and aren't quite sure what to think. It certainly looks super fancy. A copper bar, black walls, and a velvet green sofa. This is exactly what we need. The nice thing is that they focus 100% on wines from Lazio, the wine region we're currently in. Admittedly, I don't know this region very well. Well, with a neighbor like Tuscany, it's not easy either. The website tells me they collaborate with Regione Lazio, so they probably receive a subsidy. It's being put to excellent use here. We're pampered and allowed to sit in the separate—tres Instagrammable—room. After a quick glance at the wine list, I choose the Marco Carpineti Moro, a blend of ancient Greco grape varieties: moro and giallo. In no time, super-deluxe appetizers are waiting for us. Uh, is this one of those traps where you suddenly pay 50 euros for appetizers you didn't ask for? It's possible, but the first mini-burger has already been devoured. Thanks, we love Lazio!

Final score: We only had to pay for the wine. VyTA exists to promote regional wines, and they pull out all the stops to do so. Highly recommended!

Via Frattina, 94, Rome

Convinced? Book now! your plane ticket and be in Rome in a few hours.

Even more wine bars

Le Club's Italy fan @dolcetto050 also has a list of tips for you. In fact, many of the tips above also come from her.

Il Vinaietto , a wine shop where you can also get a glass. Great wines, good prices. For example, Emidio Pepe (rosso) for less than 40 euros a bottle.
If you enjoy good food and cooking, then a visit to the Testaccio market a must.
Rome's cheese paradise: Beppe Suoi Formaggi
Sora Margherita , near the Campo de Fiori. A special occasion, where a somewhat older Italian woman with considerable authority holds sway.
Restaurant Da Enzo , highly recommended, make a reservation or be on the doorstep as soon as they open.
Good pizzas at Ristorante Pizzeria Il Focolare
A must-have. Great street food at Roscioli , Via dei Chiavari. They have another branch 50 meters away. A foodie's paradise. They also have a huge wine selection.
Wine bar Cavour 313 for surprising (and local) wines.

Overnight stay in Rome

Hotel Smeraldo – Close to Il Vinaietto, a great wine bar. Across the street, you'll find Rome's best bakery. It's a lively neighborhood, so be sure to bring your earplugs.
Colonna Palace – beautiful place, but with a price tag
Residence in Farnese – same neighborhood as Smeraldo, but a slightly quieter corner.

Do you like wine? Yes, I do.