Food Wine Rome: A Foodie's Guide to Rome

Food Wine Rome, a new guidebook by David Downie (food and travel writer who has contributed to Gourmet and Bon Appetit and many many other food publications), is the food guidebook for gourmets who are visiting Rome. In his book you will discover the best restaurants, food shops, and wine purveyors. Even long-time residents of Rome will find surprises in this beautifully designed and illustrated book.

Naranzaria Wine Bar in Venice

In another life I was definitely an Italian contessa, living la dolce vita in one of my many villas and dressing in the latest Milanese fashions. Real-life contessas in Italy certainly do those things, but they also do so much more! Contessa Marie Brandolini, who owns her own Venetian glassmaking studio, runs the wine bar Naranzaria on the Grand Canal that showcases her family's wines and the fresh tastes of the Veneto region. Seafood is the specialty and with the Rialto so close you are guaranteed to have the best of what is available daily. The views of Venice from the restaurant are superb. Naranzaria stays open until 2 a.m., unusual in a town which is known for turning its lights out early.

Antinori Estates-623 Years of Winemaking

60 Minutes aired a spot on the Antinori family vineyards of Italy last night. Since 1385, the Antinori family of Florence has been producing white and red wines according to traditional methods and using old-growth vines. They have estates all over Tuscany and Umbria, including Badia a Passignano where you can purchase wine and dine in the osteria (Italian wineries are not usually open to the public as they are in the USA). Their palazzo in Florence even has special wine-related art exhibitions from time to time (most recently on ancient Greek glassware). Their wines are distributed all over Italy and even the USA.

Cycling in Tuscany and Umbria

National Geographic Traveler's list of 50 Tours of a Lifetime includes a biking tour of the Italian countryside. The Tuscany and Umbria Insider tour will take you to Cortona, Todi, Assisi and Siena -cycling all the while. And you'll have cooking lessons, chocolate-making demonstrations, wine-tastings and picnics along the way. Backroads hosts the trip and offers 100 hiking, backpacking and cycling trips throughout Italy, many of them family-friendly.

Trattoria Baldovino in Florence

You’ve been walking all day. The line at the Duomo was brutal. You finally made it to Piazza Santa Croce where the sun is shining and the crowds have thinned. But you’re hungry. Starving. Where should you go? There are a million choices-but how do you know the difference between what’s good what’s a tourist trap? Baldovino to the rescue! Located just a few steps to the left of Santa Croce at Via Giuseppe 22 (and 22r), you will find a restaurant and wine bar that’s refreshing in attitude, decor and cuisine. At the trattoria they have traditional Tuscan dishes like ribolitta (vegetable and bread soup) and the enoteca/caffe serves countless salads-perfect for lunch. The restaurant is light and airy, the wine selection is unique, and you can’t beat the location. Baldovino is actually owned by Scottish expatriates, which explains the departure from the typical Tuscan trattoria menu and decor. Buon gusto!

Trattoria Garibaldi in Marsala

Western Sicily is not for the faint of heart. It's remote (although there are direct flights to Palermo from Rome) and English is definitely NOT spoken with regularity. But among the many hidden treasures of western Sicily is the North African cuisine, a remnant of the 250 year Berber occupation of the 10th and 11th centuries. Marsala, a town known also for its wine (more on that later) is home to Trattoria Garibaldi. Here, among the steady crowds in the multicolored rooms, you will find what is arguably the best fish couscous in Sicily. The dish is complicated to make but Trattoria Garibaldi gets it right-and it's hailed as the region's finest. The wine list is nice too, so be sure to pick out something regional-a Donnafugata, perhaps.

Mocambo Bar in Taormina

To see and be seen is always the top priority in Italy, and Taormina is no different. The best place in Taormina for evening people-watching is the Mocambo Bar in the 9th of April Piazza (Piazza IX Aprile). There's live music every night and the iced tea with lemon granita is a must-have. There's even excellent coffee and wine to be had for 3 Euros a glass. The gelato isn't half bad either. Try it on a brioche, the Sicilian way.

Liquor Limits in Rome

Rome's mayor, Gianni Alemanno, has just issued a city-wide ban on selling alcohol "to-go" after 9 pm (supermarkets included!) and restrictions on restaurants and clubs after 2 am. A recent stabbing of a tourist in Campo dei Fiori prompted the decision which many residents had been requesting for years. It seems that not everyone in Rome is interested in staying up all night with a bottle of wine in the piazzas and narrow alleyways of Trastevere! Don't worry, you can still purchase alcohol to go-just do it before 9 pm.

Capofaro in the Aeolian Islands

If you really want to get it away from it all, try the Capofaro Malvasia and Resort in Salina, one of the Aeolian Islands off the coast of Sicily. For those of you who can't get far enough away from the crowds, this might just be the place you've been searching for. Set amid 13 acres of vineyards, the resort is rustically modern, whitewashed and surrounded by the blue sea and views of the neighboring volcanic islands. The resort makes its own Malvasia, a regional sweet white wine. Salina was one of the settings for the 1994 Oscar-winning movie Il Postino and is considered by many to be the most beautiful of the Aeolian islands. Rates at the Capofaro start at 170 Euros and include breakfast.

Ristorante L'Arcangelo in the Prati

The Prati district near the Vatican is becoming one of Rome's most interesting neighborhoods when it comes to food. Bibenda magazine, Italy's premier wine publication, recently rated Ristorante l'Arcangelo one of Rome's best restaurants for 2009. On the menu you will find quite a bit of seafood (if you like anchovies, there are several options for you!) and an entire section devoted to foie gras. There is even a price fixe menu of Roman specialties. Throughout the menu you have the option to order half portions for a reduced price. What a novel idea! Don't miss the wine list offering many options under 20 Euros.

David Lynch's Wine Bar Picks

Mario Batali's famous Manhattan restaurant, Babbo, is well-known not only for its terrific food, but also for its impeccable wine selection. That wine selection is thanks to David Lynch, Babbo's wine director. Lynch is an expert on Italian wines and naturally has a few favorite wine bars to visit in Rome. He includes Cul de Sac, the quintessential enoteca just off the Piazza Navona. But he recommends several more wine bars in almost every neighborhood in Rome. In the Prati (north of the Vatican) he touts Del Frate not only for its wines but also for its cheese selection. In Trastevere, trendy Ferrara is the place to visit for an "encyclopedic" wine list. If you are looking for something a little more low-key, try L'Angolo Divino just off Campo dei Fiori. Salud!

Wine Bars in Rome

If you are looking for a terrific wine selection and delicious food that is often quite reasonable, try a wine bar (or enoteca). In recent years, many of Rome's wine shops have expanded and now serve small plates and full meals to accompany wine tastings. You can often reserve a table ahead of time, which is rare in Rome. Cul de Sac is the enoteca of choice-located near Piazza Navona, it consistently gets the best ratings and has great atmosphere. For more recommendations from insiders, see Starklandcellars and katieparla.

International Wine Academy-Educate Yourself About Italian Wines on Your Vacation

The International Wine Academy of Roma, located just off the Piazza di Spagna at Vicolo del Bottino 8, offers wine tasting events at least once a week. The academy is part of Il Palazzetto, a former home of Italian nobles that the owner of the Hotel Hassler turned into a wine club. Wine tasting events start at 20 Euros and feature wines from around Italy. There are often themes to the tastings, such as "The Wines of the Volcanoes: Etna vs. Vesuvius and others" (Saturday, October 11th). There is also a restaurant at the Palazzetto, so you can turn your wine tasting event into an entire evening. Buon Appetito!

Mario Batali's Lazio Red Wine Picks

While Lazio is best known for its white wines, the reds are beginning to make a serious impression on foodies everywhere. Mario Batali recommends a few rossi from the region. Try Colle Picchioni for a Bordeaux-like quality, I Quattro Mori by Castel de Paolis is similar to a Syrah, and the indigenous Cesanese is often blended with other grapes for a complex meritage. The 2007 growing year was considered very good in Lazio, so look for that vintage.

White Wines of Rome

Certainly the wines of Italy are renowned. The wines of the region surrounding Rome (Lazio) are not as well-known as some of the neighboring regions (like Tuscany). But Roman wines, especially the whites, are quite popular within the region and some are even widely exported. You may have heard of Est! Est! Est! from Montefiascone, made from combinations of Malvasia and Trebbiano grapes. Other white wines that are worthy of note are the Castelli Romani (Roman Castles) from the Alban Hills region around Lake Nemi (pictured above). The wines from this area have an ancient reputation, and in particular Frascati and Marino have an international following. The region offers many other interesting white wines (also made primarily with Malvasia grapes), such as Colli Albani, Colli Lanuvini, and Montecampatri-Colonna. You will find that the white wines from Lazio are sweet, fruity, light, and not meant to be set down for long periods of time. Enjoy them on the younger side. Look for these wines on the menu in restaurants and wine bars or pick up a bottle at an enoteca (wine shop). Try the Enoteca Bernabei at Via San Francesco a Ripa #48 in Trastevere for a great selection and helpful guidance.
Readers: What are some of your favorite white wines of Lazio?