Imagine our excitement when we stopped in town to pick up some beer and wine for our fridge, and…read morestumbled into one of the highlights of our trip! We had been on the trek to Greve, and not purchased anything, nor had any great experiences. On the way back to our farmhouse (Antico Borgo San Lorenzo) we stopped in town to purchase some vino for our fridge. We walked in here, and were warmly greeted by Manuela. She insisted that we come sit at the rustic table, and try some wine with her. What an experience! Before we knew it, there were 5+ bottles open - plus olive oil, balsamics & bread. We were delighted as she guided us through local wines. It was a far better experience than we had found in Greve. After an hour we realized that locals were coming in & filling their own bottles with wine - something we had never seen. They have 2 reds, and 1 white on tap to "fill your own bottle" - for 1.5 euro a liter! You can purchase a bottle there, or fill your own. We immediately emptied all of our water bottles, and purchased straw covered chianti bottles to refill with house vino. The kids filled and corked bottles for the next 30 minutes. We left with: (3) 2 liter water bottles of their premium red, a giant chianti bottle of white, several bottles we enjoyed at their table, and the BEST balsamic we've ever tasted. But the biggest thing we left with was a smile. This place is the real deal, and worth a stop if you're in the Siena area. It's a fun little local find you'll want to treasure.

Delicious food, good wine and friendly service. Cozy little spot you might walk past but stop in!!!read more

We walked by this wine bar and store and decided to take a look inside. So much wine and liquor!…read moreIt's a cute store. We decided to take a break from walking and have a glass of wine. Wish we had more time to do their wine tasting. The man helping us with the wine was friendly and very nice. He was patient with us and helped us pick the wine to try. The two ladies at the entrance to the store weren't as friendly.

From the owner: In the University zone of Bologna you'll find fine wines from all Italian Regions, including…read moreBarolo, Amarone and Brunello di Montalcino. Here you also can find French wines, sparkling wines including Franciacorta and Champagne, raisin wines, grappa and other spirits at a friendly price! Vini scelti da tutte le regioni d'Italia, vini francesi, bollicine, vini passiti, grappa e altri distillati al giusto prezzo! Consegne gratuite a Bologna e Casalecchio di Reno per importi superiori a 30 Euro.

Came to this spot to do a wine tasting however they couldn't take us the same day. We were just…read morelooking to try some wines of the area to make the right purchases. We ended up staying outside for drinks but the wine selection was limited. We liked the Rosso they had and got a bottle to drink there. We enjoyed ourselves sitting outside people watching and letting our feet rest.

This cafe in Siena is located on one of its twisty, inclined streets near Piazza del Duomo. There…read moreare three separate doorways; one seems to be for food, one for booze, and one for coffee and pastries. The coffee door is imprinted with "KAFA Forest Coffee". We were walking along and just wanted a coffee to sip as we sat and relaxed on their covered patio. It's a great place to people watch. I went inside and ordered 2 Americanos at the counter. The helpful barista understood my English perfectly and my cups of espresso were ready quickly to take out to the patio. The coffees were bold and strong; quite enjoyable. We sat for ten minutes or so until another customer sat at the table next to us and lit up a cigarette, smoke blowing in our faces (unintentionally). Smoking on a restaurant patio is fine in Italy. They also serve pastries, small sandwiches, and gelato.

I found this gem of a wine shop while exploring Oltr'Arno one afternoon. I stopped in and…read moreunfortunately didn't know enough Italian to really communicate what I was looking for. I am very grateful to the owner for communicating with me in English. He took the time to explain the relative merits of each bottle he had for sale, including where they came from, the background of the region, etc. When I asked for recommendations, explaining that I prefer full-bodied Chiantis and Sangioveses, he made his recommendations and explained why he was recommending each. To his credit, he never steered me towards the unduly expensive selections. As he was ringing up the four bottles I purchased, I spied a bottle of grappa. He explained how it was made and suggested I try a bottle. While I have not yet gotten to try the wines (I almost don't want to open them!), it was a great shopping experience for authentic Italian wine straight from Italy!

Loved this place. It was like waking into a mad scientist space but with wine. I loved filling my…read morewater bottle to walk around the city..... they're never gonna know!

One of the best hidden gems in Florence. If you're a wine drinker, you NEED to go here. They have…read morea large selection of wines from all over Tuscany, which you can buy at local prices (between 2.5 to 4 euros a bottle!). The montepulciano here is a great red. With the prices here, you could literally do your own wine tour of Tuscany in this store alone. It's about a ten minute walk east from the Duomo. The best wine shop in Florence, by far!

They speak English well, aren't snotty, and carry a really wonderful selection. It's fairly…read moredifficult to find a good selection of foreign wines or even wines from outside of Tuscany within Tuscany, but they do a great job of carrying the local stuff and the further outs. This was the go-to store for students of the Culinary Institute of Florence and its wine program at Apicius, and for good reason.

I came here looking for Italian whisky. This is the only shop in Florence that I could find that…read morecarried it. Not only that, but their prices were quite fair. Service is great and they do a great job wrapping the bottles.

Gianni is the wonderful proprietor of this wine bar and helpful to non-…read moreItalian visitors. He recommended a nice Brunello Di Montalcino paired with local Tuscan cheeses, salami, prosciutto, dried tomatoes, bread and of course olive oil. He has many wines by the glass at super affordable prices and of course a deep selection of bottles. Can't go wrong here!

Looking for a really cute little place near San Lorenzo to snack on a yummy panino and a {really…read moregood} glass of wine? Then Casa del Vino is the place you want to be. I can't believe I have lived here this long and have never been...until now! Finding it can be a bit of a challenge due to it's umbiguous location amongsnt the market traffic in San Lorenzo but once you find it - you pretty much feel like you've discovered a pot of gold. Well at leats, if you are a hungry wino like me. Very small inside, not much space to sit but pick what kind of bread you want and get that panino made. I got one filled with sun-dried tomatoes, burrata (heaven) and prosciutto. Their wine selection is very decent and I got a lambrusco secco which was heaven in a world where normally Lambrusco sucks. Total price for my panino and wine? 7 euros. Which for Italian 'fast slow food' is a bit high but it was so good, I didn't even think about it. So when you are in the center searching for THAT tiny place with great wine and good crostini & panini - head over to Casa del Vino and trust me.. try that burrata..