Hello, any wine store recommendations in Florence and Bologna? Also, looking for age-worthy Italian red wine recommendations to bring back from Italy? Price range 80 euro msrp. How about ready to drink red wine in the 50 euro price range to bring to cruise boat? Thank you very much.
Obsequium on Borgo San Jacopo is wonderful….near the Hotel Lungarno(great place for lunch).
1 Like
This place in Florence is a board favorite. They’ve got some crazy low pricing, but you might have to wait a bit for them to fetch bottles from offsite storage.
Picked up a 2014 Le Pergole for ~120 euros iirc.
1 Like
A big plus 1 for Pitti Gola e Cantina. Sit and have a little wine and something to eat while you are there. Wonderful people.
1 Like
In Bologna, for range alone http://enotecaitaliana.it/wine-shop/ on via Marsala has a huge selection, plus you can grab a coffee or drink whilst there. Prices used to be very slightly elevated by Italy’s standards, but glancing at the online list, they appear very fair indeed now, though what’s listed (105 labels) would be a tiny fraction of their stock.
My own favourite is the oddly named Caffè Bazar on Via Guerrazzi to the east of le due torre. Enter through the sweet shop, to get to the adjoining wine shop (I guess the adult’s sweet shop). A strong range and I like their selection, with pretty fair prices.
Plenty of others in the city, and it’s always good to try out ones you see, as places do emerge over time. A mention for Enoteca Faccioli amongst them, as it’s a compact place, but I found it enjoyable.
As for wine suggestions:
Ready to drink? I guess it would help to know what wine styles you prefer, as personally I might grab a bottle of proper Lambrusco, which would be a tiny fraction of $50, can be an incredibly food friendly wine, and also is convenient to pop the cork at the moment you want it. However it can feel a little rustic on its own (without food), so a super-tuscan blend might be a safer option. If you see it there, I do like Rivera’s Il Falcone in its youth (and with some age), something of a Puglian classic and woefully underpriced. However it’s also an opportunity to take a punt on something
For bringing home? Maybe something that’s harder to find at home e.g. an Umberto Cesari Tauleto, or Drei Dona Graf Noir, both from Emilia Romagna, or one that’s a hard to find unicorn at home, but priced more sensibly in Italy (going back in time, I recall seeing Valentini’s Abruzzo wines at much fairer prices in Italy)
2 Likes