How does the online booking process work?
Just select the event and date you’d like to join, and then follow the booking process. After clicking “Confirm”, a window will pop up where you can choose to pay via PayPal by entering your login information OR click “pay with a card” to use a credit card instead. Note that you are not required to have a PayPal account to book with us. After the successful completion of this process, you will receive a confirmation email with all of the pertinent information. This process is automated, so this email should arrive as soon as you book (you might need to check your spam folder!).
I don’t want to book online, what are my options?
The option to reserve seats and pay at the tasting has been abused too often and we have canceled this possibility. For a small business like VinoRoma, no-shows are a big problem and we can’t afford that. If for whatever reason you are experiencing issues with the online payment system, please let us know and we will do our best to help you get into a tasting.
Can I change my dates after booking?
Yes, you can, but please give us a notice as early as possible. Just email us (or, if it’s the day of the event, give us a call) and we’ll arrange a different date according to our openings and to your availability. We will try as much as possibile to accomodate your request, but please keep in mind that, if we are unable to do so, it will be handled as a cancellation.
Can I buy a tasting as a present?
Yes! Just follow this link where you can purchase a gift voucher for one of our tastings or in any amount you’d like. The recipient will automatically receive an email with a special code they can use to redeem for an event on the date of their choosing.
I don’t know anything about wine. Can I attend your tasting?
Yes, please do! Our tastings are designed to inform and entertain everyone, you will learn something new no matter what your level of knowledge is. We don’t believe in wine snobbery, so don’t worry, no question will be laughed at. We will also teach you the basics at the very beginning so that you can enjoy the tasting to the fullest extent.
I have a lot of experience with wines and tastings. Can I still attend your tasting (and not get bored)?
Yes, please do try our tasting! Our tastings are designed to inform and entertain everyone, you will learn something new no matter what your level of knowledge is. You will definitely get to know new wines and maybe whole new regions! We always encourage asking questions, so the more detailed questions you ask, the more detailed answers you will get. We have had professional sommeliers and winemakers at our tastings who all have learned something new. If you have detailed or specific interests, you can also consider arranging a special private tasting. Please send us an email or use the contact form to find out what we can arrange for you.
In what languages are the tastings?
Our tastings are normally held in English. However, private tastings can also be arranged in Italian, German and Turkish upon request.
Where are the tastings?
All tastings are at the VinoRoma wine studio, right in the heart of Rome, in the ancient district known as Monti. The address, Via in Selci 84/G, is minutes away from the Colosseum and the Termini central train station; right near the Metro stop “Cavour” on the B line (blue). And yes, the “G” is important – number 84 actually includes several doors in a row, from A to G. Our door, G, is the door closest to the lower end of the street, seven doors down from #84.
Where do we go for the food tour?
We will work out a different itinerary for each private food tour, depending on your interests and day of the week (and yes, there are lovely options for Sunday, too!). Upon booking, about a week before your booked date, we will inform you via email where exactly we will be meeting. For each day of the week, we have many favorite places to visit (food markets, cafés, pastry shops, pizzerie, gelaterie, food shops, etc.) but they are not set in stone. We can and will accommodate (as far as humanly possible) your personal preferences. Perhaps you would just like to take pictures, or look and learn about Roman food and history, or just wanna shop, etc. Just let us know!
Is there any food served during the tasting?
During the My Italians tastings, we offer water and fresh-baked bread, as we want you to have an unaltered tasting experience in order to fully appreciate the wines. It is common practice to neutralize your palate only with bread and/or water during a tasting, any other type of food would alter your perception of the aromas and flavors of the wines. During the Wine & Cheese Dinner, we offer artisanal cheeses, cold cuts, etc, in order to study the ways wine and food interact. During our food tours, you will get many samples of food at different stops along the way. You definitely will not need lunch afterwards, and some guests have even reported they didn’t even need dinner after a tour with us!
Which wines will we taste?
Only Italian wines. From all over the country. Most of them natural or low-intervention. All of them well made. We have a broad selection of wines in our cellar from which we choose at every tasting. Normally, there are six different wines to taste at the My Italians tasting and four different wines to taste during the Wine & Cheese Dinner. We have wines from some small producers we know personally and wines from some famous names as well. Each selection will help you learn more and appreciate Italian wines while refining and defining your own taste. You will get a list of the wines you’re trying during the tasting along with a map of the Italian regions and some information for future reference.
How many people will there be at the tasting?
Our tastings require a minimum attendance; for My Italians the minimum is 2 people and for Wine & Cheese Dinner the minimum is 4. There is usually no difficulty reaching these numbers. The maximum number of attendees for My Italians as well as Wine & Cheese Dinner is 12 people. Our food tours are always booked privately for parties of 1 to 6 people. Our experience has shown that with more attendees there are always lively discussions about wine and food and a lot of opportunities to meet new like-minded people and maybe exchange travel experiences, too. On the other hand, with fewer attendees you have much more time to ask in-depth questions. Higher number of guests are possible for private groups (up to 22!). Please contact us for more information.
Can I buy wine at the tasting?
No, sorry. VinoRoma is a social club that serves to educate; we’re neither a bar nor a wine store, and we are legally not allowed to sell wine. But we will gladly give you names of places to purchase wine all over Rome.
Can I request specific wines at our tasting?
Perhaps! Just let us know what special request you have, and we’ll do our best to come up with something which will accommodate you as well as the other attendees. If you’d like to fully customize your tasting, we’re also able do that. Just contact us directly and we can arrange a special private tasting to fit with your schedule and with a tasting list curated to your personal tastes.
Can I bring my kids with me?
In Italy the legal drinking age is 16. The tastings are a great education and first step into responsible drinking for young adults at or over the age of 16, so feel free to book for them, too!
Children under 12 are not admitted to VinoRoma tastings. We are very sorry that, after numerous unsuccessful attempts of having children try to sit through a two hour tasting, we must make this rule. Children are children and they have their own needs. And since we have no extra space on the VinoRoma premises, the needs of the children brought along and the needs of the attendees (paying guests, including the parents themselves, as well as the sommelier) for a relaxed, educational and safe tasting are at odds. Please note that simply paying for the children is not an option. You will be turned away at the door and your booking will not be refunded.
Teenagers 13 to 16 may be present, but will have to quietly entertain themselves (reading a book?) at one end of the table.
If you are bringing your kids to a food tour, please remember we will do some walking (usually around 2-3km) and bring along your stroller, sling, etc. to accommodate them when they get tired.
Do I need to bring anything to the tasting?
No, you will be provided with everything you will need. If you’d like to take pictures, you may bring a camera and of course you are encouraged to takes notes, but you will be given a print-out with the most important information, including a map of the regions of Italy. Oh, and don’t forget to bring along your high spirits!
If you are joining a food tour, please remember we will be walking quite a bit, so wear comfortable shoes and dress according to the weather!
Any other wine tasting advice?
Don’t brush your teeth right before the tasting, as that would limit your perceptions and pleasure of tasting the wines.
Don’t brush your teeth right after the tasting, even though you might want to get rid of the purple on your teeth. Wait at least 30 minutes after drinking before you brush so that you don’t ruin the enamel of your teeth.
Any strong smell, however nice it might be on its own, impedes the proper perception of the aromas and flavors of wine (for you and others nearby): Perfume, smoke, etc…
Didn’t find the answer to your question? Contact us at [email protected]