getting bulk local wine in Florence

I guess you just haven't been around much of Italy. Since we tend to poke around in a lot of wine stores, I seen many wine stores with large wooden kegs/cases with people buying wine in some type of containers. Don't know who supplies the container because we have never purchased any. Second, assume that it is young wine and probably has a short shelf life. Maybe they are just buying their daily supply. Also have seen olive oil sold in the same manner. As for where, ask at the TI. Most daily drinking wine is not aged in its own bottle even the good stuff. Some may improve over time in the bottle but the aging is in the barrel.

Just to clarify, we just want to buy our daily supply. When we were in Sorrento we found wonderful wine with no label in the grocery store for 1.25 Euro. In Venice there was a place that sold wine from large demijohns(sp?). you just had to bring in a bottle and buy it for about 2 or 2.5 Euro per litre. That's the kind of place we are looking for.

As I said earlier I have seen many wines shops with these wine taps in the back and people filling jugs. I think you just have to ask around as I think it may be fairly common,

Frank is right - wine is sold from barrels or kegs all over Italy. France, too. It is quite common. You usually bring your own empty bottle - an empty liter or 2 liter soda bottle works. And the wine can be great! Unfortunately, I can't recommend a specific location in Florence. In Venice, I could help you out. But ask when you get there.

Wow, who knew? I sure didn't. Thanks for posting--learned something new for my next trip.

I don't drink so who knows? But even I could help you with several places I have seen in Venice. I must admit I'm stumped for Florence but I am as sure as fish swim in water that there will be... ask at the local groceries or TI.

This is one of the things that came up when I googled "vino sfuso" (ie what "takeaway" wine is called in most places). Don't know how up to date it is. http://www.florencenewspaper.it/vediarticolo.asp?id=a9.10.15.13.10

Thank you all but especially Linda. the link to the Vino Sfuso is priceless. It even has addresses. We have always found places like this through serendipity but this is great. Jerry & Stelly

Great article, Linda! Exactly what I was talking about above. It occurs to me to point out that the house wine you get in carafes in Italy and France has likely never seen the inside of a bottle. I've had several PMs since my first post on the subject asking about Venice. One place is La Cantina on Calle Fontego near San Silvestre in San Polo. But, in Venice, many of the cichetti bars sell wine in bulk.

As oddballs that like making their own wine, some of our best stuff never sees the inside of a bottle either, we currently have 60+ gallons of Merlot and 60+ gallons of Pinot Noir out in our wine cave in french oak barrels in the garage. The bulk wine places in Italy generally will have some bottles on hand if you can't manage to bring your own with you, you just pay a little more for the bottle. We had some fun wines this way on our last trip and were able to talk to the folks in the shop about wine making techniques a little bit which was a lot of fun for us. If you get on their good side, they will let you sample (a lot) before buying as well. Very often these wine places are kind of a distribution for those who only have a few vines and all get together and combine their efforts, sort of a wine potluck or co-op. I some cases you buy shares and that entitles you to so much wine per week and others just buy as they go. Most of the enotecas will know where you can find these places or have the bulk stuff in back.