We'll be visiting The Langhe region this fall and I'm curious - are house wines normally available at restaurants? The restaurants I've been reviewing all have extensive wine lists and it got me wondering if, in general, wine is only by the glass or bottle.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11179 posts
I have never had a problem with getting a carafe of 'house wine' anywhere in Italy.
Posted by
11156 posts
I only recall ordering from a wine list. Why don't you ask your hotel or email a restaurant before booking.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23267 posts
I agree with Joe. We have never had any problem ordering the house wine. And generally the quality of home wine in Italy is generally better than the house wine in the US. The house wine in the US tends to be cheap. At a wine tasting in Europe, it was explained that the restaurants, at least the better ones, generally have a single source for their house wine and that there is some pride in having a good house wine. How true that is??? I have no idea. His suggestion was that the house wines are always a good choice at a good value unless you want a specific up-scale bottled wine.
Posted by
OP
NW Ohio
200 posts
Frank, I agree with your comment regarding the quality of house wine in Italy. We were in Tuscany and Umbria last year and the house wine was almost always very good. Early into our last trip we decided to drink house wines while on vacation and used the savings to justify sending a case of wine home (it was an easy sell). I was hoping to be able to do the same this on this trip. We've really enjoyed the bottled memories.
Posted by
Niagara, Ontario
1549 posts
You can usually order house wine by the carafe and half carafe. I never spend much on wine. In general, I'd say the cheaper Langhe barolos are of a higher quality than their Tuscan counterparts.