Italy for non drinkers

Your theory is mistaken, no waiter, or anybody else, will care if you don't order wine or something else alcoholic.
You could always order something like Crodino.

3 trips to Italy and I've never had wine, just the occasional beer. Usually I just order water or a coke zero.

It is perfectly acceptable to be a nondrinker. I simply had water or soda and had no difficulties or irritated waiters. It just didn't matter.

You should be fine. an aperitivo to start a dinner is almost unheard of anymore, though as an interlude earlier in the evening, yeah. There are enough people who do not drink wine, or alcohol, anymore that waiters would not even flinch. It is however almost expected that you will get a bottle of water, either still or sparkling, and waiters do seem taken aback when you decline coffee after a meal, but they move on.

I have been to Italy several times and I am a non alcohol drinker. (I also don’t drink coffee:). Neither has been an issue at any point.

If I’m alone in Italy, I don’t drink alcohol.
If I’m with others then I will.
I like the Sicilian lemon sodas.
There are a couple of different brands, I don’t know the names.
No one there cares what you like to eat or drink!

I know what you mean, but I have dined in nice restaurants with Italians who don’t drink wine. I can’t help with menu suggestions but don’t worry about anything except what you want to eat or drink.

Sparking water is universally offered and very popular. You’ll fit right in with a bottle of sparkling water on the table.

In my experience on this most recent trip Americans seemed to order much more alcohol than Italians - with tables close together at restaurants we couldn’t help but notice. Several times our table neighbors were Italians who ordered little or no alcohol.

I often have wine with meals especially supper, but I've never been pressured to order anything. I usually also buy a bottle of water as it's chilled and very refreshing after a hot day of touring. I sometimes order this for a change - https://www.sanpellegrino.com/beverages/chinotto .

You'll get stranger looks if you don't order pasta. :)

There are lots of fun soft drinks to be had in Italy: Chinotto, Sanbitter, Crodino, tons of different citrus soda... Enjoy!

I'm also a non-alcohol drinker who's had no problems with getting a bottle of sparkling water (acqua frizzante) with meals. I much prefer that to still water (acqua naturale), but I usually get a 2 liter bottle of each for my room.

Heaven is when I can have a cold Sanpelligrino Aranciata Rossa. The other flavors are good, too. 😉 Here's a link to Sanpellegrino® Italian Sparkling Drinks Traditional so you can see what those flavors are and what the cans look like. Note that they are neither sugar-free nor calorie-free.

Even if is true that wine is part of the Italian culture, is not a problem not order any wine or other alcoholic at a restaurant or bar.
You can order only water and nobody cares about it. Like you can order an international soft drink: coke, fanta, red-bull....
We have even a wide range of soft drinks that are not present in other countries, often a little more bitter than the international ones; chinotto, orzata, aranciata rossa (red orangeade), aranciata amara (bitter orangeade), acqua brillante (tonic water)... We like fruit juices (we have any kind of it!), but remember: if in a place you ask for a "succo" you receive an industrial one (usually a little bottle or a can), while if you ask for a "spremuta" you receive a fresh one, just squeezed.
For aperitivo are prepared even a lot of cocktails without alcohol. Usually juices mixed with spices and aromatic herbs.

Nobody will care if you don’t order wine. Lots of Italians don’t touch alcohol.

Just say “sono astemio” (I am abstemious) and they will suggest a bunch of non alcoholic drinks besides water.

Thank you everyone for your replies! Since every guide, blog and video mention trying the fab local wine (including Steve here :)) , and the plethora of wine tasting tours, and being newly sober, it’s good to have your prospective. Ciao!

Guides and bloggers push the experiences they can sell, but an Italian waiter couldn't care less if an unknown foreigner he/she'll never see again drinks wine or not. And trust me... irritating a waiter is almost impossible if you are not Italian.

Hello epersons1,

You've received a bunch of accurate and helpful replies already but I wanted to add that there are a vast array of Italian flavored "soft drinks" to discover. Italians like to explore all edges of the flavor spectrum and sodas are not exception.

-Chinotto (ki-notto) is made from a special Italian orange tree and is dark and somewhat bitter sweet. (This is Italian "coke".)
-Bergamot is a odd citrus fruit that they grow in the lake districts and regionally you can find Bergamot flavored everything including sodas. It tastes somewhere between lemon and lime that you can't place.
-Sanbittèr (aka San Pellegrino Bitter) is a bright red, very bitter is like Campari without the alcohol - mixed with soda and citrus it looks like a "drink" if you want to make the appertivo scene without drinking. (I discovered this drink at BevMo where they were literally begging people to buy 6 packs for a dollar because Americans didn't get it and they were trying to get rid of it.)

There are many others - variations are as regional as Italian food - that I haven't tried. Crodino (a Sanbittèr competitor), Cedrata (citron based), Gazzosa (fizzy lemon with different flavorings), many Blood Orange and other Lemon based drinks - especially from Sicily.

There are bunch of upscale, boutiquey, "handmade" brands that they carry in hipper and more upscale cafes and bars. I would encourage you to try them even if you don't drink sodas here as part of the Italian flavor exploration.

Have a great (alcohol free) trip!
=Tod

Awesome, thank you Tod!