Village italy

My experience has been that the tour guide will accommodate anyone that cannot/does not drink wine/alcohol. If wine is included in this tour (which I believe is the case), the guide will make sure non-drinkers will have something else to drink.

There were several people on our Village Italy tour who did not drink alcohol, and were always accommodated. I don’t remember ever having seen any “mocktails,” though.

I’m not much of a drinker and did just fine on the Village Italy trip. I don’t really remember what I drank instead of wine - I’m more into food LOL! As others have said, the tour guide and restaurants are quite accommodating. I certainly wouldn’t pass up this fabulous trip just because I couldn’t drink alcohol.

I am not particularly physically fit, but managed the activity level on this trip without a problem. There’s no way around climbing some hills in an area full of hill towns! But some days involved no climbing - for instance, Padua. There were a couple climbs that were optional.

I did the Eastern France tour in October and it is very wine intensive, several tastings and vineyard tours etc. I have an AFIB issue that means I’m greatly reduced on wine or other alcohol consumption. But I went to and enjoyed everything and after a few sips, I switched to water that was always available. Soft drinks were always available too. Nobody really noticed one way or another. It’s very doable and didn’t change my enjoyment of the tour.

I’m doing VI in April as well and will approach it the same way.

Is he okay being around quite a bit of wine without drinking it?

Civita di Bagnoregio was a big walk up, but I don't think they go they anymore. We chose to hike at Cinque Terre, but that was optional. The toughest walk for me was in Orvieto pulling our luggage from the elevator across town (and that wasn't bad).

We just did this tour last Sep/Oct and my husband no longer drinks and I now limit my alcohol intake because of meds. We had one wine tasting as part of this tour and it was done with our lunch. Yes, wine was offered with our group meals but no one looks down on you if you don’t drink it. Bottles of flat and sparkling water are also offered and I usually ask for a slice of lime for the sparkling water. I have never placed a whole lot of importance on alcohol, a glass of good wine is nice occasionally with dinner, so limiting my intake does not diminish my enjoyment of a tour or hinder my love to travel but I guess that’s a personal preference on what’s important to you. This tour does include hill top towns so yes, there are a few streets to walk up and down but nothing horribly strenuous.

I was on this tour in May and found the activity level to be moderate — pretty much as described. There was a lot of wine included pretty much daily (at all the group dinners and happy hours on other days, as well as at the lunch following the cooking demonstration). Plus at the winery lunch. Much more wine included than in the other two RS tours I’ve been on. There was always water (plain and sparkling) but not any other options. In our group one person didn’t drink alcohol at all and myself and one other person were more occasional drinkers. It was never uncomfortable not to drink along with everyone else, but we drank a lot of water. It would have been nice to have had some other options. Maybe if you alert the guide on the first day they can arrange for other beverages on occasion?

I know what you mean. Something a bit more fun or festive than water or Coca-cola. Here are several Italian nonalcoholic aperitivi (from The Local, an Italian news site I subscribe to).

I usually order a Crodino with ice and orange slice when everyone else is enjoying an Aperol spritz.

Edited to add link to article (might have paywall)
https://www.thelocal.it/20240411/six-of-the-most-italian-non-alcoholic-aperitivo-drinks

Luckily it turns out that Italy has some great options for an aperitivo analcolico. As well as 'virgin' versions of well-known cocktails, there are bitters, sodas and other Italian-made soft drinks that you're unlikely to find anywhere else.

SanBittèr

San Pellegrino's SanBittèr is one of the most famous non-alcoholic Italian drinks of all, with its highly-recognisable red packaging, often enjoyed in place of Campari cocktails because of its similar dark, ruby-red color.

This drink is carbonated with a slightly sweet, citrus flavor. The recipe is more complex than that of an orange or lemon soda, with notes of spice and herbs, making it ideal to pair with your aperitivo-hour snacks.

Crodino

Crodino looks a lot like an Aperol Spritz with its bright orange hue, and that's not an accident: it's said to have been created as a non-alcoholic alternative, and the zesty, slightly herbal taste is similar. It’s typically served the same way. in a round goblet glass over ice with a slice of orange: a Crodino Spritz.

The name comes from the town of Crodo in Piedmont, where it is still bottled today by the Campari group.

Chinotto

Citrusy Chinotto is an acquired taste for many, but it's worth trying: it's one of the classic Italian bitters and is said to have a long history, dating back to a recipe shared by Chinese sailors arriving on the Ligurian coast in the 1500s.

It may look a little like Coca Cola, but don't let the appearance fool you.

Aranciata/Limonata

Aranciata is Italy’s version of an orange soda, but not as sugary, and it tastes like oranges. Its base is sparkling water with the addition of orange juice and sugar. There are various brands, but San Pellegrino's is the most popular. It also sells a 'bitter' aranciata amaro, with even less sugar, more citrus tang and herbal notes, which might be more aperitivo-hour appropriate.

Limonata is, as you might guess, the Italian answer to lemonade. Again there are many versions out there but the fizzy San Pellegrino limonata is beloved for its strong, sweet-sour flavour and there's nothing more refreshing on a hot summer's day.

Cedrata

Cedrata is one of Italy’s oldest and best-known non-alcoholic drinks. It's a refreshing, carbonated drink made from a large citrus fruit called a cedro, grown in southern Italy. It's far less bitter than a Chinotto, but not as sweet as limonata.

The main producer of Cedrata today is Tassoni, and this is what you're likely to get if you order it at a bar.

Gingerino

This is harder to find than the other aperitivi on the list and is seen as decidedly retro, but it's worth trying if you can track it down.

It's another orange-coloured, sparkling drink which became popular in Italy in the 1970s and is still sold today, though you're more likely to find it in the north-east, close to Venice, where it's produced.

You may be expecting it to taste a lot like ginger beer, and there are similarities, but it has stronger citrus notes and more bitterness.

Thank you, Accidental Southerner, for the non-alcoholic drink list.