Rome & Lazio Visit Guide

Rome and Lazio have finally put themselves on the map in the wine world, but it's an extremely recent phenomenon, making a name for themselves in the last 10 years. Sadly, despite thousands of years of winemaking, we are still quite slow to have achieved any international levels of recognition, as wine quality always gave way to quantity for a city which has always been associated with mass tourism.

But that said, for those who venture out into the countryside, you'll be charmed by places like Olevano Romano (Olevano takes its name from oil - ole, and vano - vino), enjoying the perfect escape from the crowds and chaos of Rome.

We have the Phoenicians to thank for kickstarting a flourishing viticulture in Italy and not long after, it became a central part of live on the peninsula, just as it was already in Greece and other parts of the civilized world. For the ancient Greeks and Romans, wine was deeply connected to religion with the cults of Dionysus (Greek) and Bacchus (Roman) maintaining a consistent popularity throughout antiquity.

However, ancient wine was very different to what we know as wine today. Without the technology we now take for granted, wine was typically drinkable for up to a year if kept in the right conditions. The ancients did employ some tricks to prolong the lifespan of their wine, including adding tree resin to the mix - they weren’t so hung up on the concept that wine should only be made from grapes as we are today!

During the early years of ancient Rome, wine was reserved almost exclusively for the members of high society. However, over time, wine became more accessible, and for a period during the Roman Republic, slaves would receive 5 liters of wine per week as a government ration – this was done as it was thought to keep the slaves healthy and happy, and therefore productive.

As wine production expanded and became more sophisticated, as did the process for determining quality. Like today, the territory and soil became an important consideration when grading wine, and the Romans created a classification system not too dissimilar from the modern Frence ‘Cru’ system – but a lot less complicated.

As the power of Rome expanded and the Roman Empire became the undisputed master of the Mediterranean, the upper and middle classes found themselves less concerned with matters of state, and more interested in entertainment and indulgent. With this, the popularity of wine grew further to the extent where wine was commonplace in any household, regardless of social status.

Ancient Rome’s wine legacy still resonates today; their traditional winemaking methods can be seen in modern vinification approaches, and we even still have some the same grape varieties in cultivation.

On this page you'll find some of our favorite wineries, restaurants and places to visit - and don't be afraid to try some local wines with some local, traditional cuisine - as in Italy, what grows together, goes together.