Booking and payment

How does the online booking process work?
Just select the event & date you’d like to join, and then follow the booking process. In step 3 (check out), choose the “pay via PayPal” option to pay via your PayPal account or with your credit card (even if you don’t have a PayPal account). After the successful completion of this process, you will receive a confirmation mail (stating the tasting you have booked and payment information). This process is automated, so this mail should arrive right after you book (you might want to check your spam folder!).

I don’t want to book online, what are my options?
The option to reserve seats and pay at the tasting has been abused too often and we have canceled this possibility. For a small business like vinoroma, no-shows are a big problem and we can’t afford that. If for various reasons you are experiencing trouble with the online payment system, please let us know and we will do our best to help you get into a tasting :)

Do you take credit cards?
Yes. You can use the PayPal option during check-out (even if you don’t have a PayPal account!) and pay with your credit card.

Can I change my dates after booking?
Yes you can. But please give us a notice as early as possible. Just give us a call or email us (depending on how short the notice is) and we’ll arrange a different date according to our openings and to your availability. Please consider that, if we are not able to accommodate your change wish (though we will try hard to make it possible), it will be handled as a cancellation.

Can I buy a tasting as a present?
Yes. Just book your tasting online, specifying that you would like a gift certificate for this (in the notes field). We will email you a gift voucher (with all necessary indications but no price on it).

The tastings

I don’t know anything about wine; can I attend your tasting?
Yes, please do! Our tastings are designed to inform and entertain everyone, you will learn something new no matter what your level of knowledge is. We don’t believe in wine-snobbery, so don’t worry, no question will be laughed at. We will also teach you the basics at the very beginning so that you can enjoy the tasting to the fullest extent.

I have a lot of experience with wine & tastings; can I still attend your tasting (and not get bored)?
Yes, please do try our tasting! Our tastings are designed to inform and entertain everyone, you will learn something new no matter what your level of knowledge is. You will definitely get to know new wines and maybe whole new regions! We always encourage asking questions, so the more & detailed you ask, the more & detailed answers you will get! If you have, based on your experience and knowledge, detailed / specified wishes, you can also consider arranging a special tasting. Please check per mail or the contact form what we can arrange for you.

In which language are the tastings?
Our tastings are (at the moment) in English. German, Japanese, Italian and Turkish are available upon special request, as private tastings.

Where are the tastings?
All tastings are at the vino roma wine studio, right in the heart of Rome, in the oldest district, called Monti. The address, Via in Selci 84G, is minutes away from the Colosseum or the Termini central station; right by the Cavour Metro stop on line B (blue line). And yes, the “G” does have significance - number 84 has several doors next to each other, from A till G. G is the entrance closest to the lower end of the street, 7 doors down from 84.

Where do we go for the food tour?
We have worked out a different itinerary for each day of the week (and yes, there are lovely options for Sunday, too!). After you book, about a week before your booked date, we will inform you per email where we will be meeting. For each day of the week, we have cornerstones to visit (a market, cafè, pastry shop, gelateria, delicatessen, kitchen tools, etc) but they are not set in stone. We can and will accommodate (as far as humanly possible) your wishes. You want to take pictures; just look and learn about Roman food and traditions; want to shop; etc… just let us know!

Is there any food served during the tasting?
There will be good bread and water during the “My Italians” and “Wine Wednesdays” tastings. We want you to have an unaltered taste experience to fully appreciate the wines. It is common practice to neutralize your palate with some bread and/or water during a tasting, any other food would alter the aromas and the taste (and your perception).

During “Wine & Cheese Lunch”, we offer artisanal cheeses, cold cuts etc. During the My Rome Food Tour, you will get tastes of food at different stops. You won’t need lunch afterwards, and some guests have even reported they didn’t even need dinner after the food tour with us!

Which wines will we taste?
My Italians. Only Italian wines. From all over Italy. All of them good. We have a broad selection of wines from which we choose at every tasting. Usually there are 6 different wines at the My Italians tasting, this may vary slightly. There are 4 different wines to taste during the Wine & Cheese Lunch. There might be some acquaintances as well as some surprises. The Wine Wednesdays will usually feature 6 wines as well, but depending on the theme, this may vary. We have wines from some small producers we know personally and we have wines from some famous names as well. Each selection will help you learn more and appreciate Italian wines while refining and defining your taste. You will get a list of the wines you taste during the tasting along with a map and some information for future reference.

How many people will there be at the tasting?
Our tastings require minimum attendance; for My Italians it is only 2, for Wine & Cheese Lunch 4 and for Wine Wednesdays 6. There is usually no difficulty reaching these numbers. If it turns out to be a special tasting for you – great chance to ask everything you ever wanted to ask and were too shy to! The maximum attendee number differs according to the tasting - at the moment for My Italians and Wine Wednesdays it is 13, for Wine & Cheese Lunch 10, for the My Rome Food Tour 6. Any number in between is possible. Our experience shows that with more attendees there will be lively discussions about wine & food and a lot of opportunities to meet new like-minded people and to maybe exchange travel experience, too. With less attendees, you have all the time to ask in depth questions. Higher number of guests possible for private groups (upto 20), please contact us and ask.

Can I buy wine at the tasting?
No, sorry. Vino roma is a solely educational site; neither a bar, nor a wine store, and we are legally not allowed to sell wine. But we will gladly name you resources all over Rome.

Can I request specific wines at our tasting?
Perhaps! Just let us know what special interest you have, and we’ll do our best to come up with something which will accommodate you and the other attendees as well. If you want to fully customize your tasting, we can also do it. Just let us know when booking, we can arrange special tastings at different dates/times with a wine list catered fully to your wishes.

Can I bring my kids with me?
In Italy the legal drinking age is 16. The tastings are a great education and a first step into responsible drinking for young adults over the age of 16, so book for them, too!

Children under 12 are not admitted to Vino Roma tastings. We are very sorry that after much abuse of our appeal to parents to consider not bringing children who can not sit through a 2 hour tasting, we have to go this way. Children are children and have their needs - as we have no extra space on the Vino Roma premises, the needs of the children brought along and the needs of the attendees (paying guests, including the parents themselves, as well as the sommelier) for a relaxed, educational and safe tasting are at odds. You will be turned away at the door and your booking will not be refunded. Paying for the children is not a solution.

Teenagers 13 to 16 may be present, but will have to quietly entertain themselves (reading a book?) at one end of the table.

If you are bringing your kids to a food tour, please remember we will do some walking (usually around 2-3km) and bring along your stroller, sling, etc. to accommodate them when they get tired.

Do I need to bring anything to the tasting?
No. If you want you can bring a camera to take pictures and you can also takes notes, but you will be handed out most information, anyways. Oh, don’t forget to bring your high spirits with you!

If you are joining a food tour, remember we will be walking, so wear comfortable shoes and dress according to the weather!

Any other wine tasting advice?
* Don’t brush your teeth right before the tasting, that would limit your perceptions and pleasure in drinking wine.

* Don’t brush your teeth right after the tasting, even though you might want to get rid of the blue color on your teeth. Wait about half an hour before brushing so that you don’t ruin the enamel of your teeth.

* Any other strong smell, however nice it might be on its own, stands in the way of a good perception of taste (for you and others nearby): Perfume, smoke etc….