What People Drink in Rome: 6 Traditional Beverages

Rome drinks what its landscape grows: wines from the volcanic slopes south of the city and herbal liqueurs sipped after hearty neighborhood meals. The Tyrrhenian Sea tempers heat, while the Alban Hills’ tufa soils give local grapes freshness, salinity, and a faint almond edge.

Daily rhythms still guide the glass—an aperitivo white before dinner, a carafe on the table with pasta and lamb, then a sweet anise digestivo to close. In hill towns just outside Rome, fraschette pour young wines in carafes, while city enoteche focus on Lazio’s standout DOC and DOCG bottles.

Frascati, from the town of Frascati in the Alban Hills, is the quintessential Roman white. It’s typically a blend centered on Malvasia del Lazio (puntinata) and Malvasia di Candia, supported by Trebbiano, Greco, and Bombino. Most producers ferment in stainless steel to preserve crispness, sometimes leaving the wine briefly on lees for texture. The volcanic tufa soils and sea breezes yield a pale straw wine with scents of pear, citrus peel, fennel, and a gentle almond finish. Expect 12–13% ABV and a dry, zesty palate. Historically poured in carafes across osterie, Frascati remains Rome’s go-to with fritti, cacio e pepe, and saltimbocca. You’ll find it by the glass in wine bars throughout Rome and by the jug in nearby fraschette, served slightly chilled in the late afternoon and through dinner. It’s especially appreciated in summer, when the city’s heat calls for refreshing, low-oak whites that still carry a savory, mineral line from the hills.

Cesanese del Piglio DOCG comes from vineyards around Piglio and Affile and is Lazio’s flagship native red. Made predominantly from Cesanese (di Affile and/or Comune), it’s fermented with moderate maceration and aged in stainless steel or large botti to highlight floral and spice notes rather than heavy oak. The wine shows violet and sour cherry aromas, with hints of black pepper, bay leaf, and a faint smoky mineral edge from volcanic soils; ABV typically runs 13–14.5%. On the palate it’s medium-bodied, silky, and structured by fine tannins. Romans reach for Cesanese with abbacchio allo scottadito (grilled lamb), amatriciana, or carbonara, where its acidity and spice cut richness. In Rome, you’ll encounter it in enoteche and trattorie focused on regional pairings, especially at dinner or during cooler months when meaty dishes dominate. Its revival over the last two decades speaks to a wider pride in Lazio’s indigenous grapes and a shift toward terroir-driven bottlings.

Just beyond Rome, the hill towns of Ariccia, Marino, and Albano Laziale host fraschette—casual taverns historically marked by a leafy branch (frasca) to signal new wine. Here the Castelli Romani DOC takes center stage in carafes and jugs. Whites lean on Malvasia and Trebbiano; reds blend Cesanese with Sangiovese, Montepulciano, or Merlot. Fermentation is usually in steel, with wines released young to emphasize freshness; ABV hovers around 11–12.5%. Expect clean, simple flavors—zesty lemon and green apple in the whites; bright cherry and a rustic herbal note in the reds. The experience is as much about conviviality as the liquid: long tables, porchetta di Ariccia, and paper-wrapped salumi. Locals descend on weekends for a long lunch or early evening meal, especially in warm weather when a chilled mezzo litro of white is ideal. While serious bottles exist, the fraschetta tradition celebrates unpretentious, local vino sfuso poured generously, paired with salty, fatty fare from the Roman countryside.

Sambuca is Rome’s most emblematic digestivo, and the city even lends its name to the Pallini-made Sambuca Romana. Another Lazio icon, Molinari Sambuca, comes from Civitavecchia. Distillers redistill neutral alcohol with star anise and other botanicals—often including elderflower—then sweeten the liqueur; the final ABV sits around 38–42%. Clear, viscous, and intensely aromatic, it tastes of anise, licorice, and citrus zest with a silky texture. Roman custom serves it neat, “con la mosca,” with three coffee beans symbolizing health, happiness, and prosperity; some bars briefly flame it to perfume the glass. Sambuca also corrects espresso as a quick caffè corretto after a heavy meal. You’ll see it appear at the end of dinners in osterie and family gatherings, especially after rich offal dishes or stews where a sweet, aromatic finish feels restorative. Though widely Italian, the Roman connection—brands and rituals—keeps Sambuca firmly embedded in the city’s drinking identity.

North of Rome, the town of Montefiascone produces a light, dry white immortalized by a medieval tale: a prelate’s scout marked taverns with “Est” (it is here) when the wine was good; at Montefiascone, the triple note proclaimed exceptional quality. Today’s DOC blends Trebbiano (locally Procanico) with Malvasia and often Roscetto, typically fermented cool in steel to retain orchard-fruit clarity and freshness. Expect 11.5–12.5% ABV, aromas of apple skin, pear, and straw, and a clean, slightly almond finish. In Rome, it’s a classic aperitivo or table wine with fried artichokes and seafood antipasti. Its restrained body and crisp acidity suit the Mediterranean climate and early evenings when locals gather on terraces. While modern palates may seek more complexity in single-vineyard bottlings, the enduring legend keeps Est! Est!! Est!!! a familiar, easy-drinking staple in Roman wine bars and trattorie.

Velletri, at the southern edge of the Castelli Romani, sits on volcanic and alluvial soils that favor structured yet approachable reds. The Velletri DOC allows blends of Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Cesanese, Merlot, and Ciliegiolo; whites also exist, but locals often pour the reds with slow-cooked dishes. Vinification is classically Italian—temperature-controlled fermentation, then maturation in steel or large, neutral botti to preserve fruit and herb tones. Typical bottles show cherry and plum over dried oregano, leather, and a stony mineral echo; ABV usually lands at 12.5–13.5%. In Rome, you’ll find Velletri alongside coda alla vaccinara and trippa alla romana, where its gentle tannin and savory bite balance gelatinous textures. It’s a cool-season favorite, poured at dinner in traditional osterie or bought from neighborhood enoteche, reminding drinkers that Rome’s red-wine heart still beats in the hills just beyond the ring road.