As my husband and I took the train out of Rome on the last day of our Italian couples trip, we watched the city slip away and slipped back in time to views of ancient aqueducts, small homes in villages, and rows and rows of vineyards. We were headed to Frascati for a wine tasting experience with The Roman Food Tour. After our food tour with them earlier in the week, we were excited to check out more of what they offered and it didn’t disappoint. Read on if you want to see all about the amazing wine tasting experience we had, and the food we ate in the area of Frascati, a 30 minute train ride outside of Rome.
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- About the Tour
- Winery Visit
- Town of Frascati
- Transportation Details
- Bringing Your Family
- Costs and Booking
- Tips
About the Tour
Run by The Roman Food Tour, the amazing company I found from Get Your Guide, this tour actually takes you out of Rome for the day. You take an easy-to-get local train to Frascati where you are picked up by a van for a day of exploring wine and the local cuisine of the Tuscany region of Italy. This affordable tour takes care of transportation, a visit to a century-old winery, and plenty of wine and food. You get information from some true experts, world class wine, and friends along the way.
Winery Visit
When you arrive at the train station, there will be a guide from The Roman Food Tour, who will collect you and direct you to the van you will be loaded into. The van takes you for a short ride to the wineries on the outskirts of Frascati.
When you step off the van you are transported into the beautiful vineyards you see in movies set in Tuscany. In the far distance you can see the city of Rome, but all around you are fields and fields of vines, and buildings that looked like they were taken from a Shakespeare novel.
We had some time to wander a bit as we waited for the three vans to arrive. Then the head winemaker talked to us a little about the land and the process. Then her second in command walked us through the fields so we could see the grapes. As we did, he talked about the climate, and the delicate balance needed to grow the grapes.
While I loved walking around the vines, the real treat was next. We were taken into the building and from the light to the cool interior of what I thought was wine storage. However, it was actually the entrances to the underground caves. Yes, under this building built hundreds of years ago, were caves that dated back to the Roman era. It turns out all the wineries in the area are connected by this labyrinth of caves that were created by the Romans.
As we stepped down into these caves you could feel the temperature drop from the warmth of the sun above to the cool almost of a wine refrigerator you’d have at home. It was down here, in the hand dug caves, that we had our first taste of wine, a Frascati Superiore D.O.C.G that was buttery, soft and coated my glass and tongue.
After exploring the caves, we were brought back up and found tables and chairs set out under the trees. Here we were all seated and got bread, local cheese, and glasses to try three more D.O.C.G wines (this is the top quality of wine). Here we were all poured full glasses, not the little tastes you get in the US. The head wine maker talked us through each wine, what to look for, what to taste for, and what to pair it with. It was a beautiful experience, sitting and drinking wine in the vineyards, and soaking in the beautiful Italian atmosphere.
Town of Frascati
After the tasting, we were all loaded into vans and taken back to the town of Frascati. This was the second part of the tour. Each van had its own group and tour leader which kept the groups nice and small. Here we were dropped in the center of town, where we had a Frascati local give us some of the history of the town.
After getting a quick history lesson, we were brought through town where our guide pointed out interesting sights and the amazing history of the Frascati cathedral. Then we got to the Forno Bakery. Here we learned that this was the oldest continuous bakery that was still run by the same family. The grandmother was actually in that day, sitting and overlooking the operations as the locals were in getting their daily bread. We went in and got a bunch of fantastic pastries for our train ride later and cookies to bring home to the kids.
Finally, we were walked to the Osteria i Fratelloni, where we got served traditional Roman Pasta dishes, some of the wine from earlier, and excellent conversation. Once we were served and eaten, our guide told us we were free to go whenever. We ended up sitting with some new friends for quite a while getting to know each other and enjoying just sitting out in Italy and feasting on the amazing food we have had on this trip.
Transportation Details
While this trip is advertised as starting from Rome, you are responsible for getting to the start of the tour. If you take the tour Monday – Friday or on Sunday, you take the train to Frascati. However, on Saturdays you take the train to Tor Vergata, so be sure you are going to the right station. At the time we went, a local train only cost 3 euros a person, and was a 30-minute ride.
Once there, transportation within the trip is by luxury Mercedes mini-bus. While the whole group is at the winery at the same time, they do a good job of making it still feel small and intimate. Once in Frascati, you are with your van group, which is no more than 10 to 15 people.
Note that you are left in Frascati, which is a cute town to walk around in if you have time. You can take a train back to Rome at any time, there is usually one every 30 minutes or so. If you are taking the tour on a Saturday, note this is NOT the station you arrived at.
Bringing Your Family
I know this is a family blog, and normally I write about experiences that are great for families. While I loved this experience, I would say that this is not the best experience to bring your kids along. Younger kids may be entertained by the vineyards but need to be careful in the treacherous and old underground caves. Older kids and teens may get bored with the wine tasting which they cannot participate in. The Frascati section of the tour will be interesting for adventurous eaters, if the kids can sit through the earlier part of the tour. However, note it will be the same cost for adults or children since they take up a seat in the van.
The legal drinking age in Italy is 18 years old, so your older teens on graduation trips may be interested in joining you on this tour. We did see a lot of couples, girls’ trips, and guys’ trips on this tour, so it’s great for that type of group.
Costs and Booking
The trip is quite economical. We booked directly through The Roman Food Tour, the cheapest way to book. You can use the code RETURNING for 10 euros off each person booked directly through their site.
Tips
- If you are booking a tour on Saturday, do NOT buy round trip train tickets. Buy one way at each train station since you are starting and ending at different stations.
- You can definitely wear your cute sun dresses, and polos, but make sure to wear some shoes with a little bit of grip. You will be going down uneven steps in the caves, and down cobblestone hills in Frascati. I wore my Rothy’s sneakers, but cute, white sneakers are all the rage in Europe right now.
- Eat a good breakfast. You drink before you eat.
- Make sure to get a seat by the left side of the train on the way up, or the right side on the way back if you want to catch a glimpse of the ancient Roman Aqueducts that connect to the city.
- If you have some extra time, check out the town of Frascati and the cathedral.
I have had a lot of wine tasting experiences in my years since I live so close to both Napa and Sonoma. This has been one of the better ones in my lifetime. It allows you to enjoy the wine and countryside of Italy, but without having to leave the convenience of staying in Rome. Especially if you have a longer trip, it’s great to get out of the city. If you are in Italy with your girls, your friends, or just reconnecting as a couple, this half day experience with The Roman Food Tour will not disappoint.
* Editor: SKS
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