Enoteca Bulzoni in Rome's Parioli quarter has run as a wine cellar since 1929. The cellar runs 4000 labels deep; the wine bar pours 40 by the glass nightly.
Food program: Salumi platters, cheese flights
Tip: Closed Monday. The retail bottle prices are 30 percent below the wine-bar pour markup; buy and uncork.
Address: Viale Parioli 36, 00197 Roma, Rome
Enoteca Ferrara in Rome's Trastevere is the piazza-side wine bar with a 1200-bottle list, the all-natural cellar from the Trecca family and a small Roman-classics kitchen.
Signature pour: Sagrantino di Montefalco Paolo Bea, by the glass
Wine focus: Italian regional and natural wines
Food: Small plates kitchen, Roman classics
Tip: Open daily 18:30 to midnight. Book a piazza terrace seat ten days ahead in May to September.
Ai Tre Scalini in Rome's Monti district is the wine-bar trattoria with a 200-label list, the polpette al sugo carte and the small front pavement seats for the aperitivo crowd.
Signature pour: Bombino Bianco from Lazio, by the glass
Wine focus: Italian regional wines, 200-bottle list
Food: Roman trattoria classics, aperitivo plates
Tip: Open daily 12:30 to midnight. Reservations only after 19:00 for tables of four or more.
Enoteca Corsi in Rome's Centro Storico has been a working-day lunch trattoria with retail wine shelves since 1937. Cash only; 12:00 to 15:00; the city's most traditional lunch.
Signature pour: Frascati Superiore by the carafe
Wine focus: Italian regional wines
Food: Roman trattoria lunches only
Tip: Cash only. Open lunch only; no dinner; closed Sunday. House wine by the carafe is 6 euros per half-litre.
Casa Bleve in Rome's Centro Storico is the Bleve family's salumeria-and-wine-bar with a 1000-label cellar, the daily lunch buffet of salumi and cheese and a courtyard back room.
Signature pour: Vintage Sagrantino di Montefalco, by the bottle
Wine focus: Italian regional wines, deep cellar
Food: Lunch buffet, dinner carte, salumi
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Lunch buffet is 35 euros all-you-can-eat with a glass of wine.
Il Tiaso in Rome's Pigneto district is the natural-wine cellar with a 250-label biodynamic Italian list, the small kitchen of salumi and cheese boards and a late-night crowd to 02:00.
Signature pour: Foradori Teroldego, by the glass
Wine focus: Natural Italian wines, biodynamic cellar
Food: Small plates, salumi flight, cheese boards
Tip: Open daily 18:30 to 02:00. The Tuesday and Thursday wine flights of three glasses cost 15 euros.
Trimani Il Wine Bar in Rome's Castro Pretorio quarter is the Trimani family's wine bar (the retail cellar runs since 1821), with 5000 labels in the back, 60 by the glass nightly.
Signature pour: Aglianico del Vulture Paternoster, by the glass
Wine focus: Italian regional wines, classic cellar
Food: Salumi, cheese, Roman small plates
Tip: Closed Sunday. The cellar tour Saturday 11:00 is free for groups of six or more; book a fortnight ahead.
