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.
Food program: 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.
Address: Via Cernaia 37/B, 00185 Roma, Rome
Rimessa Roscioli in Rome's Centro Storico is the Roscioli family's wine-tasting cellar with a single 20:00 seating, the €95 four-hour set of salumi, pasta and seven wines.
Signature pour: Roscioli house carbonara paired with Cesanese
Wine focus: Italian regional wines, full tasting program
Food: Multi-course wine-paired dinner only
Tip: Single 20:00 seating only; book a fortnight ahead. Closed Sunday.
Litro in Rome's Monteverde Vecchio quarter is the natural-wine cellar with a 400-bottle list of Italian biodynamic producers, the city's strongest cellar for Lazio orange wines.
Signature pour: Sergio Mottura Civitella d'Agliano, by the glass
Wine focus: Natural and biodynamic Italian wines
Food: Small plates, salumi, cheese boards
Tip: Closed Monday. Book a fortnight ahead for the back room; the cheese board is the order.
Il Goccetto in Rome's Centro Storico is the historic wine bar with a 1500-label cellar, the city's oldest aperitivo room since 1969 and salumi boards from the counter.
Signature pour: Frascati Superiore Castel de Paolis, by the glass
Wine focus: Italian regional whites and reds by the glass
Food: Salumi and cheese boards, no kitchen
Tip: Cash only. Open from 18:30; no bookings. The back-room cellar is the spot to ask for after 21:00.
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.
Signature pour: Cesanese del Piglio Damiano Ciolli, by the glass
Wine focus: Italian regional wines, deep Lazio cellar
Food: Salumi platters, cheese flights
Tip: Closed Monday. The retail bottle prices are 30 percent below the wine-bar pour markup; buy and uncork.
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.
