BYOB - And Fill It Up

A unique store found in many Italian towns is the cantina for vino sfuso. Literally translated as "loose wine", they sell you their vintages by the liter, siphoned directly from the barrel into the bottle that you provide. Many people keep five liter jugs - one for red and one for white wine - to be refilled weekly.

The in-town stores are normally small, and often they do not have signs. You may need to ask someone where to find a vino sfuso shop, but once you've located the place you can buy decent (and sometimes, fantastic), locally-produced wine at rock-bottom prices. Some offer the premium regional varietals; others have a rather generic homemade "red" or "white" vino da tavola (table wine). Normally you are allowed to taste before buying.

If you cannot locate a sfuso shop in town, many wineries also offer the option to buy their basic level wine from the barrels, but don't forget that this is strictly a BYOB operation. Keeping a one-liter water bottle or two in the car while you're out touring is a good idea, so when you happen upon a winery you can get your fruit of the vine directly from the barrel.

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Alici di Menaica
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Aperitivi - Happy Hour Italian Style
A pre-dinner drink for relaxing, socializing and enjoying a glass of vino with a few nibbles – sounds like happy hour!
Burrata
Burrata is a creamy fresh cheese that is a specialty of the Puglia region.
Cacioricotta
Cacioricotta is a soft cheese typical of the Cilento National Park.
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Colatura di Alici
A specialty of Cetara on the Amalfi Coast is a centuries' old tradition of fish preservation, and the results are delicious.
Fagiolina del Trasimeno
Since 2000, Castiglione del Lago has homed a Slow Food presidium in order to promote and conserve the Fagiolina del Trasimeno.
Italian Coffee Drinks
With more than 250,000 coffee bars within the peninsula, it's obvious that Italians are passionate about coffee.
Italian Happy Hour!
A pre-dinner drink for relaxing, socializing and enjoying a glass of vino with a few nibbles – sounds like happy hour!
Pecorino Bagnolese
Pecorino Bagnolese is a cheese made with raw sheep milk coming from bagnolese ewes.
Prosciutto di Norcia IGP
Prosciutto di Norcia is a cured prosciutto crudo, produced in the mountains of eastern Umbria.
Ragusano DOP Cheese
The Ragusano DOP is one of the oldest cheese traditions on the island of Sicily, and one of the most flavorful, too.
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Sicily has a reputation for its sweets, and many are created with the island's almonds, a tradition for centuries.
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Forget bacon and eggs.
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Pazzo for Pizza
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Have you ever wondered how to get milk from a herd of buffalo?
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High-Quality Italian Products
At Summer in Italy we do care about our guests, and this is why, in order to help you making your food shopping in Italy just perfect, we would like to share a few tips about high-quality local products.
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