The hidden wine bar nestled in Rome’s alleyways where you can sip unexpected glasses

“Don’t imagine a nearly sterile, worship-like setting where people taste in silence. Il Goccetto is more like a Dantean crowd,” describes Daniele Cernilli in his Memories of a Wine Taster. Il Goccetto is the kind of place you’d want to visit every day for that perfect daily sip, the spot you wish was just downstairs.

The beginnings of the wine bar era

It opened in 1983, imagine that, three years before Stefano Bonilli founded *Gambero Rosso* in 1986 and invited Cernilli to cover wine. Anna and Sergio Ceccarelli, passionate about wine, opened it in a Rome just starting to explore high-quality wine. There were already iconic spots, like Cavour 313, originally founded in 1935 as a wine shop, which evolved into a meeting place for wine culture by the late ’70s. There was also the Cul de Sac, which had opened in 1977, and a few years later – in 1991 – the Wine Bar of the Trimani family, stemming from their historic 1821 wine shop.

Il Goccetto: two steps into the heart of Rome

But back to Il Goccetto, let’s step inside. Just two steps from Via dei Banchi Vecchi and under an original sign reading “Vino Olio.” Inside, it’s filled with the aromas of history and wine. There’s a coffered ceiling, dim lighting, a fridge display with a respectable gastronomic selection, followed by the bar, surrounded by bottles and the ever-present chalkboard with the day’s wine offerings... and what offerings they are! Here is where the fun begins; here is the Dantean crowd: small artisan producers, unexpected labels, an Italy mapped from north to south, and wines from around the world – starting with a glass of Champagne. In this lively mix, you can discover great Italian wines, the most remote denominations, and lesser-known grape varieties. At Il Goccetto, there’s no natural wine, conventional wine, industrial wine, or commercial wine: only wines chosen with heart, made with respect by vintners marked by years in the vineyard.

Passion and informality lead to new discoveries

It’s here I discovered a great Pecorino: the *Giulia* from Cataldi Madonna; and it’s here I met Luigi Cataldi Madonna himself, who was meeting a friend. But I’ve also come here for a glass of bubbles and left hours later, still tasting the unforgettable *Maestro Raro 1995* from Felsina, a bottle I’ll remember for a long time.

The best part, however, is the informality, the enthusiasm and passion with which amazing bottles are opened at Il Goccetto; the relaxed approach and lack of reverence from those pouring generously into glasses. Speaking of glasses, it’s said that the *Tre Bicchieri* award from *Gambero Rosso* was thought up right here. But that’s another story altogether..."