🍷 Enoteca (wine library)

Enoteca is an Italian word. It comes from the Greek words for "wine" and "storehouse". It means a collection of wines and, today, more often a wine shop with a bar counter where you can taste wine.

In Italy enotecas come in different kinds. Some are simply wine shops with a large choice. Others are small bars serving wine by the glass and light snacks: cheese, ham, bruschetta. There are regional enotecas that show the wines of one area and help people learn local grapes.

An enoteca differs from an ordinary restaurant in that wine is at the centre. Staff advise what to choose and tell you about producers. Many enotecas also keep old bottles.

Enotecas link wine as a product with wine as culture. In meaning a wine shop stands close by, but an enoteca is also a meeting place where wine is drunk and discussed.