Posted by Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 12/20/2020

Enoteca Il Piccolo: 40 Years of Wine, Food and Conviviality in Rome

Once upon a time, forty years ago, a small enoteca was born at number 74 Via del Governo Vecchio. Enoteca Il Piccolo became a cradle of conviviality at the Parione, the historical sixth district of Rome. The position is perfect for passersby, especially the curious tourists for its proximity to Piazza Navona and Campo de'Fiori. But then before the tourists, there are the Romans who would spend hours in the small place trying the wines from the shelves with some simple quality food sourced from various parts of Italy.

Giancarlo Davoli, one of the original four creators from its conception in 1980, remained at the helm of the wine bar. According to Giancarlo, when they opened the place forty years ago, they didn't know anything about wine. It became a challenge for them and soon after, they dove into the world of wine which they succeeded in unraveling. A good selection of wine at their cellar along with their entrepreneurial skills, loyal friends and enthusiastic customers, Enoteca Il Piccolo thrived for decades.

From the year 2008, management of the wine bar was passed to Giancarlo's son, Riccardo. He is a sommelier, an aspiring journalist and passionate about music, film and arts. With his determination, something he has in common with his father, he guided the place to a continued path of success.

"Our particularity is that even with a little bit of unconsciousness, we have always uncorked prestigious labels by the glass to our customers. It's definitely a gamble, especially in the early years of business, but which has paid off. Today the customer is more informed, more aware of what he wants to drink but still relies on the advice of the host,” says Riccardo.

Fostering conviviality around a good glass of wine and a good plate has always been the objective of the wine bar. Thus, it is fundamental to maintain a good sociability with the customers which Riccardo has worked on as an excellent host. While the age group of the customers has become younger and more curious, Riccardo has diversified his proposed national and international labels to a large number of natural wines and wines made by young artisans and of course, some by well-known producers.

Il Pranzo in Enoteca

Adapting to the government-imposed anti-Covid regulations which permits the opening only until 18:00 daily, Enoteca Il Piccolo continues to adapt to the changing times but without losing sight of the main principles of their place. Attention to quality, both with the wine and food are foremost and yes, it's the perfect place to relax. Lunch time is the only possibility in enjoying the charm of Il Piccolo during this trying period and for this, they are offering plates of cured meat, cheese, preserved vegetables from organic producers and some cooked food to go along with the glasses of wine. There are the Sfizi (€4) which are small plates of sun dried tomatoes, artichokes and mozzarella of Amaseno, Bruschette (€6 - €7) with Vesuvian piennolo tomatoes, broccoli raab and butter from the historical 13th century farm, Palagiaccio, Lasagne (€9), and Mixed Platters (€8) of cheese, cured meat and preserved vegetables. 