A bottle from the past: What are the best historical wine shops in Turin?

P.I.A.N.A.

Follow Via Garibaldi directly from the 19th century Piazza Statuto, a road that was once the ancient street crossing of the Roman military encampment, and today one of the busiest pedestrian streets in Turin lined with many shops and caffè bars. Immediately after crossing Corso Palestro, you will find one of Turin's oldest wine shops: P.I.A.N.A. The acronymon stands for Interational Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Products, and is a reminder of its business in the past together with the vintage shelving and printings that hang on the walls, taking a visitor back to the 1900s. The wine shop has for decades supplied numerous restaurants and bars in the city, and is today the perfect place to choose wine from a vast selection of all regions in Italy. And its Piemontese labels are, of course, innumerable: if you're searching for a Barolo or Barbaresco from the best wineries in the region, P.I.A.N.A. will not disappoint. In addition, find many small producers and indigenous grape varieties, from the best-known to the most obscure. What do we suggest? Try one of the excellent Pelaverga wines from Verduno.

Wine Plus: One of Turin's oldest wine shops with high-profile wines, smaller producers, and wines from every region of Italy including plenty of Piemontese options.

Ditta P.I.A.N.A.
Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, 38 - 10122 Torino (TO)
Tel. 011.4366707
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Damarco

Continuing down Via Garibaldi, come upon Via Milano: take a left. After admiring the Piazza Palazzo di Città and its Civic building where the Town Hall is located, you will come upon the famous Piazza della Repubblica in the zone of Porta Palazzo. Here, in this large piazza, the biggest open-air market in Europe is held every day. This is the multi-ethnic zone of Turin, a true mix of cultures, products, and items that comes from every part of the world. The Damarco family has watched the coming-and-goings of this piazza for decades, and in their own way have influenced the area. The part-grocer, part-enoteca maintains the same look as it did in 1958. Today, it artfully unites a selection of Piemontese products and wine with multi-ethnic offerings. Find numerous Italian and foreign wine labels (most between €4 and €8) from France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, South America, South Africa, Morocco, and Lebanon. Demarco is now one of Turin's points of reference for those who want to purchase excellent wines at convenient prices, liquors, and a large variety of candies, honey, confectionary goods, and more.

Wine Plus: A large selection of Italian and foreign wines at convenient prices, and located in Turin's most culturally-diverse zone

Damarco Vini & liquori
Piazza della Repubblica, 4 - 10122 Torino (TO)
Tel. +39 011.436.1086
www.damarco.it
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Rabezzana

After visiting the wine shop in Porta Palazzo (which, by the way, if visiting on Saturday we advise you head over to the adjacent Borgo Dora and its famous flea market), return to Via Milano and continue until its end. Cross Via Pietro Micca, the only other diagonal street in Turin besides Via Po that cuts across the squared Roman city plan, and come upon Via San Francesco d'Assisi. Here, founded in 1946, is the Enoteca Rabezzana. Actually, the shop opened in 1911 in Via San Massimo where the Rabezzana family began selling wines produced by the San Desiderio Family of Asti in the zone of Monferrato. On its old shelves you can still find the family's wines today, including Barbera, Arneis, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, and Ruché. Next to some big names in the wine world, the Enoteca also proposes wines from smaller Piemontese wineries and other Italian regions. And, if you would like a wine tasting, you can make reservations for courses created by the knowledgeable staff. On the lower floor is a spacious events area that is today a point of strength for the Enoteca, where they organize aperitivo, concerts, art shows, and even theatrical shows every week.

Wine Plus: Not just a well-supplied wine shop, Rabezzana can host personalized wine tastings, events, art shows, concerts, and even theatrical shows every week

Enoteca Rabezzana
Via San Francesco d'Assisi, 23/C - 10121 Torino (TO)
Tel. +39 011.543.070
www.enotecarabezzana.com
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Paissa

Starting from Via San Francesco d'Assisi, go up Via Santa Teresa until Piazza San Carlo, one of Turin's most elegant squares. Under the porticoes is one of the city's oldest shops: Paissa. Founded in 1884, it originally traded colony products like spices, food, and teas, supplying high class families and the Royal House. Upon entering this shop today, one has the impression of stepping into another era. Paissa is more than a simple wine shop: behind old scales on its wooden shelves are all sorts of traditional products, from chocolate and sweets to sauces and conserves from the region. The wines are also a full representation of the territory, and here you will find exclusively small Piemontese wine producers as well as wine makers from several other Italian regions.

Wine Plus: An atmosphere that evokes an age past, exclusively small Piemontese wine producers and other Italian regions represented as well, plus a selection of artisan products from Piemonte

Paissa Piazza San Carlo, 196 - 10121 Torino (TO)
Tel. +39 011.562.8462
www.paissa.it
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