Florence Wine Windows: How It Works and Where Else to Find Them
Have you ever heard of wine windows? A trending bar crawl opportunity in Florence, Italy, you bop around from literal hole-in-the-wall to another hole-in-the-wall, getting served wine or apertivos as you go. It's a great looking time - one I myself have not yet tried.
I did, however, in anticipation of visiting Florence (plans changed), do a ton of research on it and I'd hate for that research to go to waste. Below in this post, find a very methodical approach to hunting down the elusive wine windows in Florence and beyond, and the scavenger hunt that finding them sometimes may involve.
Thanks to a girl friend for sharing her recent pics of this fun experience!
In this article you will find:
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Florence Wine Window Basics
In Italian the wine windows are called "buchette del vino" or in singular form, a "buchetta del vino".
Popularized during the COVID pandemic for their savvy way of delivering wine without contact, these windows were notably used during the plague in the 1600's for similar reasons. It has also been said that they were for nobles avoiding high shop taxes.
Now, they mostly serve as a cool way to get wine and many times even snacks, ice cream, sandwiches or pizzas, all through the little window.
How to Find Wine Windows
Begin your adventure by researching wine windows in advance. The folks at Buchettedelvino.org have exhaustively provided maps and lists of all the known cataloged wine windows within Florence and Tuscany, which includes over 113 wine windows outside of Florence and close to 200 wine windows in and outside the city walls of Florence.
Discovering wine windows is almost a scavenger hunt in itself, because they don't always lead to wine. Sometimes, they are simply relics of the past - a small notching in a tired wall, or boarded up stonework from times gone by. By using this site, I was able to provide the research here to help you find those wine windows, and I'm telling you - it wasn't easy!
That said, on your scavenger hunt, beware the "false wine window". Apparently, the true wine window door opens to the inside. So check the hinges - does it open to the outside? Other falsies may have a solid wall instead of window, or religious facades - these were meant for lanterns and such, not wine.
How Does a Wine Window Work?
After you locate the window (and it looks like they have offerings), simply knock on it or ring the bell (if there is one). Sometimes there is a school bell style, others a punch bell like in a restaurant kitchen. Most often, you'll be greeted with a wooden door about the size a cat could go through.
You provide your order and payment, wait, and receive your items moments later. Glasses can be returned to patrons serving the establishment outdoors for this very purpose, you bring your glass inside, or sometimes other ways but it is typically obvious.
Where to Find Wine Windows in Florence
Having been to Florence many times, I'm familiar with the infamous art scene and markets, gawking at art in the Uffizi or buying gold along the Ponte Vecchio. In fact, I'd done it several times over the last 30 years of my travels that I was just fine bypassing all of that in search of one thing - the Florentine wine window.
Being a fan of research, I narrowed down the 158+ wine windows within the city walls of Florence down to a handful that would be an easy walk from the train station. I wanted a relatively quick in-and-out of the city.
Be aware that just like you'll learn in the section below, not all items on the "Buchette del Vino" list are active drinking establishments. Most are walled in wine windows.
Read on to see the itinerary I put together for myself, and a simple one to follow if you are only popping in by train for the day.
----> Discover the Florence Wine Windows on a Tour <----
Buchette del Vino Walk Near the Train Station
Each stop is about 4-10 minutes distance walking from each other and clocks in under 4km (about 2.5 miles of walking). You'll pass landmarks on part of this walk, too!
Plan 45 minutes of walking and an hour or two of activity time.
First Stop: Photo Op at Buca del Vino
Via del Giglio, 2, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Note: there is no wine here, it's just a pretty looking window.
Stop 2: Osteria Bella Donne
Via delle Belle Donne, 11/13r, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
This one is on most lists.
Hours are 11am-7pm, drinks are 5-10 euros (including wine, prosecco and spritzes) and it's easy to spot.
Stop 3: Babae
Via Santo Spirito, 21r, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
Cross the Arno river to get here. Drinks are 7-8 euros including prosecco and aperol. Closed Mondays.
----> Discover the Florence Wine Windows on a Tour <----
Stop 4: Ponte Vecchio
At this point, what the hey, cross back over the Arno river by way of the famous bridge for some photos.
Stop 5: Buchetta del Vino dello Strozzino at Cafe Odeon
Piazza degli Strozzi, 2, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Not a must, but it's on the map and you pass right by it.
Stop 6: Mercato Centrale
Piazza del Mercato Centrale, Via dell'Ariento, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Because you need to eat. And shop.
How to Find Wine Windows Outside of Florence
Clearly there are several great places in Florence to partake in this fun experience, but this begs the question - can wine windows only be found in Florence? The short answer is, no! The long answer...well, keep reading.
Back to the Buchettedelvino.org website, using their map search you can find all the Italian towns with wine windows. In many cases it also provides some kind of address and even the size of the window opening. Crazy!
Some of the more well known towns and cities with wine windows (other than Florence) on their list include:
Pisa
Lucca
Siena
San Gimignano
Montepulciano
Here's the problem though...in all my research, and I mean deep research, none of these towns offered wine windows where you can actually get wine.
Bummer.
Understanding the Buchette del Vino Website
But, if you want to understand the website for yourself, which I suggest you give it a try, here's how to do it.
First, taking Pisa into example, find the list of wine windows.
Next, decipher the list into addresses.
Try to get a picture of it using Google Maps street view
Find the List of Wine Windows
From Buchette del Vino's website, we learned of the existence of these 6 wine windows in Pisa:
Borghese (via) s.n.
Belle Torri (via delle 2) Palazzo Toscanelli
Bruno (via) 17
Da Scorno (vicolo)
Dini (via) 26
Scaramucci (vicolo)
Of course, this was the only info I had. No addresses or details, just these names. This was going to be tougher than I thought.
Deciphering the List
Now to unravel the riddle. How the ?*&%? am I supposed to figure out where these places are based on the Buchette del Vino site list? Here's what I figured out...
vicolo = "alley" in Italian
via = a street
the number is the location on that street
So for example, do a map search for Via Dini 26, Pisa and see what shows up!
Get a Glimpse on Google
Here's what I started to notice...each of these places didn't really exist on Google maps, but I started zooming in. Look at this photo: this is the street view photo of Via Bruno 17 in Pisa, and sure enough - there's the wine window! Doesn't exactly look like a happening bar though, does it?
Unfortunately my search online in advance of all the six Pisa locations all ended up the same - alleys and non-commercial areas with wine windows, but not somewhere I'd say "let's go hiking to at night for a drink!" type of place.
What does this mean?
It means, just because it's on the list - don't get your hopes up. Pisa wine windows? Take my research and make the assumption they don't really exist. Not the way you want them to.
So, I moved on to researching Lucca, another prominent town on the train route I was on towards Parma.
Wine Windows in Lucca
With 4 listed in Lucca, guess what? They were all the same as in Pisa. I found the street views, zoomed in, and of the four found 1 wine window in the photos in a brick wall.
Bottom Line: To Drink Wine From a Wine Window, Go To Florence
This is not to say that the Buchette del Vino site is wrong, but I'm basically trying to illustrate one important thing - they may list the existence of the windows, but
If you want the true wine window drinking experience, it looks like you're going to have to go to Florence.
As is evident from my research, wine windows in Florence and throughout parts of Tuscany are relatively common to find, but to find the ones serving wine is not. Prepare yourself in advance for where you'll go, how you'll get there, and enjoy the adventure. Or heck, just skip all this crazy research and take an organized tour. You'll meet new people and someone else can be your guide. Happy drinking, friends. Salute!
