Vines thrive in the warm climate and fertile land of Lazio, keeping up the wine-producing tradition that was started around the hills of rome over 2000 years ago by the ancient Romans.
Today, wine is usually drunk with meals as a matter of course and the region offers abundant supplies of inexpensive dry white wine for the city's restaurants and cafès.
Of local bottled white wines, Frascati is the best known, but Castelli Romani, Marino, Colli albani and Velletri are very similar in style.
All are made from one grape variety, the Trebbiano, though better quality versions contain a dash of Malvasia for perfume and flavour. Local red wine is rarer and most reds come from other parts of Italy.
As well as the usual range of digestives and aperitifs, such as Campari, beer is also widely available and the popular Italian lager is Nastro Azzurro.
Fruit juices are also good and bars squeeze fresh orange juice (spremute).
Rome's drinking water, another debt to the ancient Romans, is particulary good, fresh and sweet, and in abundant supply.

· Torre Ercolana: one of the few red wines produced in Lazio, is made in small quantities and generally regarded as one of the region's best wines. It is made from both the local Cesanese grapes and the more robust cabernet, and should be kept to age for at least five years.
· Coffee: is almost more important to roman life then wine. Take espresso for a shot of neat strong black coffee at any time of the day, sit with a milky cappuccino for breakfast or mid-afternoon, or take a caffellatte in a glass for extra milk.