If you’re interested in vino sfuso in Trieste, you’ve discovered one of the city’s most authentic local traditions—buying quality wine by the liter at neighborhood bulk wine shops. Known as vini sfusi, these shops offer a sustainable and budget-friendly way to enjoy Trieste’s regional wines.

Before you go, it’s helpful to know a few basics about the local wine varieties and how the refill process works. We visited many vini sfusi during our stay in Trieste. We’ve included a brief guide below to get you started.

Pro tip: Bring an empty 1-liter water bottle for your first fill. If you don’t have one, most shops will sell reusable bottles you can bring back for refills. This simple tradition allows you to enjoy great wine while reducing packaging waste.

There are several bulk wine shops in Trieste! All of them sell numerous different local wine varietals. Here is a list of the shops that are nearest to the Old City:

Da Michele Vini Sfusi is located in Mercato Coperto Trieste.

Address: Via Giosuè Carducci, 36, 34125 Trieste TS, Italy

Address: Piazza Edmondo Puecher, 9, 34100 Trieste TS, Italy

Spaccio Vini Cantine Rigonat Vini Sfusi in Trieste, Italy

Address: Via Conti, 34, 34141 Trieste TS, Italy

Most bulk wine shops (excluding the top two on this list) are primarily selling to locals. Because they are not part of the traditional tourist industry, the owners and employees do not always speak English. For this reason, it helps to know what you’re looking for when you go in. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t need to speak Italian, and you don’t need to be a sommelier, but you increase your chances of success with a bit of information.

The bulk wine shops have a wide variety of wines. Most are local wines from Friuli–Venezia Giulia. Importantly, bulk wines are often identified by the grape variety rather than the wine varietal. Consequently, it helps to know what grapes are used to produce the common wines.

• • Friulano
  • Pinot Grigio
  • Glera
  • Ribolla Gialla
  • Picolit
  • Verduzzo

• • Merlot
  • Refosco
  • Pignolo
  • Schioppettino
  • Tazzelenghe

If you get lucky, you might find bulk wines identified by the wine varietal. Here’s a list of the most common.

• • Prosecco

• • Friulano
  • Pinot Grigio
  • Malvasia Venezia Giulia

• • Refosco
  • Merlot
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Cabernet Sauvignon

Check out the Trieste Wine page for more information about these grapes varieties and wine varietals.

Shopping at the local Italian bulk wine shop is not a tourist activity but a local activity. Our experience with the local bulk wine shop owners is that they sometimes speak limited English. Although we speak limited Italian, we have always been successful and left the shop carrying the type of wine we wanted.

Our experience has been universally positive, with everyone being extremely kind and patient. But, there are a few Italian words that will make it much easier:

• • Red Wine – Vino Rosso
  • White Wine – Vino Bianco
  • Semi-Sparking Wine – Frizzante
  • Dry – Secco
  • Sweet – Dolce
  • Bulk Wine– Vini Sfusi
  • One liter – Un litro
  • Two liters – Due litri
  • Bottle – bottiglia
  • Please – Per favore
  • Thank you very much – Grazie mille!

Enoteca Hortis and Eataly Trieste are conveniently located in the historic district. Da Michele (located in Mercato Coperto Trieste), La Cantinetta Trieste, and Spaccio Vini Cantine Rigonat are located a little further away, but are worth a visit if you’re looking for a bargain.