One place in Europe I’ve never been to. The trip was won through a wine importer in Cambridge, and part of the prize involves a trip to the vinyard that supplies a lot of their wine. I know only one word of Italian and know red wine tastes nice! Any tips??

enjoy yourself!

Jealous! Were are you going, have a great time!!!

learn a few pleasy/thanks bits and some foody/winey words if you must and go for it just with them – I doubt they’d be offering visits for people if they didn’t have a bit of english themselves (most younger italians have pretty good english IM(limited)E

Will do but don’t want to appear like the usual “Englishman abroad” gonna knuckle down and learn some Italian. Had a very funny email from the promotions lady mentioning about meeting the “family” that own the vinyard! 😯

Little place in northern Italy called breganza. Also includes a river cruise to Venice so as you can imagine we are totally made up!

I think they do appreciate the effort, esp from the british – I got a tenner off some ski gloves once because I asked for them in crap French

Word of “warning” on sounding like you speak the lingo:
Went to Bordeaux quite a few yrs ago with my Mrs (on a car tour). Fancied a vineyard tour so got a list from the tourist office and phoned around. Was a Sunday, so got lots of knock-backs and much practice in my opening gambit on the phone. Got through to one bloke who started back with the rapid-fire French and I couldn’t catch hardly any so he was shouting down the line, thinking I couldn’t hear him. Eventually he heard me telling the wife that I couldn’t work out what he was saying … “Oh, what – you’re English ?!”

Was a Swiss geezer who’d learnt to make wine in Australia. He spent ages showing us the place (he was pretty new there & ded enthusiastic). Told him from the off that we wouldn’t be able to buy much from him (only an MX5 fully loaded already) but he didn’t seem to mind and did us proud. Still feel guilty now that we only took half a dozen bottles (only got 13 in all told before the car was rammed)

Deve salutare le vechi con buon giorno o buona sera (depende alla giornata) Il gioveni ciao. Se tu non sicura usi Salve

Italia e un bella paese.

And when you meet senior people use the formal, i.e Come sta (how do you do) and not come stai (how you would address a younger person)

And always say piacere after they have introduced themselves.. Formalities and respect is very important in Italy…. once thats sorted….Buon divertimento

ciao