On the last weekend of May, an annual festival involving more than 800 winegrowers throughout Italy takes place, known as Cantine Aperte (Open Cellars). In this “rite of Spring” on Saturday, May 30th and Sunday, May 31st, 2009, producers all over Italy literally open their cellars to visitors, who are invited to taste the wines and hopefully, purchase them, too. The event has been organized by the Movimento Turismo del Vino and has been held each year since 1993.
You may have tasted the well-known wines named Chianti, Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, or the less well-known Sagrantino of Montefalco, but this is an excellent opportunity to try those wines and visit those areas not familiar to you.
Whether you choose to visit the areas in the Veneto for its “Prosecco”, Montalcino for its Brunello, Salento in Puglia for its Salice Salentino, or the areas around Montefalco (including Bevagna, Massa Martana, Campello sul Clitunno and Trevi, all in central Umbria) for their Sagrantino, it’s a day to explore the countryside… and the wineries!
Salute!
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-- Written by Evanne Brandon Diner (see bio), chronicler of local village life in Northern Lazio, and central Italy property restoration and purchasing consultant (www.lavventuraitalia.com)
May 27th, 2009 at 1:45 am
How I wish I could be there. The wine tasting is so much fun and delicious too!!!
My husband and I did a wine tasting in San Gimingnano at the winery Toscano and PierLuigi was just fantastic and so much fun.
We did learn how to taste white wine and red wines. Wine tasting is actually an art you really have to do it right in order to understand the difference between wines and where each of the wines are fermented.
I hope those going really enjoy themselves.
Salute!!!!!!!!!!
May 29th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Hi Evanne – I can’t wait to check out the wineries in Salice Salentino and the Salento peninsula. Where are you tasting? We are lucky enough to have a truffle festival coincide with the weekend. The summer sure is heating up isn’t it… Salute!