Well over a million wine lovers and tourists will flock this weekend to the close to 1,000 vineyards taking part in this year's Open Cellars
event.
Now in its 14th year, Open Cellars has been a pioneer in developing Italy's wine tourism sector which annually draws over four million people to the Italian countryside. Open Cellars, which this year runs May 27-28, is the most important wine event in Italy and traditionally takes place on the last Sunday of May.
Aside from seeing where and how wine is made, and discovering what it tastes like at its source, Open Cellars offers visitors a chance to learn about traditions and culture linked to wine-making and country life.
The initiative, organised by the Wine Tourism Movement (MTV), originally began in Tuscany to then spread quickly to Italy's other wine-producing regions. Last year some 1.2 million people took part in Open Cellars, a 20% increase over the previous year.
Wine tourism in Italy has been expanding at a rate of 8% a year and now attracts and generates annual revenue of around 2.5 billion euro in wine-producing regions. A study by the social research group CENSIS found that every 10 euros spent in the vineyard generates 50 euros in earnings for the local economy.
According to another CENSIS report, wine and food have become the second most important reason why tourists come to Italy and is considered the element which gives the greatest satisfaction to visitors.
A number of special events have been organised this year if different Italian regions for the Open Cellars weekend.
Friuli Venezia Giulia will offer "dinners with winemakers" in a number of vineyards, historic homes and restaurants where visitors will be able to enjoy the region's best wines and foods while chatting to a professional vinter.
Trentino Alto Adige will focus on fitness and Open Cellars participants will be encouraged to walk or ride bikes
from vineyard to vineyard. There will be a vintage car show in Veneto while in Tuscany Open Cellars will coincide with 'Finocchiona Day' at which the region's finest wines will be accompanied by the local salami speciality.
Umbria will host an event which best represents what open Cellars is about. Thousands of people are expected to take part in the 'Mangialonga', a 4km eating and drinking picnic stroll through the region's vineyards.
The Lungarotti vineyard near Perugia region will offer rides in a hot air balloon to enjoy a view of the countryside between Perugia and Assisi. In Lazio there will be a a show of the Vespa and other motorscooters from the 1960s, while the Rome province bakers' association will participate in the "Bread and Wine" initiative, in which visitors to vineyards will be able to sample many of the different breads the region produces.
Five spectacular cloisters will host the top events in Campania, where wine and food tastings will take place
together with concerts and art shows. The cloisters are in the churches of Santa Maria la Nova in Naples, Avella in Avellino, Sant'Agata de' Goti in Benevento, Lattani di Roccamonfina in Caserta and San
Benedetto in Salerno.
A vintage car show has also been organised in Puglia, along with a national Lambretta gathering, the Vespa's
traditional rival.
