“OPEN CELLARS” 2007 - THIS YEAR’S NOVELTY: THE ‘WINE PHONE’ FOR ENTHUSIASTS… ALL OF THE INITIATIVES, REGION BY REGION, FOR THE EVENT THAT IS THE SYMBOL OF THE WINE TOURISM MOVEMENT. TO BE HELD THIS YEAR ON MAY 27TH

“Open Cellars” (Cantine Aperte), set to be held on May 27th this year, has become the event that best represents the Wine Tourism Movement (a non profit association created in 1993, with the goal of safeguarding the environment and agriculture of quality wine, acting as a promoter for the most natural lifestyle possible, and placing the guest at the center of attention). This year, “Open Cellars” will be inviting an estimated 1 million visitors from Italy and abroad (about 3.5 million visit Italian wine cellars throughout the entire year). May 27th is a day to diffuse the Italian wine culture beyond its natural boundaries, putting producers in direct contact with drinkers with the motto, “See what you drink”.
Each year, “Open Cellars” (www.movimentoturismovino.it) - with its 900 participating companies that invite tourists, the curious, and experts to immerse themselves in the formidable world of values and knowledge that are held by those amongst the vineyards and the wine barrels – offers an ever larger array of initiatives The theme for 2007 will be the ‘Wine Phone’ (Vinofonino) competition: a fun event that unites technological modernity with the traditions of wine and grappa making, visitors are asked to immortalize “Open Cellars” with photos or films made with their mobile phones. The rules are simple and it is possible to participate in two different ways: “Never … Short of Wine” (Mai … a corto di vino), is the short film competition that will choose the best three films recorded in wine cellars on May 27th and which will then be “aired” on the web-tv at www.winenews.tv, a partner of the event; and then there is the “Moscatto” competition which will award, instead, the three best photos taken (exclusively with mobile phones). The competition will be coordinated by a panel of experts who will decide which participants will receive the prize of an assortment of wines some from the top wineries in Italy.
Now a must among events connected to the wine culture, “Open Cellars” invites visitors to discover the many aspects of the wine territory and to also enjoy the combination, presentation and tastings of typical products, as well as various other peripheral events. The last Sunday of the month of May (this year the date is May 27th) will once again be a much anticipated celebration for wine enthusiasts as well as sector professionals from the furthest southern to the furthest northern corners of Italy.
“Open Cellars” Events, Region by Region…
The Wine Tourism Movement, headed by Chiara Lungarotti, offers a preview of the thousands of events and initiatives to be held throughout Italy on May 27th…
Valle d’Aosta
Twenty companies will be offering many different events and surprise guests in each winery, in collaboration with DOP Lard d’Arnad and sweets producers, as well as with the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Association (AISM) Serigraphed glasses will also be offered to remember the event by.
Piedmont
In collaboration with the ICIF of Castigliole d’Asti (Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners) and Gallo Rice, wineries will be offering wine tastings combined with tastings of recipes whose main ingredient is rice, used with the season’s products and the personality of the cook preparing the dish.
Lombardy
The area has been titled “Wineries for Good Eating”: among other things they will be offering happy hour, painting exhibitions, sports events, music and theatre, and shuttle services. New events like “At lunch with the winemaker”, a convivial moment to be shared between winemakers and wine enthusiasts, as well as “Touring wineries by bus”, will be offered this year in collaboration with the Tourist Club of Wine in Lombardy.
Trentino Alto Adige
In Trentino Alto Adige, “eno-keys” created by the Wine Tourism Movement community will be taking the controls: this modern 3D interactive map allows enotourists to create itineraries from their own homes in a fun new way. The formulas will be different because they will supply new and captivating proposals for the key areas of interest for “eno-didactics” for adults, as well as “eno-nature” for children, and even “eno-sports” for those who love to drink wine and stay in shape. May 27th will see the return of Classic Wine & Spirit, the antique auto tour held in collaboration with the Scuderia Trentina Storica. Bicycle lovers will also have their day with the wine bike tours organized by FIAB.
Friuli Venezia Giulia
May 26th will be dedicated to guided tastings (that must be reserved in advance) organized by over 40 wineries in the region, and where it will be possible to learn more about prestigious wines like DOCG Picolit and Ramandolo. “At Dinner with the Winemaker” the event that all gourmets are anxiously awaiting, will offer a chance to taste some of the best and tastiest regional dishes coupled with the best matched wines of the Friuli Venezia Giulia. The numerous enotourists participating will also be able to enjoy “Wineries of Good Lodging”: pleasant agritourisms connected to wineries and located in particularly beautiful landscapes. Over 120 wineries will open their doors on both the 26th and 27th. It will also be possible to buy the “Open Wineries 2007 Glass”, with a contribution to help finance important projects like UNICEF. There is also an event for sports enthusiasts – “Open Wineries Biking”, which includes two extremely beautiful tours: one dedicated to a vigorous wine biking tour through the vineyards of Collio, and another, an intense competitive mountain bike tour.
Veneto
The Wine Tourism Movement in the Veneto will be enriching its agenda on May 26th and 27th with various events: dinners with winemakers, cultural events in wineries (like art exhibitions and theatrical performances). As well, it will be possible to make contributions to “Wine for Life”, a solidarity project in the fight against AIDS in Africa by the Comunità Sant’Egidio.
Liguria
On May 27th, from 10 AM to 6 PM, Liguria will be a place for drinking wine while overlooking the sea, a rainbow of colors, perfumes and flavors. Each bay, every valley hides a treasure of enogastronomic traditions that hold a history of sun, sea and men.
Emilia Romagna
“Bread & Wine” is the theme for “Open Wineries” in Emilia Romagna. The idea was born out of collaboration between the Wine Tourism Movement and the Regional Bread bakers Association: it will strive to have visitors discover, or rediscover, the significance of these two products which, symbolically and concretely, are tightly linked with human history. Each area has its bread and its wine, and this is an occasion to demonstrate the different types of artisan production that exist. In every winery a bread baker will also be present together with his prepared products, so that the combination of bread and wine, from the most classic types to the most innovative, can be enjoyed by all.
Tuscany
In the homeland of enotourism, it will be a weekend dedicated to discovering the area’s many treasures: “The Cupboard of Flavors” (La Madia dei Sapori) is an event aimed at allowing visitors to rediscover the traditional flavours and ancient Tuscan traditions in the winery. A trip through the great variety of enograstronomic products of a region that is an excellent representative of the entire country.
Marche
In the Marche region, students of the Regional Art Institute will take front stage, in collaboration with the Museum System Association of the Province of Ancona: the youngsters will create small art works, using wine based water colors. The event will run from May 26th to the 27th. Umbria Umbria will be celebrating the festival of wine on the 26th and 27th of May with the theme “Open wineries and meeting with the producer and family”: all wineries will become a meeting point for those who love wine, proposing unique programs and initiatives that are strongly connected to territorial traditions in winemaking.
Abruzzo
The Wine Tourism Movement of Abruzzo will be working together with a number of associations and social centers to animate the streets and wineries with antique cars: from the Moto Club Pescara, to the Vespa Club of Sulmona, and the Club 500 Automotoristiche – Pescara Colli and the Dyane “le Manovelle” Club. The Fiaf-Aternum Photography Association will join in to take photos of the event, the wineries, cellars, barrels, bottles, glasses, tastings and tasters. Each photographer will chose the subjects of his photos which will then be used to create a DVD, a publication, and an exhibition on the open cellar weekend in Abruzzo.
Lazio
In the Lazio region, contemporary art exhibitions, antiques markets, traditional dance and song from local folklore will all fill wineries on the occasion of “Open Cellars”. There will also be organized nature walks among vineyards, and top producers will offer wine tastings combined with local food specialties from the “Taste Corner” (Angolo dei Sapori), which will include extra virgin olive oil, bread, cold cuts, cheeses, pork, vegetables preserved in oil, sweets, honey, jams, and organic goods.
Campania
The Wine Tourism Movement in Campania has doubled its initiatives this year, offering new ways to discover the many treasures that can be found throughout the five provinces of the region. The Wine Image Photo Competition will be held for high school students – rules to be printed in local news sources.
Molise
The Wine Tourism Movement of Molise will open the region’s wineries for an ideal wine experience amidst the rolling hills of high quality vineyards like that of DOC Biferno and Molise, as well as the IGT wines of Terre degli Osci. There is also the newfound identity with the rediscovery of the autochthonous grape varieties, Titilla and Pentro. Together with the wine there will be tastings of local food products, entertainment by local folkloristic groups, and art exhibitions. As well, at Portocannone (a town where Albanian has become the second language), “Open Cellars” will coincide with the traditional celebration of the ox-cart pull in honor of the Madonna di Costantinopoli.
Basilicata
“Open Cellars” of Basilicata can be visited independently or by reserving a space on one of the organized itineraries with one of the partner groups involved: the Lionetti Travel Agency offers an interesting trip by bus to the best wineries of Vulture; the Lambretta Club Association of Sassi will organize an antique automobile rally. There are also collaborations in the works with Gal-Sviluppo Vulture Alto Bradano and with the local newspaper, “la Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno”. Puglia In Puglia (www.mtvpuglia.it), the program has been doubled for May 26th and 27th. The protagonists of both day’s events will be the top wines of the region, accompanied by prestigious extra virgin olive oils and exquisite local products. The novelty this year is the “Wine glass lottery”, which hopes to emphasize the importance of tasting wine in the correct glasses and which will pick a winner at the end of the weekend. There will also be tourist packets that include cooking lessons on the region’s cuisine, and excursions by jeep or by boat.
Calabria
”Open Wineries” is the first and most important enogastronomic event in Calabria. It is, in fact, the only one that includes all of the main winemaking areas of the region. And even this year, many of the participating wineries, though already recognized for making prestigious wines, are still considered new entries. Due to the newfound success of “Open Wineries” and the subsequent success of enotourism in Calabria, the delegation for the region’s Wine Tourism Movement has now even set up a “Wine Road” through Calabria, thus offering year round the same elevated level of service that was experienced during “Open Wineries”.
Sicily
Sunny Sicily will be abound with high quality events on May 27th, from the tops of Mount Etna to the elegant villas overlooking the sea. Guided tours through vineyards, in wineries and company museums will be offered. Live concerts will be organized in vineyards along with all types of entertainment for children. And, obviously, tastings and lunches will not be lacking.
Sardinia
Enotourists will have the possibility of taking a real tour through wineries: buses will be leaving from the main squares of the principle cities for an easy and safe way for visitors to enjoy wine tastings and at the same time the views this beautiful island has to offer. There will be folkloristic groups performing traditional song and dance in the wineries, thus creating a festive atmosphere that also unites tradition and culture. And there will be tastings offered of typical food products along with the wine.