“OPEN CELLARS”, THE LARGEST WINE FESTIVAL IN ITALY, IS BACK. ON SUNDAY MAY 28 ONE THOUSAND WINERIES THAT MAKE UP THE WINE TOURISM MOVEMENT, FROM SICILY TO THE TRENTINO ALTO ADIGE, WILL OPEN THEIR DOORS TO ONE MILLION ENOTOURISTS

From Aosta to Marsala, from Collio to Salento, almost one thousand wineries will be opening their doors to the public on Sunday, May 28, from 10 to 18, to welcome enotourists among their vineyards, barrels, and cellars. A celebration called “Open Cellars” (Cantine Aperte), the huge festival (created 14 years ago by the Wine Tourism Movement, www.movimentoturismovino.it) in honor of wine and all of its protagonists.
The new president of the Wine Tourism Movement, Chiara Lungarotti, and one of the first winemakers to really believe in enotourism (who hasn’t heard of the fascinating Hotel Tre Vaselle and the extraordinary Museo del Vino di Torgiano in Umbria?), explained the significance of the event: “Open Cellars is the event that allowed enotourism to explode in Italy, and if today there are 4 million protagonists active in the wine tourism sector, it is thanks to the impulse from the movement, which has been involved in giving value to the territory, transmitting knowledge and culture of hospitality to wine cellars. Evaluating the results that have been achieved, we can confirm being in an initial phase of the development of a sector that has evident and extraordinary potential for growth”. “Today, the mixture made up of winemaker, wine, and territory represents a truly increased value, essential for developing the consciousness of the economic role that quality wine tourism can have in our country”.
Cantine Aperte is a unique occasion to see where quality Italian wine is created, the actual vineyards and the characteristic territories they are located in.
And there are many peripheral activities that enrich the program as well: events that have been added throughout the years, following on the wave of success the festival has had so far, now attracting over one million visitors in just one day.
The Wine Tourism Movement offers a unique, region by region program that is strongly tied to local tradition, both from a typical production point of view as well as from the popular tradition which will animate the streets and squares of towns.

Here below are two appointments that have been chosen by www.winenews.it:
In Friuli, the most interesting initiative is the “Dinner With the Winemaker” event on the evening of May 27. It is possible to reserve a space for an unforgettable dinner (info: www.mtvfriulivg.it, tel. 0432/289540) that will be hosted in wine estates, historical residences, wine bars and restaurants throughout the Friuli territory, with a special menu created precisely for the occasion. And in this region, Cantine Aperte is also about sports and nature: ‘Cantine Aperte Bike’, which will be held on May 28, is a guided bike tour that takes riders through vineyards and the most beautiful natural landscapes of the Collio.
Moving on to Umbria, the festival begins a day early on May 27, with a concert by Nicola Arigliano at the Caprai di Montefalco winery (Perugia). And on the 28th the popular ‘Mangialonga’ appointment will be offered once again: a 4 km walk with gastronomic stops along the way and musical accompaniment of various genres. Mangialonga is probably the event that best represents Cantine Aperte, with thousands of participants happily enjoying the day together in the vineyards of Sagrantino. For the occasion, the new wine bar of the Caprai winery will also be inaugurated. Wine lovers will be able to buy direct all of the labels produced by the company.
The Lungarotti di Torgiano winery (Perugia), headed by Chiara Lungarotti, president of the Wine Tourism Movement, will be offering hot-air balloon rides to admire vineyards and the Umbrian landscape from above, even including a glimpse of Perugia and Assisi. The Lungarotti Wine Balloon will make a small and controlled ascent to 50 meters, and is an experience that should not be missed. There is also the Lungarotti Wine Express, a characteristic train that will be making the connections between the wine cellar, vineyards, Balsameria, the Wine Museum, the Olive and Oil Museum, the Osteria, and the artisan shop “La Spola”.