Carlo Pietrasanta, president of MTV Lombardia: “Four evenings dedicated to the unparalleled pleasure of tasting wine under the stars of the summer sky”.

There will be four summer nights, four magical nights (31 July, 6, 8, 10 August), dedicated to the wines of Lombardy, those proposed by the Wine Tourism Movement for the 2024 edition of “Calici di Stelle”. We will start on Wednesday 31 July at the Vineria del Vin Bon in San Donato Milanese: night of wine, notes of stars, from sunset to dawn. Over 20 labels for tasting, music, possibility of dining on the terrace from 7.30pm. Pocket, glass for access to the tasting counter and tasting of Risotto from the Vineria: €23.00. Dinner on the terrace from 7.30 pm with welcome toast tasting Aperikrumì: the savory Krumiro from Casale Monferrato di Corino 1764 (which will follow the entire Calici di Stelle Lombardia tour). To follow, appetizers with fassona tartare, veal with tuna sauce, courgette flan; encore first courses: Ligurian pansotti (vegetable) with walnut sauce, risotto with Ligurian pesto and crescenza lodigiana; dessert: star cake with passito cream ice cream. Guided tasting of paired wines: €36.00. Restaurant telephone: 0287260353 – 348 7674660. Repeat on Tuesday 6 August: by popular demand Calici di Stelle returns to the Naviglio Grande at the Bellariva Restaurant, in Alzaia Naviglio Grande 36. Everything as per tradition: the tasting will be enlivened by the unmistakable historical voice of Calici by Stelle, Valentina Bergo and, to follow, a DJ set. Over 30 wine proposals to taste, an intriguing Food Box and the Bellariva dish: €28.00. Possibility of à la carte dinner, upon reservation, with 20% discount. Local telephone number: 0289406068. The traditional Oltrepò event will not be missing, at the Certosa Cantù in Casteggio, scheduled for Thursday 8 August. Tasting counter with over 30 labels, “Mythology of Wine” curated by Professor Stefano Maggi and Doctor Valentina Dezza; “Jazz & Wine” concert with Ajmar Quartet; extraordinary opening of the Archaeological Museum; gastronomic accompaniment by Cave Cantù. Cost of the evening €20. It closes on Saturday 10 August with an aperitif with live music on the enchanting terrace of the La Casaia winery in Santa Giuletta: from sunset to late night with emotional toasts. Cellar telephone: 349 496 6503. “Calici di Stelle is increasingly an event awaited and appreciated by all lovers of Lombard wine: an event dedicated to those who have already gone on holiday and to those who have yet to leave, but above all to those who remain at home, enjoying the pleasure of semi-deserted and quiet cities.” Born in 1993, the Wine Tourism Movement is an association that includes around 1000 of the most prestigious wineries in Italy with the following objectives: promoting wine culture through visits to places of production, supporting the increase in tourism in the areas with a wine-growing vocation, qualify the tourist services of the wineries, increase the economic and employment prospects of the wine territories.

n search of the two tombs among the vineyards of the Vino Nobile estate in Montepulciano.

The festive August event of the Wine Tourism Movement this year with the theme TREASURE HUNT UNDER THE STARS attracts not only lovers of good drinking but also archeo lovers …

Here is the surprising treasure of Carpineto, to be discovered in the glass, in the cellar, in the vineyard and by exploring the magnificent Vino Nobile di Montepulciano estate where there are even two Etruscan tombs still unexcavated but whose area has been identified.

Guests will be welcomed into the Montepulciano Estate, a natural oasis of 184 hectares, where they will be introduced not only to the history of this prestigious winemaking reality but also to the cellar, the barrel cellar and the vineyards where expert Etruscologists have long since identified the sites of two Etruscan tombs.

And right here, outdoors, among the vineyards, the “virtual” treasure hunt begins led by an archeology and geology expert in search of the two Etruscan tombs that exist on the property of the iconic winery of great reds.

At the end of the walk the story begins about the Etruscans in the area, and in particular about their great culture of wine and agriculture.

They will be the experts of the archaeological group of the most important Etruscan museum in the area who will reveal secrets and techniques of cultivation and production of wine in ancient times.

“The search for the treasures of the past was seen, in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, as a real treasure hunt. Today official archaeological research makes use of cutting-edge technological instruments, such as common ground penetrating radar, magnetometers and photos at various wavelengths with drones, up to the sophisticated LiDAR system. All this has simplified the work of the archaeologists, but it has certainly removed the surprise and with it the emotion of the discovery that will be relived by those who participate in Calici di Stelle da Carpineto on the evening of August 2nd”, explains Paolo Dell’Agnello , Head of the Group Archaeological Museum of the Etruscan Museum of Chianciano Terme which will guide the experience as a new Indiana Jones .

All this will be accompanied by a convivial moment with an aperitif in which it will be possible to taste typical products of the area and some wines from Carpineto production ranging from reds and whites, including bubbles.

And if it will not be a real Etruscan Symposium with songs, dances and poems, it will however be a joyful rural banquet washed down with excellent wines.

The summer event par excellence returns to Umbria too, organized by Movimento Turismo del Vino and Città del Vino with tastings under the stars and many other initiatives in the squares and cellars.

Cultural events, live music shows, games for the little ones and moonlit walks through the vineyards: from 27 July to 25 August 2024 the connection between man and the cosmos is celebrated through Goblets of Stars , the event most anticipated wine event of the year, organized by the Wine Tourism Movement in collaboration with the Città del Vino association. Also in Umbria, wineries and historic villages throughout Italy will open their doors to a unique experience, where wine blends with science, culture and myth.

“This precious event and the partnership with Città del Vino at a national level are renewed again this year – underlines Giovanni Dubini , president of the Umbria Wine Tourism Movement and recently elected National Councilor of the new Board of Directors of the Wine Tourism Movement – which it intends to make companies and common territories work together with ever greater force to promote the wines of each wine-growing area. It is therefore an unmissable moment for all lovers of good wine and the territory.”

Three weeks of events in the squares of the Cities of Wine and in the cellars of the Umbria Wine Tourism Movement: there are 15 participating Umbrian wineries ( list of activities attached ), which offer wine lovers wine tastings, combined with the excellence of food and wine local, accompanied by the inevitable observation of the stars in the company of expert amateur astronomers.

Furthermore, there are three municipalities participating in the initiative with a program already defined :

On 7 August 2024, the Municipality of Torgiano offers a tasting of the best wines from the cellars of the Strada dei Vini del Cantico in the historic centre, from 8.30pm to midnight, tasting the typical local dishes offered by the restaurants and tourist attractions along the itinerary. The shooting stars reinforce the extraordinary union between wine and art by offering, alongside tastings masterfully guided by skilled sommeliers, a rich series of initiatives such as concerts, exhibitions and the inevitable fireworks display. Furthermore, the Muvit, Torgiano Wine Museum, offers a guided tour to discover the complex and varied mythology of wine, to dispel clichés and unmask false myths. The visit will take inspiration from the collections, moving from the Athenian cups to Jean Cocteau’s cup up to the Renaissance majolica and historiated paintings to conclude with the very rich collection of drawings and engravings.

Instead, on August 10th, on the magical night of San Lorenzo, in Montefalco , one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, the Consorzio Tutela Vini Montefalco, in collaboration with the Municipality of Montefalco, organizes “The Night of the Stars”. The protagonists of the evening will be the DOC and DOCG wines of Montefalco, professional sommeliers will guide guests in pairing local wines with dishes in the restaurants from 6pm to 7pm with an aperitif and from 7pm to 11pm with an à la carte menu. And through the streets of the historic center, walk with your eyes upwards: you can observe the stars, symbol of the most poetic night of the year. Four points in the historic center for the observation of the visible constellations. It will thus be possible to fully enjoy the extraordinary spectacle offered by the stars thanks to the maps of the visible constellations edited by the Monte Subasio Amateur Astronomers Group.

Also on the night of San Lorenzo, the historic center of Monteleone d’Orvieto dresses up: from 7 pm, the evocative Piazza Bilancini will host local producers who, with over 40 different labels, will guide those present on a sensorial journey through the border land between Umbria and Tuscany. And again, an exclusive selection of Umbrian Street Food: the “Sagra degli Umbrichelli” of Monteleone d’Orvieto at the Municipal Gardens, Food Track in Piazza del Municipio with “Le Olivastre” of San Feliciano and more. And again, live music and from 11.30pm observation of the Perseids and astronomy pills between Myth and Science by the “Il Riccio” Cultural Association in Piazza del Torrione. Through the Social Movement of Umbria Wine Tourism channels it is possible to find out about the proposals in detail of the participating Umbrian wineries.

In Valle d’Itria the winery offers an interesting wine tourism offer: sensorial experiences and gastronomic itineraries with zero kilometer first fruits.

Amalberga announces the opening of its headquarters in Ostuni , in the heart of the Itria Valley . Framed by a suggestive landscape of trulli, centuries-old olive trees and dry stone walls, the winery chooses a contemporary, sustainable structure, in synergy with the local community which offers the opportunity to discover and experience the area through unique food and wine itineraries , capable of enhance the wines produced by the Ostuni area.

“After 10 years, we are happy and proud that our project has finally found its home – declares Dario De Pascale , owner of Amalberga together with partners Roberto Fracassetti and Roberto Candia – we have created a place open to all in which to immerse oneself in the riches and in local traditions. We want to rediscover and enhance the Ostuni Doc and its native varieties through the development of wine tourism activities that fully communicate our land and our wines”.

Amaberga’s experiential offer takes the form of three different solutions. The first, Vegetable Garden and Wine , consists of a sensorial encounter with the vegetable garden managed by the Vallegna agricultural company of Ostuni: guests will be able to combine a glass of wine with the aromas and flavors of the earth contained in delicious tastings prepared with local organic raw materials. zero. For those who wish to deepen their knowledge of the production processes, the Ostuni company offers the Cantina Ipogea option, a guided tour that explores the winemaking and aging areas, concluding the journey in the Ama Dopolavoro wine bar, where the tasting of three wines will take place accompanied by a selection of local dishes. Finally, Complete Experience combines both visits for a total immersion in the world of Amalberga.

The structure, completed in recent days, is designed on two underground floors, taking advantage of the constant temperatures of the subsoil to maximize energy savings and carry out winemaking and refinement without the use of air conditioning. The cellar welcomes visitors on the ground floor, surrounded by a garden of over 6000 m2 where, among oak trees and centuries-old olive trees, there are two modern and convivial areas intended for wine tourism. A laboratory for developing ideas and activities open to all: Ama Chilometro Zero is the space dedicated to the creation of events, with a staff available for the organization of banquets and simple and elegant local cuisine. Ama Dopolavoro , an ancient Saracen trullo restored and used as a wine bar and point of sale open every day from 9.30 to 22.30, allows you to taste all the wines of Amaberga combined with local gastronomy products. Respecting the principles of the Mediterranean diet, Ama Dopolavoro offers a wide vegetarian choice, with zero kilometer ingredients from organic farming.

Amaberga presents itself as a meeting place between wine, territory and culture, offering an authentic and fascinating wine tourism experience. For further information and reservations, write to info@amalberga.it