Cantine Aperte-Last Sunday of May

June 20th 2011 by Katie

Wine and Olive Oil: Enjoy Tuscany with Cantine Aperte

Cantine Aperte is one of the most celebrated events in Italy. Located in Tuscany, you are able to meet and mingle with the owners and makers of most well known wines of Tuscany. As well as taste each wine with ease and bliss. It has taken place every year for 19 years on the last Sunday of May, all the wineries of the Movimento Turismo del Vino (Wine Tourism Movement) open the doors to their cantine and give tours explaining the process of making their wine and even olive oil. Wine lovers should mark this date in their calendar.

The event has grown over the years among locals and tourists. The most important thing that draws people to this event is that feeds the curiosity of the culture and of the making of the wine. Young people have become more interested in this event each year, more so in groups. Perhaps giving them a more intricate look at their own culture in which to explain how important wine-making is to Italians.

Over 800 wineries open for over a million visitors and enthusiasts alike. These numbers have increased since the last year. It proves to the organizers that the success of this event has grown and people keep on wanting to taste the delicious wine that is produced throughout the region. The whole of Tuscany participated in this event this year. You could have been driving along all day stopping from one to the next. In fact, that is just what my friends and I did. We chose to focus on one area because we will be drinking wine, we must be safe. So we chose Castellina in Chianti. We ended stopping at 4 different vineyards. Each place had its own character. Some were more interesting than the others. The people sure made the difference. You know you are drinking good wine when there is someone explaining the making of it and how it has evolved through the years or generations.

The hills around us were just amazing and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. The excitement of this one day event is something everyone should experience. Wine lover or not you really get to see all the wonderment that is Tuscany. You will learn how the wine and oil is made but the family that actually sees it done year after year. The pride is evident in each of their faces when they explain to you the wine you are consuming.

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Photo Credits: Katie Greenaway