It's that time of year again when the atmosphere in the cellar becomes even more vibrant: harvest season is a great celebration, to be enjoyed by strolling through the rows of vines and taking in the vineyard landscapes as they change with the arrival of a new season. Throughout September and October, Cantine Aperte in Vendemmia returns — the event that celebrates this exciting moment in the wine calendar with activities centered on conviviality and the pleasure of sharing a good glass of wine. And what better way to do so than with a picnic in the vineyard: from north to south, the wineries of the Movimento Turismo del Vino will offer moments of relaxation among the vines, a chance to pause and savor the authentic flavors of each territory.
Freshly baked bread and extra virgin olive oil, typical cured meats and cheeses, artisanal sweets, homemade preserves, but also carefully prepared dishes created in the restaurants of estates that provide this service: each MTV winery will organize a picnic basket filled with products representative of its region, including specialties from the estate itself as well as many other local delicacies, all paired with their wines. A unique tasting experience that tells the story of tradition and the authenticity of regional cuisine, in harmony with the seasons and rooted in rural culture. Many traditional foods are linked to the harvest season: from typical autumn festival dishes such as vincisgrassi in the Marche, risi e bisi with mushrooms and radicchio in Veneto, polenta concia in Lombardy and bagna cauda in Piedmont, to specialties designed for a vineyard picnic, like torta al testo with cured meats and cheeses in Umbria, piadina with charcuterie in Emilia Romagna, or pane frattau in Sardinia.
And that's not all: autumn also brings plenty of recipes where grapes take center stage. Examples include ciambelline al vino from Lazio, schiacciata con l'uva in Tuscany, taralli al vino in Puglia, mostarda di mosto d'uva in Sicily, and sweets made with cooked grape must in Sardinia.
