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Welcome to News From Italy, my blog about our Italian Adventure. Although this blog has now ceased publication I will be continuing to blog and I am sincerely hoping that my many followers here will move with me to Travel Tales blog to follow my next adventures wherever they may take me. The links to my other blogs are:-


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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Montefiascone - Fiera del Vino 2010

 

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The 52nd Fiera del Vino (Festival of Wine) was held in Montefiascone from 1 - 15 August 2010 and during that period there was a full calendar of entertainments and lots of cantinas open for wine tastings.

It is something of a tradition to buy yourself a pouch and a glass to take around the cantinas with you. For just three Euros you get an engraved wine glass and the pouch, a nice memento and it is easy to use when moving from cantina to cantina during the evening.

                                                                  

 

We attended on a total of three evenings this year, on the opening night with friends who live in Montefiascone and my cousin on her last evening with us, then again we met up with another friend during the second week, although that evening we made it no further than our favourite wine bar, Volo di Vino, then again on the final Friday. On all three evenings we saw various  musical entertainment and on the Friday even Belly Dancing! After sampling a number of different cantinas wine, our particular favourite wines this year were some of those produced by Cantina Stefanoni and  Cantina Leonardi.

Famous for the production of the very high quality and nationally and internationally recognized and appreciated wine “Est!Est!!Est!!!”,  Montefiascone is seen as a charming centre in the province of Viterbo.

An intriguing detail about Montefiascone lies in the interesting legend attached to the name of its local wine.

The legend suggests that the Abbot Giovanni Defuk was travelling towards Rome, accompanied on his journey by the most loyal of his servants, Martino, who was a  great lover of wine and viticulture.

Courtesy of Fiera del Vino Official Website

In fact, every time they passed a town or village Martino would recount the most important inns that served the best wines. Martino would then, as a signal to the patron, write on the door of those inns “Est!”.

After a few days the abbot arrived at Montefiascone and sent Martino to the most  important inn to taste the wine. The servant, who was amazed by the good taste of the local product, remained so pleased and ecstatic that this time, instead of just the usual signal, decided to write on the inn door “Est!!Est!!Est!!!” and so, according to the legend, comes the name of the wine of Montefiascone.

You can read more on the history of the wine fair here  

This selection of photos should give you a good idea of the atmosphere at this event and if you want to see the full album of 22 photos it can be viewed on Flickr in My Album entitled Montefiascone Fiera del Vino

As some of you know I have a passion for taking sunset photos, so just had to share the one that Nature provided on the first night of the wine festival.

Cantina Stefanoni

Piazza on Via Malatesta

Belly Dancer

Piazza Vittorio Emanuele

Piazza Vittorio Emanuele

Piazza on Via Malatesta

Cantina Azienda Agricola Bortolusso

Certainly a Wine Festival not to be missed.

23 comments:

  1. Looks like a lovely way to spend an evening. Well done

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  2. Wonderful photos and that sunset is awesome. Diane

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  3. What an interesting blog. It's going to be fun to follow and see how life is like for you in Italy.

    Visit me at http://www.mom-a-logues.blogspot.com and you can see how I live my life in Minnesota, USA.

    Dawn

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  4. Thanks for the taking us around and adding that beautiful story and painting.

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  5. What a wonderful place and great story behind the Festival of Wine. Sounds like my kind of festival, because I love trying new wines. I enjoy your blog very much and want to travel to Italy some day. Thanks, Yvonne

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  6. Julie - Thanks for calling by and commenting, it is appreciated. There is a great atmosphere in the town during this event.
    Diane - The sunset was especially for you :)
    Dawn - Welcome as a new follower and thankyou for commenting it is much appreciated. I hope you will enjoying sharing a little bit of our life in Italy. I will certainly visit your blog.
    Lakeviewer - It is a good story isn't it!
    Mumzie - Glad you liked the Est Est Est story. I hope your dream to come to Italy one day is kept alive by reading my blog, maybe you will even visit this region.
    Unknown Mami - It is great fun.

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  7. Hello! Thanks for stopping by my blog. "News from Italy" is great...I'm your newest follower! I love reading about anything to do with Italy or Italian culture so I will be sure to stop by quite frequently to read your posts and look at your pictures!
    Looking forward to getting to know you!
    Ciao,
    Vanessa from Optimal Optimist

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  8. Optimal Optimist - I am delighted to meet another lover of all things Italian. Welcome and thankyou for becoming a follower and taking the time to comment. I do hope you will enjoy the things I share here about our life in Italy.
    I like your blog and was pleased to discover it as I consider myself an optimist :)

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  9. Awwww...lucky you! I had seen the posters for this when we drove down on the 13th. Certainly would have loved to go had we been there a few days earlier. Next time...

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  10. Lovely photos! Wine festival - I'd think I'd died and gone to heaven! Fabulous.

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  11. Sounds like my kind of festival! I'm going to a wine festival in my hometown in a couple of weeks - it's not nearly as old!

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  12. Those photos look so beautiful, you really captured the atmonsphere and it sounds like your summer is just one huge festival ;-) The story is wonderful, I love it when there's a story or legend to be discovered.

    I'm sure the weather is nicer than here where you are...and the wine...and the food...ah, to be in Italy :-) Love from London x

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  13. HI! Thank you for visiting me!
    Blog land is so amazing, we connect indeed with so many people. Not only we as expats meet different people. I still have to read your blog propperly, but so far I like it that you talk about books, your links to other book lovers and having just spend our holiday in Italy, I will read more on your Italy lifestyle.
    Have a good evening,
    Maureen
    xx

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  14. What beautiful photos of such a lovely event! I enjoyed reading your description! I've never been fortunate enough to attend a wine festival in Italy, but I have gone wine tasting in Montefalco and Frascati - both of which were amazing.

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  15. That sunset is unbelievably vivid. How beautiful. I'm not sure how long I just stared into it.
    Certainly does not equate with what you have there, and we do not habe the wine festivals of that sort, but even here in the northern part of Georgia we are beginning to see a few more vineyards. Not being a connoisseur, I would still say that for what we get it is a little pricey.

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  16. Enjoyed reading history of the wine etc & seeing all your photos - I certainly had a lovely evening with you all on the first night of this years festival x

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  17. Rowena - It is always held the first two weeks in August, so maybe one year you will be able to go.

    Talli - Maybe a research trip is called for sometime :)

    Welshcakes - Great isn't it and his name!!

    Jennifer - Enjoy, the numbers of years it has been happening is not as important as tasting the new wines.

    Mademoiselle P - Thanks Carole :) Yes the Italians love festivals and the stories that often go with them.

    Daydream Living - Welcome to my blog and thankyou for commenting. I hope you will enjoy the little bit of Italy I share here. Where did you visit on your holiday? You mention liking books so you may be interested in my other blog.
    http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspot.com/

    livingavidalunaitaliano - I am sure the wine tastings were just as good just without the entertainment and pageantry:)

    mya - We do seem to get the most amazing sunsets and as for the wine well the prices vary from very low cost to ridiculously expensive. I suppose real connoisseurs are willing to pay the prices :)

    Anon - Hi and Welcome! I am so happy to see you commenting here, thankyou xx

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  18. Love the sunset photo. Gorgeous. Love hearing about all these fun Italian Festivals, too. What a great way to spend the summer!

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  19. Pam - The Italians really do seem to make the most of the summer months.

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  20. oh wow!! this looks like so much fun!! i really want to visit Italy...wonder when that will happen. till then i'll visit vicariously through your blog! ;)

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  21. peddlerofdreams - It was fun! I hope you will get to visit Italy one day, meanwhile welcome to my blog, thankyou for commenting. I hope you will call by often to share my little bit of Italy virtually.

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