Bronte celebrates wine, haute cuisine and a special masterclass dedicated to Etna Rosé wines

On Saturday, 5 September 2026, 100Etna returns, an event conceived by Irene Foti in collaboration with Valeria Lopis. Highlights of this year’s edition include a masterclass dedicated to Rosé wines and the culinary creations of Resident Chef Sandro Chiù.

BRONTE / ETNA – On Saturday, 5 September 2026, 100Etna returns, the wine and food event conceived and curated by Irene Foti, hospitality entrepreneur and driving force behind La Fucina di Vulcano restaurant in Bronte, in the province of Catania.

Launched in 2024 with the aim of exploring and bringing together the many facets of volcanic viticulture, food and wine culture, the event reaches its third edition this year, further strengthening its core mission: to tell the story of Mount Etna in its entirety, through the broad spectrum of outstanding wines and gastronomic products that share a common commitment to excellence.

It is a meeting point for producers, professionals, enthusiasts and, above all, a curious public eager to discover the essence of this collective story through tastings, haute cuisine and in-depth technical insights.

THE 2026 WINE HIGHLIGHT: THE ROSÉ MASTERCLASS AND THE LAUNCH OF A TRILOGY

The major wine-related innovation of the 2026 edition is the launch of an exceptional educational and informative programme conceived by Lopis and Foti: the first chapter of a trilogy of masterclasses that, over the coming years, will explore in detail the different expressive identities of Etna wines.

The first chapter, scheduled for Saturday, 5 September, will be entirely dedicated to one of the most eclectic and diverse wine styles produced on the volcano: Etna Rosé wines.

Built around a central and thought-provoking question — “What is the distinctive rosé expression of the volcano?” — the tasting, curated by Valeria Lopis, will compare the different interpretations of Nerello Mascalese vinified as rosé.

Sommeliers Claudio Di Maria and Carmine Galasso will provide commentary and sensory analysis, offering an overview of the remarkable evolution of Etna Rosé wines. The discussion will be further enriched by the experience and perspective of Maurizio Lunetta, Director of the Etna DOC Consortium.

This first event officially launches a trilogy that, in future editions of 100Etna, will continue by exploring Etna white and red wines.

“100Etna was born from a deep desire to showcase the true authenticity of our territory, bringing wine and food together in one great story,” explain the event’s creators, Irene Foti and Valeria Lopis. “This year, through our exploration of Rosé wines and the extraordinary culinary interpretations of Chef Sandro Chiù and Lele Scandurra featuring Bronte PDO Pistachio, we will offer a complete and truly unique sensory experience.”

AN OUTSTANDING GASTRONOMIC EXPERIENCE: CHEF SANDRO CHIÙ

Completing the sensory experience of 100Etna 2026 will be a high-level gastronomic offering designed to showcase the finest local products and, in particular, the ingredient that has become the symbol of the Bronte area: His Majesty, the Bronte PDO Pistachio.

The kitchen will be led by Resident Chef Sandro Rinaldo Chiù, who has created a special culinary journey for the occasion, featuring a series of dishes that interpret Bronte’s “green gold” in innovative, contemporary ways while maintaining exceptional balance of flavours.

A special guest at the event will be renowned Etna pizzaiolo Lele Scandurra, who will enrich the gastronomic programme with a signature creation prepared live: a special dish conceived as a true culinary tribute to Bronte PDO Pistachio.

MOTOR & DESIGN: NEW AUDI MODELS PREVIEWED WITH COMERSUD

Reflecting the broad appeal and lifestyle dimension of 100Etna 2026, this year’s edition will also feature a new and prestigious collaboration combining art, design and innovation.

For the first time during the event, guests will have the opportunity to preview a new Audi model, thanks to a partnership with the renowned ComerSud dealership in Misterbianco.

The event will also feature works by artist Fabrizio Foti, offering the public an artistic and calligraphic interpretation of Mount Etna.

The result will be a perfect combination of the engineering refinement of the German automotive brand and the authentic charm of the Etna territory, offering guests an even more exclusive visual and emotional experience.

SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

Special thanks go to the event sponsors and partners:

the Consortium for the Protection of Bronte PDO Green Pistachio; the Consortium for the Protection of Provola dei Nebrodi PDO, for the excellence and distinctive flavours it represents; Banca Mediolanum, represented by Salvatore Passè, financial advisor and author of “How to Build Your Wealth Fortress”; Comer Sud S.p.A., a Sicilian automotive dealership operating since 1980; Enoiltech S.R.L., a leading company specialising in equipment and consulting services for wineries; Immana, a micro-bakery specialising in sourdough products, founded from an idea by Salvina Abbadessa; and Pistì Sicilia, a major Bronte and Sicilian pastry producer.

INFORMATION, PRESS ACCREDITATION AND RESERVATIONS

The event will take place on Saturday, 5 September 2026, at La Fucina di Vulcano, starting at 6:00 p.m.

Places for the Masterclass and gastronomic tastings are limited and advance booking is required.

Villa Franciacorta opens the doors of its medieval village for three days dedicated to time, the company’s core value, in a journey that sees wine as the protagonist of an immersive experience.

From a hot air balloon suspended above the vineyards at sunset to a starlit dinner in the medieval village, guided tastings, tours of underground cellars, aperitifs among the vines, and a Wine Garden dedicated to vintage wines: this is Villa Franciacorta’s program, which will take guests on a journey through the history of wine during the 2026 Franciacorta Festival, taking place from September 18th to 20th.

At Monticelli Brusati, every event will be an opportunity to transform the Villa Franciacorta philosophy into an experience to be lived. This philosophy is based on the choice to produce exclusively Franciacorta Millesimati, wines that come from a single harvest and require years of waiting before reaching the glass.

Highlights will include tastings led by AIS speakers Artur Vaso and Nicola Bonera, guided tours dedicated to discovering Franciacorta and the Villa Franciacorta experience, and much more. For those seeking a gastronomic experience, Ela’ Osteria in Villa will offer original pairings, while those wishing to stay overnight in the ancient village can enjoy the Villa Gradoni Charme & Nature experience.

Here is the complete calendar:

Dinner Under the Stars | Friday, September 18th

An exclusive dinner for a limited number of guests will be held at a 60-meter imperial table in the hamlet of Villa Franciacorta. The culinary offerings will be curated by chef Mauro Zacchetti of Ela’ Osteria in Villa.

7:30 pm, €130/person.

Hot Air Balloon Experience | Saturday, September 19th and Sunday, September 20th

The hot air balloon will gently rise above the vineyards of Villa Franciacorta, offering the only tethered flight experience in all of Franciacorta. From above, the medieval village and Franciacorta reveal themselves from a unique perspective.

At the end of the experience, a glass of Franciacorta Millesimato.

The experience will take place until seats are filled from 6:00 pm to 8:15 pm, €65/adult, €50/child (minimum age 5 years).

Today I feel like an oenologist | Saturday, September 19th and Sunday, September 20th

Listen to and taste the wine along its journey, just like an oenologist. Six tastings will take visitors directly to the places where the wine is born and evolves: from the base wines of the latest harvest, tasted in steel vats, to the volée disgorgement, up to a Franciacorta Millesimato and another surprise wine, tasted in the places where they mature.

5:30 pm, €60/person

Sunset in the Vineyard | Friday, September 18th, Saturday, September 19th, and Sunday, September 20th

After a guided tour of the medieval village and the cellars of Villa Franciacorta, you’ll walk to the Casa dell’Eremita, nestled among the rows of Cru Gradoni vines, for a sunset aperitif featuring two Franciacorta Millesimati wines and a surprise wine paired with finger food and a hot dish.

5pm, €65/person

Villa Franciacorta Wine Garden | Saturday, September 19th and Sunday, September 20th

The medieval village will open its doors to an event dedicated to Franciacorta Millesimati, where select cuisine, food trucks, music, and conviviality accompany the wine, the undisputed star.

Each participant will receive a souvenir glass and a tasting of a Villa Franciacorta Millesimato.

From 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm, €20/person.

A Journey Through History | Saturday, September 19th and Sunday, September 20th

Inside the medieval village, a tour to discover the philosophy of Villa Franciacorta. You will also visit the underground cellar, where over 1 million bottles rest, stacked one by one by hand, and the pupitre (racks) showcase the craftsmanship of times gone by: every day, 16,400 bottles are still rowed by hand, according to the tradition of the Villa Franciacorta Method.

The experience will conclude with a guided tasting of three Franciacorta Millesimati.

Four time slots: 11:00, 12:00, 14:30, 15:30. €40/adult, €10/children (aged 6 to 17)

0/Children (0 to 5 years)

A Diamond is Forever | Saturday, September 19

A vertical tasting dedicated to Diamant, a Pas Dosé Millesimato that epitomizes the precision and depth of Villa Franciacorta. After a stroll through the underground cellars, accompanied by the owners, Nicola Bonera, Italy’s best sommelier, will lead the tasting on a journey through 20 years of history.

10:30 am, €70/person

Horizontal 2011 | Sunday, September 20

A tasting dedicated to the 2011 vintage, one of the great years in the history of Franciacorta, following a tour of the underground cellars, accompanied by the owner, Artur Vaso, a sommelier and one of the most authoritative voices on Italian wine, will share the different interpretations of a vintage that never ceases to amaze. 10:30 am, €70/person.

A historic winery in Monticelli Brusati , passionately managed by the Bianchi-Pizziol family , Villa Franciacorta has been producing vintage Franciacortas since its founding in the 1960s by Alessandro Bianchi. These wines are made exclusively from grapes grown on the estate’s organic vineyards. Each bottle ages extensively in the underground cellar and is hand-riddled. The result is a Franciacorta with a strong identity, capable of inspiring emotion.

All events will take place at Villa Franciacorta | Villa 12, Monticelli Brusati (Brescia) | 030.652329.

From 20 to 23 and from 27 to 29 August 2026 the historic center hosts the 20th edition with the cellars of the Etruscan Dodecapoli, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia.

Fifty-three wineries will be featured in the 20th edition of DiVino Etrusco, scheduled for August 20-23 and 27-29, 2026, in Tarquinia. This milestone confirms the event’s role as one of the most anticipated food and wine events of the summer in Tuscia, showcasing the winemaking traditions of the Etruscan Dodecapolis and this year opening up to comparisons with Calabria, Sicily, and Sardinia, in a tasting program curated by sommeliers from Fisar Tuscia Viterbese.

The protagonists: the cellars of the Etruscan Dodecapoli

Representing Tarquinia will be ten wineries, exemplifying the richness and quality of local wine production: Azienda Agricola Anna Elisei, Azienda Agricola Massimo Tosoni, Cantine PrimaLuce, Etruscaia, Muscari Tomajoli, Podere Giulio, Tenuta Sant’Isidoro, Terre Giorgini Santa Maria, Distilleria Numa – Valle del Marta, and Vinaio 98.3. Alongside the Tarquinia wineries, DiVino Etrusco will guide visitors to discover the other areas of the ancient Etruscan Dodecapolis. Coming from Arezzo will be Buccia Nera, Fattoria di Gratena, and Tarazona Miriam; from Bolsena, Villa Puri; from Cerveteri, Cantina Belardi, Castello di Ceri, Onorati, and Tenuta Tre Cancelli; and from Chiusi, Colle Santa Mustiola, Il Roglio, Nenci, and San Gregorio. The journey will continue among the productions of Cortona, with Baracchi, Fabrizio Dionisio, Fattoria Cantagallo, Tenuta Angelici, and Tenuta Montecchiesi Dal Cero, and Orvieto, represented by Arcadia, Cantina Altarocca, Cantina Neri, Custodi, Decugnano dei Barbi, Palazzone, and Tenuta Le Velette. Completing the tour are Goretti from Perugia, Podere Nannini, Sant’Agnese and Torre di Baratti from Piombino, Terre del Veio from Veio, MonteRosola and Podere Marcampo from Volterra, along with the Vulci wineries: Azienda Agricola Lotti Bio, La Trusca, Le 3 Montagne, and Cantina Simoncini.

The Mediterranean in the glass

This year, DiVino Etrusco looks beyond the borders of the Dodecapoli, strengthening the dialogue between territories united by the culture of wine and the history of the Mediterranean. In Tarquinia, there will be wineries from Calabria, Sicily, and Sardinia. Calabria will be represented by Brigante, Sicily by Alessandro di Camporeale and Tenuta Gorghi Tondi, and Sardinia by Giuseppe Sedilesu, Fattorie Cuscusa, Sardus Pater, Soberana Cantina, and Tenute Evaristiano.

Twenty years of promoting the territory

Over the past twenty years, DiVino Etrusco has helped promote Etruria’s winemaking and cultural heritage, becoming a well-established summer event. The festival is organized by the Municipality of Tarquinia, in collaboration with the Pro Loco Tarquinia and the renowned food and wine expert Carlo Zucchetti, with the patronage of the Lazio Region, the Regional Agency for Agricultural Development and Innovation of Lazio (ARSIAL), the Province of Viterbo, the Rieti-Viterbo Chamber of Commerce, and the Ministry of Culture – Archaeological Park of Cerveteri and Tarquinia, with the support of the Viva Tarquinia cultural association.

The tasting formulas

There are three options for participating in the tastings. The day ticket, costing €20, allows unlimited tastings and includes a glass and shoulder strap. You can also choose a booklet of 4 tastings, costing €10, which also includes a glass and shoulder strap, or a booklet of 3 tastings, costing €7, designed for those who wish to sample a selection of wines.

From July 24th to August 16th, 22 wineries and 3 municipalities will be the protagonists of tastings, picnics in the vineyard, dinners under the stars and astronomical observations.

Shooting stars are once again crossing the vineyards of Umbria. Among vineyards, villages, and hills, summer is told through the glasses and the stories of its regions with Calici di Stelle 2026, the event of the Umbria Wine Tourism Movement. From July 24th to August 16th, it will enliven the region with a rich program of events dedicated to wine and wine tourism.

A total of 22 wineries belonging to the Movement will open their doors with a wide-ranging calendar of events spanning the entire region: sunset tastings, picnics among the vines, panoramic aperitifs, dinners under the summer sky, concerts, astronomical observations, and guided tours will accompany the public through Umbria’s most representative wine-growing areas.

The 2026 edition—with the theme chosen by MTV nationally, “Toast to Life!”—confirms Calici di Stelle’s vocation as an experience capable of combining wine tourism, culture, and discovery of the region. Alongside the traditional tastings of Umbrian wines, numerous wineries will offer activities related to stargazing and astronomy education, transforming the Umbrian hills into true natural observatories under the stars. The municipalities of Torgiano (August 7), Todi, and Orvieto (August 10) will offer tastings and shows under the stars.

” Calici di Stelle represents one of the most significant events in the Umbria Wine Tourism Movement’s calendar ,” says Giovanni Dubini , president of the Umbria Wine Tourism Movement, ” because it immediately demonstrates the value of hospitality in our wineries. It’s an opportunity to experience wine in its natural context, amidst vineyards, landscapes, culture, and people. The experiences offered by the wineries once again demonstrate Umbria’s special and undeniable vocation for offering quality wine tourism, built on a direct relationship with the local area .”

The program encompasses numerous Umbrian wine-growing areas, from Montefalco to Torgiano, from Assisi to Lake Trasimeno, from Monteleone d’Orvieto to Cannara, with initiatives designed for a variety of audiences: from guided tastings to vineyard picnics, from musical evenings to family gatherings, and even experiences that combine wine, food, and stargazing.

This year, Calici di Stelle confirms its ability to promote the region’s winemaking heritage through a format that highlights the landscape, the identity of the wineries, and the experiential dimension of travel. It’s an opportunity to discover Umbria’s wine region during one of the most evocative times of the year, amidst sunsets, vineyards, and starry skies.

Detailed programs for Calici di Stelle dell’Umbria are available on the website www.mtvumbria.it and on the Umbria Wine Tourism Movement’s social media channels.