Consorzio Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato in which the initiatives for the month of May are presented, among which the Giro di DOC and the Festa del Ruchè stand out.

The Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato Consortium is pleased to announce GIRO DI DOC , the initiative dedicated to the promotion of protected denominations, scheduled from May to November. This project will involve local restaurateurs and hoteliers, true ambassadors of the local food and wine heritage, who will promote the wines through exclusive events and presentations.

The promotion of the denominations will take place through dedicated events , with the participation of journalists, professionals and wine lovers, to spread the wine culture of Monferrato and the unique characteristics of each production.

Each month will be dedicated to a specific denomination . Local restaurants will be involved, creating experiential itineraries and targeted gastronomic proposals to best enhance the grape variety and its denomination. The denominations planned for this activity include: Grignolino d’Asti DOC , Piemonte DOC Rosato , Freisa d’Asti DOC , Barbera d’Asti DOCG and its Superiore version, Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG , Terre Alfieri DOCG Arneis .

GIRO DI DOC represents an extraordinary opportunity to tell the story of Monferrato through its wines, involving the territory and its protagonists in a journey of passion. Through these promotional initiatives, the Consorzio Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato renews its commitment to highlighting and supporting the denominations that embody the soul of an incomparable territory. Tradition intertwines with modernity and cultural diffusion, creating opportunities to celebrate not only excellent wines, but also a landscape that tells its story through viticulture. A heritage capable of evolving and continuing to offer new expressions of quality.

Great anticipation for one of the most eagerly awaited events will be the traditional Festa del Ruchè , scheduled for May 17 and 18 , at Tenuta La Mercantile in Castagnole Monferrato – Asti, a unique opportunity to celebrate this wine with distinctive characteristics and strengthen the bond between producers and the public. Ruchè, one of the rarest native vines among those cultivated in the Monferrato Astigiano, comes from dry, calcareous soils subject to high levels of sunlight. Since 1987, the year in which it obtained the DOC denomination, it has recorded constant and progressive appreciation that today makes it an expression of the territory’s identity and variety. It obtained the DOCG in 2010 and its production today reaches one million bottles. Entrance to the splendid rooms of the Tenuta will be free , with tastings for a fee . To accompany the tastings of Ruchè, in a specially set up space, visitors will be able to discover the specialties of the territory prepared by the Pro Loco and some restaurants of Castagnole Monferrato.

Off-road events in the city start on Monday 5th May, then a big party in Piazza Nettuno from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th.

At Palazzo Re Enzo there will be eighty participating wineries and then tastings, talks and various insights for an event that aims to promote the culture of wine and celebrate Italian excellence and that of the Emilia Romagna region. There will be a large presence of producers from the Consorzio dei Colli Bolognesi, focus on sparkling wines, sustainability, wine tourism and new styles of wine consumption.

Bologna – Bologna Wine Week is back for its third edition, the event that celebrates wine in all its forms and transforms the heart of the city into a great stage of taste, wine culture and conviviality. An entire week ( from Monday 5 to Sunday 11 May ) dedicated to the best of Italian and Emilia-Romagna wine production, including tastings, talks, masterclasses and events spread across the venues and symbolic places of Bologna. Confirming itself as one of the most anticipated events of the year for professionals, enthusiasts and the curious, the event renews its vocation: to enhance wine as a cultural expression, to tell its story and to promote the territory in an innovative and inclusive way: “ The third edition of the Bologna Wine Week represents a further step forward towards the construction of a taste identity for the city, increasingly at the center of the national cultural and gastronomic scene – says the organizer Gian Marco Gabarello – the Bologna Wine Week is a project that combines passion, identity and vision and every year it grows thanks to the collaboration between producers, sommeliers, restaurateurs and citizens. It is the demonstration of how much wine can be the cultural and economic engine of a community ”. The absolute protagonists are wines and those who make them, with the presence of dozens of wineries, consortia, producers and sommeliers from all over the country. Among the new features of this edition is an area dedicated to sparkling wines thanks to the partnership with Spumanti Italia (now in its seventh edition) and there will also be a room dedicated to spirits, which will allow visitors to explore the world of mixology and artisanal production, further enriching the experience of the event. It starts on Monday 5 May and will continue throughout the week with OFF events in partner restaurants and venues, then on Friday 9 May in Sala Borsa ( here to register ) from 3.00 pm to 4.00 pm “ Wine tourism: Experiences, hospitality and winning models ” hosted by journalist Giuseppe De Biasi, from 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm “ Sustainability and innovation in the wine supply chain ” with Marco Vassallo, journalist of the E-Planet programme broadcast on Italia 1, also present are the wine expert Riccardo Cotarella and Professor Rosario di Lorenzo, President of the Academy of Vine and Wine and Professor of Viticulture at the University of Palermo, from 6.00 pm to 7.00 pm “ New styles of wine consumption: young people, trends and changing habits ” with Andrea Zanfi (publisher of BUBBLE’S) and then we will continue with the Award Ceremony of the “Ambassadors of Italian Brindisi”. Palazzo Re Enzo will become a large open-air wine shop that will host 80 wineries from all over Italy and then the various masterclasses: it starts on Saturday 10 May at 11.00 with the opening of the tasting tables and at the same time “ Old Sparkling. Tasting of classic methods with more than 120 months on the lees ”, at 12.30 tasting of 6 Parmigiano Reggiano paired with 6 Pignoletti, at 15.00 the Women of Wine with the tasting “ Do you know this? Journey through a Region to discover and taste 100% ”, at 16.30 The Guardians of Lambrusco present themselves curated by Sergio Scaravaci (ONAV), at 18.00 instead the tasting with the Ambassadors of the Italian toast. Sunday 11 May starts at 11 with the opening of the tasting tables and then the masterclasses begin: at 12.30 “ The different aromas of the great Prosecco Valdobbiadene DOCG ”, at 15.00 “ Expressions of Pignoletto, soul of the Colli Bolognesi Consorzio Emilia Romagna ”, at 16.30 “ The lands of Oltrepo’ Pavese, a dive into Pinot Noir ” and then it will conclude with the tasting at 18 “ Sicily, land of wine. Journey to discover the island with 7 iconic labels ”.

The event, promoted by Gian Marco Gabarello, through his wine shop Ebrezze, is sponsored by the Municipality of Bologna, the Emilia Romagna Region and Bologna Welcome. Sponsors Bper, Parmigiano Reggiano, Ghedini Group, Gandini Arredamenti, Confcommercio Ascom Bologna, Rexel, Luigi Bormioli, Acqua Cerelia, Consorzio Colli Bolognesi, AM Bologna, Orsini Soda, Segafredo and Bologna Business School.

The participating wineries: A large presence from Emilia Romagna with the wineries Al di là del fiume, Assirelli, Bonzara, Botti, Cantina del Frignano, Cantina della Volta, Cantina Forlì, Predappio, Cantina Illeri, Cantina Vespignano, Cesare Gallegati, Cantina Floriano Cinti, Torre Ca’ Bianca, Gaggioli, La Mancina, Manaresi, Montevecchio Isolani, Morini, Oro di Diamanti, Otto Logiurato, Podere Riosto, Tenuta La Riva, Terre Rosse, Cantina Terre Rosse Vallania, Tomisa and then the wineries from all over Italy: Marramiero (Abruzzo), Azienda Agricola Faraone (Abruzzo), Ritterhof (Alto Adige), Fonzone (Campania), Il Verro (Campania), La Guardiense (Campania), Fontana Reale (Campania), Torre del Pagus (Campania), Villa Matilde (Campania), Aia delle Monache (Campania), Caputo (Campania), Angoris (Friuli-Venezia Giulia), Tenuta Villanova (Friuli-Venezia Giulia), Terre di Ger (Friuli-Venezia Giulia), Casale della Ioria (Lazio), Cottarella Family (Lazio), Padroggi La Piotta (Lombardy), Monsupello (Lombardy), Bruno Verdi (Lombardy), Fiamberti (Lombardy), Costa Ripa (Lombardy), Valdamonte Agricultural Company (Lombardy), Prime Alture (Lombardy), Podere Santa Lucia (Marche), Citra (Marche), Pasquale Pellissero (Piedmont), Cascina Guido Berta (Piedmont), Malabaila of Canale (Piedmont), Parusso (Piedmont), Erbaluce Winery of Caluso (Piedmont), Enrico Serafino (Piedmont), Bera (Piedmont), Tenuta Roletto (Piedmont), Rocche dei Manzoni (Piedmont), Tenuta Gaggino (Piedmont), Vetrere (Puglia), D’Alfonso Del Sordo (Puglia), D’Araprì (Puglia), Progetto Vino (Puglia), Schola Sarmenti (Puglia), Tenute Gigliotto (Sicily), Sette Ponti (Tuscany), Ornina Wines (Tuscany), Tollena (Tuscany), La Leccia (Tuscany), Vini di Maremma (Tuscany), Klinger winery (Trentino Alto Adige), Buglioni (Veneto), Sparici and Landini (Veneto), Le Rive (Veneto), Cantina dei conti (Veneto), Adami (Veneto), Nino Franco (Veneto), Cantina del Castello (Veneto) and Valdo (Veneto). The event is conceived and organized by Gian Marco Gabarello through his company Ebrezze , a reality that combines catering, hospitality and drinking culture. In addition to giving life to Bologna Wine Week , the company manages Ebrezze , a seafood restaurant and cocktail bar in the heart of the city (Via Castiglione, 11D), and Ebrezze Giardino , the charming summer venue in the hills of Bologna. With this event, Ebrezze strengthens its role in the food and wine scene, promoting wine as a central element of a cultural and convivial experience that involves the entire city.

Coming up on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th May is the third edition of the Wine Fest dedicated to Vernaccia di San Gimignano with tastings, masterclasses and entertainment in the territory of the Denomination.

Regina Ribelle – Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Fest will open its doors to the public again on May 17 and 18, 2025, following the success of previous editions, especially 2024, which attracted over 1,000 visitors. The event entirely dedicated to the great white wine of Tuscany, desired and organized by the Consorzio del Vino Vernaccia di San Gimignano in partnership with the municipal administration of San Gimignano, is now an eagerly awaited event for wine lovers, a unique opportunity to taste and learn more about this Denomination in the places where its centuries-old history began and where it continues to thrive today. The program includes two days of itinerant tastings through the historic center of the city, masterclasses , meetings with the producers of Vernaccia di San Gimignano, wine tastings , food and wine pairing workshops with typical Tuscan products – such as Prosciutto Toscano DOP, Finocchiona IGP and Pecorino Toscano DOP – and local restaurants and, again, entertainment for the public with the evening DJ set in the suggestive Rocca di Montestaffoli – and for the little ones. At the end of the event, on Sunday 18, an important collaboration with AIS Toscana is confirmed: this year too, the exam tests, the final and the award ceremony for the Best AIS Sommelier 2025 in Tuscany will take place in San Gimignano during the Wine Fest. “The first editions represented a gamble, a new way to promote our Tuscan White Queen. We expect the 2025 edition to be not only a confirmation of the public success of previous years, but also to contribute to the constant growth of this denomination, historic but projected today more than ever towards dynamism and the future” – comments the President of the Consortium, Irina Strozzi. The event will be, also for this edition, preceded by a two-day event – May 15 and 16 – reserved for the Italian and foreign trade press, gathered for the occasion to taste the new vintages of Vernaccia di San Gimignano at the De Grada Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and to deepen their knowledge of the territory thanks to a press tour of the wineries.

Italy, Hungary and also France: ninety wineries present and many new features at the event dedicated to a thousand-year-old heritage.

A three-day event dedicated to the culture of sweet drinking. This will be the 21st edition of the National Exhibition of Passiti and Meditation Wines of Volta Mantovana. From Valle d’Aosta to Sicily, from Piedmont to Puglia to Calabria, the protagonist is all of Italy in the glass, represented by about 100 Italian wineries and six Hungarian companies, the latter present thanks to the collaboration with the Consulate General of Hungary and the Hungarian Wine Promotion Agency. << Last year we celebrated the twentieth anniversary, with this 21st edition we are preparing to face the next twenty years of the event. The Exhibition is an event that is increasingly projected into the future and, even if it is called National, it has taken on an increasingly international value. – States the Municipal Administration, organizer of the event. – Thanks to the collaboration with ONAV, Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori Mantovani and Campagna Amica, you will be able to meet many producers and participate in in-depth studies on the knowledge of passito and meditation wines and Mantua products.>> Over the course of the three days from 11 to 20, at the tasting counter you will be able to taste the wines of over 90 producers, many of whom have come from all over Italy to be present in person, who will let you discover their rare and precious wines, the fruit of an ancient culture and of man’s manual knowledge. (complete list of wineries Mostra Nazionale dei Vini Passiti e da Meditazione – Palazzo Gonzaga).

There will be many in-depth events : “ Château d’Yquem the legend”, where the book by the writer Cinzia Benzi will be presented, dedicated to the most legendary French winery, “Shades of Moscati”, “Red passiti”, “Tokaji”, “Passito di Pantelleria”, “Mantua, land of passiti”, “How passiti are born”, “Trentino Vino Santo”, “Passito and Tuscan Cigars”. These tastings will be conducted by ONAV Expert Tasters.

There will be three food and wine meetings, thanks to the collaboration with the Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori Mantovani, entirely dedicated to the food and wine culture of the province of Mantua: “I Capunsèi di Volta Mantovana”, “Il Beluga tra Po e Mincio” and “Una dolce coccola”. The Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori will also take care of the workshops for children and the area dedicated to ancient games.

Campagna Amica’s participation will allow visitors to meet Mantua artisans of taste, learn about their stories and purchase their specialties directly. Finally, special menus will be offered in local restaurants during the Exhibition.

THE PROGRAM

Friday 25th April

• 11:00 – Exhibition Opening
• 11:30 – Shades of Moscato with chocolate pairings Marc
• 2.30pm – Passito and Tuscan cigars
• 3.30pm – Literary event: Château d’Yquem, the legend
• 16:30 – Official inauguration of the 21st Edition
• 5:30 pm – Passito and Tuscan cigars
• 18:00 – Guided tour of Palazzo Gonzaga with extras
• 6.30pm – Capunsèi di Volta Mantovana, typical tasting
• 7.15pm – Guided tour of Palazzo Gonzaga with extras
• 8:00 pm – Exhibition closing

Saturday 26th April

• 11:00 – Exhibition Opening
• 11:30 – Mantua… Land of Passiti with tastings of Grana Padano Prati Stabili
• 2.30pm – Passito and Tuscan cigars
• 3:00 PM – Red passito wines with chocolate pairings Marc
• 16:00 – Passito and Tuscan cigars
• 4.30pm – Guided tour of Palazzo Gonzaga with extras
• 16:30 – Beluga between Po’ and Mincio, gourmet meeting
• 5:30 pm – Passito and Tuscan cigars
• 18:00 – Guided tour of Palazzo Gonzaga with extras
• 18:30 – Masterclass: Tokaj, a journey in Hungary
• 8:00 pm – Exhibition closing

Sunday 27th April

• 11:00 – Exhibition Opening
• 11:30 – Passito di Pantelleria with Grana Padano Riserva 40 months
• 2.30pm – Passito and Tuscan cigars
• 15:00 – How a passito is born, paired with Marc chocolate
• 3.30pm – Guided tour of Palazzo Gonzaga with extras
• 16:00 – Passito and Tuscan cigars
• 16:30 – A sweet cuddle, experiential workshop
• 5:30 pm – Passito and Tuscan cigars
• 18:00 – Guided tour of Palazzo Gonzaga with extras
• 6:30 pm – Vino Santo Trentino with Grana Padano Riserva 40 months
• 8:00 pm – Exhibition closing

THE EVENT AND THE TERRITORY

The exhibition will take place entirely in the heart of the historic center of Volta Mantovana , inside the medieval castle, of which the towers and extensive parts of the walls are still preserved: in the Renaissance, with the construction of Palazzo Gonzaga , Volta became the summer refuge of the powerful Mantuan family. Visitors will have the opportunity to discover the village and Palazzo Gonzaga, which will open its doors and gardens with guided tours and extras , to relive the charm of the Italian Renaissance.

Volta Mantovana is a magical village, where all the historical eras have left precious testimonies: the frescoed rooms, the decorated ceilings, the King’s bathroom, the suggestive Italian gardens, the ancient stables with the Warriors’ gallery, the street that connects the Palace to the Towers and the Belvedere of the Church, paved with morainic pebbles.

Finally, the event will present dedicated tasting menus , designed by local restaurants participating in the initiative, offering visitors the opportunity to try the cuisine and hospitality of Volta Mantovana.

INFO AND COSTS

Market Show Hours: from 25th to 27th April, from 11:00 to 20:00

Entrance fee: 7 euros glass 3 euros, includes 5 coupons for tastings at the Exhibition Market of the wineries present in the exhibition a coupon for the tasting counter. For residents the entrance is free.

Cost of tastings at the tasting counter: 1 ticket – 3 euros; 2 tickets – 5 euros; 5 tickets – 10 euros