Visits, experiences and tastings, Umbrian cellars open to wine tourists for Valentine’s Day.

Umbria, a land of enchanting landscapes and ancient traditions, is preparing to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Here, in the region that holds the remains of the patron saint of lovers – precisely in Terni, of which he is the Patron – every glass tells a story and every experience becomes a moment to share.

The Umbria Wine Tourism Movement , an association that promotes wine tourism and enhances the area’s wineries, invites you to experience this anniversary in a special way: by immersing yourself in the authentic beauty of its wineries, among centuries-old vineyards and tastings designed for those who wish to celebrate love in all its forms.

“ Through these initiatives, the Umbria Wine Tourism Movement – underlines the President of MTV Umbria Giovanni Dubini – invites you to rediscover the beauty of the timeless Umbrian landscapes, authentic flavors and glasses that preserve the breath of the earth. Visitors who wish to continue the weekend can also take advantage of the numerous facilities that offer hospitality, so as to fully immerse themselves in the unique atmosphere of the territory. An experience that allows you to discover not only the Umbrian wine excellence, but also the warmth of the local welcome, the richness of traditions and the pleasure of conscious tourism ”.

The journey can begin right from Terni , the heart of the celebrations, with a visit to the evocative Basilica of San Valentino and the Cammino di San Valentino , an itinerary that leads through enchanting landscapes to the Marmore Falls.

An experience among vineyards and history

In the DOC Amelia , Cantina Zanchi celebrates biodiversity with an organic approach that enhances the richness of the territory. Here, lovers can stroll among rows of vines that coexist with centuries-old olive trees, discover ancient vines such as Ciliegiolo and Malvasia, and let themselves be enveloped by the stories of a viticulture that preserves the past with an eye to the future. Not far away, the historic Ruffo della Scaletta estate brings with it the charm of a distant era, when the Ruffo della Scaletta family purchased these lands at the beginning of the nineteenth century. A journey through history and tradition that leads to the discovery of a farm that, for generations, has interpreted the territory with elegance and authenticity. At the Monte Vibiano winery , in the province of Perugia, tours with tastings will be organized aboard electric jeeps and e-bikes. This will be followed by a visit to the winery and a tasting of three glasses with bruschetta and a cutting board. To make this experience even more special, those who join the experience on Valentine’s Day will receive as a gift one of their historic bottles that have become part of the “lost wines” collection.

From the tradition of Bacio Perugina to the cellars in the heart of Perugia

Valentine’s Day and Umbria are also linked by another symbol of love: the Bacio Perugina , born in Perugia, a city that is home to some of the most evocative wineries in the region. Among these, Chiorri, Goretti and Leonucci offer tastings in which wine meets the sweetness of chocolate, in a perfect combination to celebrate passion. For a unique food and wine experience, at Arnaldo Caprai you can participate in the “Chocolate and Sagrantino Masterclass” with tasting in Montefalco, on February 15, combining the elegance of wine with the sophistication of chocolate. During an exclusive masterclass, a Master Chocolatier will demonstrate the techniques and secrets of chocolate making, blending them with the flavors of Sagrantino. After a guided tour of the Winery, the evening will end with a tasting of the Master’s creations paired with the prestigious Sagrantino Passito di Montefalco, for a sweet finale.

Special toasts, romantic dinners and signature atmospheres

Each winery has thought of a unique experience to make this occasion even more special. Terre de La Custodia , a company deeply rooted in the hills of Montefalco and guardian of the Sagrantino tradition, invites you to celebrate love with an exclusive toast among wines that tell the soul of a territory dedicated to quality. Fattoria di Monticello , immersed in the Perugia countryside and surrounded by rolling hills, offers a romantic dinner among the enveloping aromas of its wines, born from a viticulture that respects nature and its authenticity. Perticaia , a company that embodies the deep bond between the Umbrian landscape and the peasant tradition, also welcomes guests with a tasting dedicated to Valentine’s Day, offering a sensory journey among the most authentic flavors of the region.

For those seeking an intimate and refined atmosphere, Vineria del Carmine , immersed in the suggestive Valle del Carmine and surrounded by historic vineyards, offers a special dinner with soft lights and glasses that tell the story of a generous land, where wine is born from a perfect balance between tradition and uncontaminated nature. Finally, for an experience outside the box, Cantina Scacciadiavoli , a historic reality in the heart of the DOCG Montefalco and among the oldest in Umbria, hosts the Brunch & Champagne Vinyl Selection by Joe Rehmer on February 15, an event that combines the pleasure of music with the refinement of bubbles, in an unprecedented combination of taste and atmosphere.

The event dedicated to the best Italian and foreign Classic Method sparkling wines returns to Cesena Fiera on February 10 and 11 in the Pievesestina pavilions.

Open to industry professionals, wine lovers and sommeliers, the event presents bubbles from Franciacorta, Trento Doc, Oltrepò Pavese, Alta Langa, Champagne and Cava, as well as other Italian territories dedicated to sparkling wine production. Great reds, whites and rosés can also be tasted at the producers’ tables, along with quality food options.

‘Cesena in Bolla # Non solo bollicine’ returns on Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 February , the event, now in its tenth edition , linked to national and international ‘bubbles’. Under the spotlight at Cesena Fiera are the best Classic Method Sparkling Wines that are concentrated in the 4 most suitable Italian territories: Trento Doc, Franciacorta, Oltrepò Pavese, Altalanga, with a main focus, this year, on the ‘mountain bubbles’ of Trentino. Along with the national bubbles, a large group of labels from beyond the Alps with Champagne and Cremant from France and Cava from Spain. Without forgetting the best Prosecco accompanied by a selection of other Martinotti Method bubbles from all over Italy, to which is added a wide representation of still, white, red and rosé wines to complete the sparkling wine production of the wineries present in Cesena.

Paired with wine, as is tradition at Cesena In Bolla, top-quality food tastings. Among the companies present at the tasting stands that see the dynamic collaboration of students and teachers of the Ial of Cesenatico, Greci Industrie Alimentare which supplies fresh products, gastronomy and baked specialties to the restaurant industry, ‘Canuti Pastificio Tradizione Italiana’ from Rimini, the salami factory ‘Norcia per Voi’, ‘Antica Foma’, a distributor of cheeses and cured meats from Modena and remaining in the delicious world of cheeses the Sardinian distributor ‘Ruiu’. The offer among the stands is completed by the artisanal chocolate of the Forlì-based ‘Fratelli Gardini’, the delicacies of Siena Tartufi and a representation of selected beers from ‘BluBai’ and local gins, ‘Falterona’, Appennino Tosco-Romagnolo, ‘Alba 87’ from Cesena.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the event, Cesena in Bolla is offering record numbers this year: 230 companies represented at the Fair, for approximately 1600 labels to taste including sparkling wines and other references put on the field by producers from all over Italy, including Emilia Romagna, France and Spain. In the spotlight for an unmissable showcase, the ‘mountain bubbles’ of Trento Doc with a representation of all 67 wineries belonging to the Consortium.

Organized by Taste Production , a company from Romagna that offers services in the world of wine and food to the Horeca sector, Cesena in Bolla this year comes at a particular time for the world of catering and beverage, which is facing the new strong tightening of sanctions in the Highway Code related to alcohol consumption.

“Cesena in Bolla this year – says Ivan Tesei, owner of Taste Production – wants to be an opportunity for a serious discussion and an exchange of opinions among professionals on this very topic. In fact, too much noise has been made about the issue. From Cesena in Bolla – continues Tesei – I would like a conciliatory message to arrive… The new rules are harsher, it is true, the sanctions but they do not change the parameters. We all need to use common sense, the rules of conscious drinking. Two glasses of wine at the table are not to be demonized. You just need to avoid overdoing it. Drink less to drink better, consciously, to accompany food, to taste, not to get high…”. “And in this sense – concludes Tesei – the lesson of awareness that comes from the Italian Sommelier Association, which has granted patronage to the event this year, is important”.

Organized for the fourth consecutive year in the pavilions of the Fiera in Pievesestina, after the ‘trendy’ years spent at the Teatro Verdi, Cesena in Bolla reconfirms its vocation for B2B with operators in the sector who enter the Fiera for free after mandatory registration on the site. The logistical advantages of the move are countless, including the large spaces for installations, the proximity to the A14 and E45 toll booths, and the availability of hundreds of free parking spaces on site.

A plus not to be underestimated for the thousands of professionals (last year over 5,000 in the two days) of the world of catering, beverage and hospitality from all over Northern Italy and the Riviera Romagnola who await the Cesena event in February to renew and enhance their wine list. But Cesena in Bolla is also open to wine lovers and sommeliers with limited and paid entrances (200 tickets available at 30 euros for the public, 15 for sommeliers with an AIS membership card, during the two days of the fair, purchasable only online). Among the technical sponsors, the supply of edible ice by Sun Ice, the ‘green’ Scarpellini Garden set-up and the sponsorship of ‘Odessa distribuzioni alberghiere’ which will make the prestigious Stolzle Lausitz glasses available for the event, which can be collected with a deposit at the entrance.

Cesena Fiera Headquarters Via Dismano 3845 – 47521 Cesena

Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th February

Opening hours: 11.30am – 7.30pm

Entrance fee for the public €30 (AIS members €15), purchasable only online from the website www.cesenainbolla.com)

For the Horeca channel, free accreditations upon registration on the site

Deposit for glasses €5. Breathalyser tests also available at the exit at a cost of €2

DI OGNUNO returns to Hospitality – Il Salone dell’Accoglienza with a new experiential space dedicated to accessibility in the hotel and non-hotel industry. This year’s theme is the design of an inclusive and comfortable breakfast room that enhances the various needs of food, physical and cognitive accessibility, using targeted design solutions.

This continues the collaboration started last year between the leading event in the HoReCa sector, Village for all – V4A, a company specialized in Accessible Hospitality, and Lombardini22, a leading group in the Italian architecture and engineering scene.

After the success of the last edition, the multi-year project DI OGNUNO returns to Hospitality – Il Salone dell’Accoglienza with a new experiential space dedicated to accessibility in the hotel and non-hotel industry. This year’s theme is the design of an inclusive and comfortable breakfast room , which enhances the different needs of food, physical and cognitive accessibility, using targeted design solutions.

The concept is the result of the desire of Hospitality , the leading international fair in Italy for hotels and restaurants organized by Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, to develop an area that tells the story of accessible hospitality. The idea was studied and created by the team of architects from Lombardini22, specialized in fair design and accessibility, and thanks to the consultancy of Village for all – V4A. The goal is to propose an immersive experience that highlights the critical issues of a less inclusive design and, at the same time, demonstrate how to intervene to improve accessibility and the well-being of all users.

“ The DI OGNUNO project was created to offer concrete and immersive experiences to restaurateurs, hoteliers, bartenders and operators of public establishments. The goal is to make people understand what inclusivity really means, not only by observing it, but also by living it: how it feels to move around with a wheelchair, or to manage the difficulties of those who are, for example, visually impaired. This year we focused on the breakfast room, a key area for every accommodation facility. We offer ideas and solutions to all operators to respond to a rapidly growing market need that represents an important business opportunity ” – comments Alessandra Albarelli, General Manager of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi .

“ The DI OGNUNO project is a true laboratory of ideas and solutions for the HoReCa sector ,” says architect Cristian Catania, Reinventing Fair project director and Design for all consultant at Lombardini22 . “ Its mission is to raise awareness among operators and professionals on how accessible design can improve the quality of hospitality, while generating social and economic value. An inclusive environment is not only an advantage for guests with specific needs, but represents an opportunity to improve everyone’s experience and expand the pool of potential customers, also generating an economic return. This path,” concludes Catania , “also aims to open a discussion on accessibility as an element of innovation for the creation of spaces that are truly FOR EVERYONE .”

“You don’t go on holiday because you respect the rules – underlines Roberto Vitali CEO and co-founder of Village for all – V4A , but because you feel welcomed and listened to. Accessible hospitality is not a regulatory obligation, but a strategic lever for the future of the sector: it means offering a welcome that is attentive to everyone’s needs, improving the customer experience and generating new market opportunities. Accessible Hospitality is that which knows how to transform accessibility into economic and social value, innovation and sustainable growth for businesses.”

EVERYONE’S experience: living comfort and discomfort

“We are too used to discomfort, we must get used to comfort”: this is the assumption from which the concept of this edition arose. The installation is divided into two areas : one dedicated to discomfort , designed to underline how discomfort is often part of our daily life, and one to comfort, which represents a place designed with awareness to create well-being for the guest. Its shape recalls a footprint, a tangible representation of the concept of universality and diversity.

In each of the two areas, visitors will be able to experience the two experiences first-hand, thanks to the collaboration with ASTRID – the Trentino Association for Inclusion and Disability OdV, which accompanies visitors in the immersive experience by illustrating the specifics of the project.

External area: discomfort. In the open area of the experiential zone the visitor finds himself in a breakfast room that presents exacerbated criticalities.

You are immediately faced with a series of architectural obstacles : a high-pile carpet that hinders your movements, the legs of the breakfast table, square and angular, are cumbersome and multiple, preventing you from sitting comfortably and the space around the seats is narrow. The buffet area is also deliberately inaccessible: the top is too high, the labels that accompany the dishes do not specify the list of ingredients, the risers are high and placed too far from the edge, the containers are too similar to each other making it difficult to recognize the food and the cutlery is difficult to grip.

The furnishings have colors that do not contrast well with the floor, making it difficult to recognize the seats. The disturbing factors also extend to the environmental quality : the spotlights are very bright and made dazzling by the presence of a mirror sphere. Thanks to a sound shower , the acoustic disturbance of the chatter in a crowded restaurant is reproduced and communication is unclear. At the center of the table, an olfactory vial reproduces the smells of different foods mixed together. Olfactory design is a fundamental element to ensure comfort in a space dedicated to food, to prevent the smells of the dishes from overlapping. Even at the communication level, the non-inclusive design is exacerbated in the discomfort area: white writing on mirrored walls makes reading very difficult.

Internal area: comfort. In the room dedicated to inclusive design, all those attentions that make the spaces welcoming for everyone are applied.

The furnishings are accessible and comfortable : the table is round to facilitate communication between diners and lip-reading, and is supported by a single support , making it easier to insert the legs under the top. The seats are ergonomic and different from each other to make them recognizable. There is enough space around the table to move easily around the seats and the lighting is soft and subdued. The walls of the room are covered with reconfigurable sound-absorbing panels to create intimate and shielded areas that isolate from external noises and facilitate understanding the conversation. The wall panels are clear and easy to read, thanks to the contrast between the colors, the appropriate size of the text and the use of pictograms. In this area we also find a buffet table, but this time the user can use it in an accessible way. The table is at a comfortable height, the ingredients of all the foods are specified, the containers for the dishes are easily distinguishable from each other also thanks to the use of different colors. The edge of the top is clear to place the plate, and the lids of the food warmers slide, so as not to tie up the hands. Here too we find olfactory vials that reproduce the aromas of different foods (coffee, vanilla and cinnamon), but this time the smells are easily recognizable and not unpleasant.

Accessibility beyond physical barriers

The DI OGNUNO project does not limit itself to highlighting architectural issues, but also delves into sensory and food accessibility .

Olfactory design is a fundamental part of the experience, for example through olfactory stimulation elements it is possible to show how a well-designed environment can improve the well-being of guests. As already demonstrated, acoustic design also plays a fundamental role in ensuring comfort. Avoiding materials that reflect sound and covering the walls with sound-absorbing materials capable of capturing sound energy and reducing reverberation can guarantee a pleasant experience for everyone.

Food inclusivity is also a key aspect, with a choice of dishes to suit all dietary, religious and cultural needs of users.

Visitors to the stand are given a special menu , a collection of practical advice for hospitality that is more attentive to the needs of each guest. This gift is intended to be a tool for raising awareness among professionals in the hospitality sector, so that they can orient themselves in responding to the different needs of guests at the facilities.

New markets and an increasingly busy global agenda for the company that is a symbol of heroic viticulture in Valdobbiadene DOCG.

Andreola, a well-known company in the heart of the Valdobbiadene DOCG denomination now led by Stefano Pola, closes 2024 with a new production milestone, thus consolidating its international vocation: by approaching one million bottles, the winery confirms the growing demand for its Valdobbiadene DOCG on foreign markets.

With 60 hectares dedicated to DOCG out of a total of 110, Andreola concentrates its production exclusively in this denomination, which since 2009 represents the highest level of quality for wine produced mainly with Glera grapes and has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“Heroic” wines, the result of a deep bond with the territory and of artisanal and manual work, which combine tradition, modernity and a strong international scope. A vocation that translates into the constant presence of its wines on the menus of prestigious restaurants around the world and in an export that today represents 35% of production.

Alongside consolidated markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Belgium , Andreola is strengthening its presence in Asia , with recent entries in Malaysia and Indonesia and new horizons in Mexico and Thailand . Export is not just a commercial objective, but the heart of a strategy that aims to strengthen Andreola’s role as an ambassador of Valdobbiadene DOCG in the world .

“In recent years,” comments Stefano Pola, “ Valdobbiadene DOCG Andreola, in all its variations, has been able to become an ambassador for itself in the world, conquering markets that are increasingly attentive to the quality and identity of our territory.”

The company’s presence at the main international trade fairs in the sector is a testament to this commitment: in February it will participate in Wine Paris (12-14 February), while in May it will be at Vinexpo Asia in Singapore (27-29 May), in addition to the appointments with Vinitaly (6-9 April) and the Merano WineFestival (8-11 November).

At the same time, the company is investing in intense development activities in key markets . “Energy and strategic vision are essential to take Valdobbiadene DOCG Andreola ever further. After a recent trip to Athens, in February we will be in the United States with stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Seattle and Chicago, while in March we will continue with China and Thailand. Between April and May we will focus on Holland and Belgium, with the aim of consolidating existing relationships and opening new distribution opportunities.” – says Magnus Saccone , Export Manager of Andreola.

With an increasingly global vision and an identity deeply rooted in the territory, Andreola continues to write its history in the panorama of great Italian bubbles, bringing the authentic essence of Valdobbiadene DOCG to glasses all over the world.