What is WineTown? WineTown Firenze, a wine festival sponsored by the Italian Sommelier Association, occurs annually in piazzas all over Florence, Italy. So first of all it is a place where to taste very good wine. The festival has taken place every Summer since 2010 and offers a two-day celebration of delicious and high quality wines. Aside from tastings of local products from over 100 participating wineries, WineTown also features live musical entertainment, theater performances with free admission. Guided tastings, however, are for an additional fee paid through a WineCard.
What is Wine Card? The WineCard is a prepaid rechargeable card with which you can taste the wines of the prestigious cellars. It costs € 15.00 and is loaded with 5 points. Entitles the glass and a maximum of 5 wine tastings (each wine tipe „costs“ points). You can recharge the WineCard at a cost of € 10 for a value of 5 points many times. The WineCard is used in all locations for all tipes of wine. What will you choose first? Chianti? Brunello di Montalcino? Or maybe some white one like Vernaccia or Vermentino?
Where you can buy the WineCard?
- In cash, in all the palaces of the festival (€ 15.00).
- At Supermarket Conad (€ 13.00).
- Online, with payment by credit card. Will be issued a voucher, and the WineCard you can pick up at the Sala Ex Court St. Florence, Piazza San Firenze 1, during the festival.
Where? Wine Town Florence is hosted in a variety of historic buildings that were once home to noble Florentine families. As the festival is divided in 3 zones, let us give you some personal tips for each zone to don t miss some special place and moreover some special wine:
Zone A: Palazzo Pitti, Palazzo Capponi delle Rovinate. We suggest to start at Palazzo Pitti with Fattoria dei Barbi (Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino), then Montemaggio (Chianti Classico Riserva, tell to Ilaria you are friend of Dalia and Federico and we bet you will have an additional glass of wine) and don‘t miss Vignavecchia with its delicious Vinsanto. And while tasting wine and admiring Palazzo Pitti, what about a jazz session with Enrico Rava and his quintet?
Zone B: Palazzo Antinori, Palazzo Davanzati, Sala d’Arme di Palazzo Vecchio. Don‘t miss the opportunity to visit Palazzo Antinori and taste some products of this noble winemakers family. Try a bit of Nobile di Montepulciano or Achelo from La Braccesca and then move to palazzo Davanzati, for a glass of Il Borro and to see the surprising show „Living Carillon“.
Zone C: Biblioteca delle Oblate, Loggia del Grano, Palazzo Pazzi Quaratesi, Museo del Bargello. In this zone you can find wine from Tuscany and other italian regions, so visit Biblioteca delle Oblate and feel how the wine can be so different but so good aswell. Let‘s have some glass from Romagna (Ca‘ di Rico or Marta Valpiani), some from Liguria (Giovanna Maccario) and don‘t forget Puglia (Elena Fucci, with her Titolo).
Street Food: Piazza Pitti, Piazza della Loggia del Grano.
Other locations: Palagio di parte Guelfa, Aula ex tribunale San Firenze.
And if you ask us what will we do, well we will try all, and it will be a long funny day, because at lunch time the Mille Miglia historical race will pass through Florence.
When? 17-18 May, 2013. 3.00 pm – 23.00 pm
More about WineTown 2013 www.winetown.it
Photo credits www.winetown.it
