The Movimento Turismo del Vino Friuli Venezia Giulia offers winelovers many opportunities to meet and discover places of interest in the region, and the wineries, wines and traditions of the land.
The high point is Cantine Aperte, or Open Cellars, a nationwide event that offers winelovers the chance to visit the cellars of our member wineries, taste outstanding wines and rediscover the fascination of the territory while getting back in touch with nature.
Tied in with this major national event are two other significant, now thoroughly tried and tested, regional initiatives, the Trofeo Cantine Aperte golf tournament and the Spirito di Vino competition for young artists.
Another national event that enjoyed great success in the last edition is Calici di Stelle, or Starry Glasses, a wine tasting accompanied by music and art during the night of shooting stars, “Saint Laurence’s tears”.

Cantine aperte
In Friuli Venezia Giulia, as in the rest of Italy, on the last Sunday in May from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm the member wineries of the Movimento Turismo del Vino welcome winelovers and introduce them to the culture of wine and the territory.

Visitors have the opportunity to tour vineyards and explore cellars, and then taste wines, accompanied by the typical products of the region, Montasio cheese and San Daniele air-cured prosciutto.
There are many other initiatives timed to tie in with the Cantine Aperte festivities.

Exhibitions, displays and other events organised by individual wineries are flanked by the Movimento Turismo del Vino’s cycle fun run, Cantine Aperte Bike, which takes in the region’s most celebrated vineyards and is open to all mountain bike enthusiasts.

Last year, a new initiative was launched. The Movimento Turismo del Vino-Friuli Venezia Giulia started Cantine Aperte Non-Stop to enable winelovers and other enthusiasts to get to know an even greater range of wines and producers. Every Sunday in April, May and June, a number of cellars stay open for visits and tastings, while other wineries can be visited with advance booking.

Again this year, the Movimento Turismo del Vino-Friuli Venezia Giulia is collaborating with a charitable organisation.
For a contribution of € 6, visitors receive on entering each winery the attractive Cantine Aperte long-stemmed tasting glass, complete with a practical pocket for carrying it from one winery to the next. Revenue from sales of the glass will go to finance a major charitable project.

Trofeo Cantine Aperte Golf
The Cantine Aperte golf tournament, successfully launched in 2001 by the Friuli Venezia Giulia delegation of the Movimento Turismo del Vino, takes place on the region’s golf courses with the aim of promoting the territory. However, there are also visits abroad, to Austria, which has joined Friuli Venezia Giulia to create a vast area of leisure activities, sport and culture.

Wineries adhering to MTV will supply their wines for sommelier-guided tastings after each competition, accompanied by typical Friulian products such as Montasio cheese and San Daniele air-cured prosciutto.
But the producers will also be involved directly. At each competition, there will be visits with tastings to cellars in the area around the individual golf courses.

Calici di stelle
Calici di Stelle, or Starry Glasses, is organised on 10 August each year in the magical atmosphere of the night of Saint Laurence. In the delightful setting of the region’s most characteristic historic centres, dance, poetry and music in praise of Bacchus cheer visitors from Italy and abroad as they drink a toast with the finest wines from MTV member wineries, accompanied by the typical products of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Spirito di Vino
Spirito di Vino is a competition for young artists that aims to combine the worlds of wine and art.
Since its first edition, the event has enjoyed great success, in part thanks to the enthusiastic participation of celebrities well-known to the general public, such as the chairman of the jury, Giorgio Forattini and the leading cartoonists, Emilio Giannelli and Alfio Krancic.
The three winners receive a selection of Friuli’s finest wines and, with the other thirty finalists, are the Movement’s guests in Udine at Friuli DOC, the now traditional early autumn appointment with the best of the region’s food, wine and typical products.