|  The
Movimento Turismo del Vino (MTV) , or Wine Tourism Movement, is
a national association of more than eight hundred Italian wine producers.
Organised in regional delegations, MTV has the aim of spreading
the culture and awareness of wine, a fundamental part of our civilisation,
and of promoting the territory through wine tourism.
Since its formation in 1993, the Movimento Turismo del Vino has
become a major economic and cultural force, taking a leading role
in the effort to encourage the responsible consumption of wine,
to develop economic and employment prospects in wine-producing areas,
and to present packages and itineraries to wine tourists.
The association’s founder (and president from its foundation
until 2000) is Donatella Cinelli Colombini. Currently,
the president is Francesco Lambertini.
The best-known of MTV’s many initiatives are Cantine Aperte-Wineday
and Calici di Stelle.
Cantine Aperte
Cantine Aperte, or Open Cellars, the association’s now-traditional
appointment on the last Sunday in May, is a unique event. Movimento
Turismo del Vino-associated wineries open their doors to their wine
tourist friends. There is no better opportunity to combine a cellar
visit with a trip into the countryside in search of wine, culture,
nature and good food.
For Cantine Aperte, more than 1 million wine lovers raise their
glasses in a huge collective toast. The event enables participants
to rediscover the fascination of premium wines and the territories
they come from, to taste some exceptional products and to let themselves
fall under the spell of the cellars themselves. It’s also
an opportunity to find out some of the secrets of the vineyard and
listen to the people who tend them, as well as explore the world
of art and enjoy themed food events and dinners.
In short, Cantine Aperte is a sort of pilgrimage along Italy’s
Wine Roads to the shrines of the grape. But it is also a moment
for some of the world’s best wine producers to join in promoting
the culture of wine and recovering the values of the rural life.
Calici di stelle
Every year, the evening of 10 August, the feast of Saint Laurence,
sees the celebration the territory-based Calici di Stelle (Starry
Glasses) event. Very popular with young people, Calici di Stelle
brings together wine and music.
MTV’s member wineries, in conjunction with the Città
del Vino association, bring their wines into the piazzas of Italy’s
towns and villages, transforming them into the setting for a magical
evening in convivial company.
Benvenuta Vendemmia
The Movimento Turismo del Vino’s is keen to revive and the
festival atmosphere in the countryside at harvest time. That is
why we have dedicated one Sunday in the month of September, traditionally
the period of the vintage, to Benvenuta Vendemmia (Welcome, Vintage)
at a crucial, and highly emblematic, moment in the winemaking year.
Fully in harmony with the rhythms of the winemaking cycle, Benvenuta
Vendemmia is an ideal moment for producers to open their doors to
visitors and involve them directly, with strolls through the vineyards,
cellar visits and tastings of typical products matched with bottles
from the winery.
For further information on the Movimento Turismo del Vino,
click
www.movimentoturismovino.it
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