(ANSA) - Once again the Feast of Saint Lawrence, also known as the Night of the Shooting Stars, will be toasted with wine throughout Italy in the hope that wishes made on a falling star will come true.
Organised by the Wine Tourism Movement (MTV) and the union of wine-producing towns Citta del Vino, Calici di Stelle (Goblets of Stars) will bring thousands of people together on Wednesday night, August 10, to watch the falling stars while enjoying wines and traditional snacks in some of the most beautiful and suggestive spots in the peninsula.
These will included Medieval city squares and castles, vineyards and this year even beaches.
Another novelty this year will be that a number of vineyards opening their cellars for visits by the so-called winenauts from the Wine Tourist Club.
Aside from the wine and the food, participants can go to open air cinemas, attend concerts, enjoy folklore shows, poetry readings and visit sites of cultural-historic importance.
Special wines glasses will be offered with the Calici di Stelle logo to take home as a souvenir.
MTV began its wine appreciation activities in 1992 with its Open Cellars initiative which since then has been held every year on the last Sunday of May. Over 900 vineyards throughout Italy take part and welcome tourists and offer them wine and local food specialties. Open Cellars originally began in Tuscany but spread quickly to Italy's other wine-producing regions. According to MTV Chairman Francesco Lambertini, it has now become "a day of celebration for wine-lovers. It is an occasion in
which the best in wine production is placed in a framework of local traditions, history and culture."
Aside from Open cellars and Calici di Stelle, MTV also sponsors Benvenuta Vendemmia (Welcome Harvest) which takes place one Sunday in September and allows wine tourists and enthusiasts to get a first-hand view of what happens after the grapes are picked.
MTV's activities have given a major boost to wine tourism with an estimated four million wine tourists
generating revenue of more than two million euro in wine-producing regions. Revenue is expected to climb 10% this year with an 8% increase in the number of wine tourists.
According to Lambertini, "wine tourism represents an opportunity to promote our country's agroindustrial wealth and it is a strategic way to bolster local economies."
According to a study by the social research group CENSIS, wine and food have become the second most important reason why tourists come to Italy and is considered the element which gives the greatest satisfaction to visitors.
