Well-known sagre also include mildly Bacchanalian events celebrating the grape – especially in regions known for their D.O.C wines. Some of the most well-known include the Primavera del Prosecco across the regions of Veneto and Campania in spring and the Festa del vino a Montefiascone (Viterbo) in August, where visitors can visit local wine cellars and enjoy a parade to celebrate the creation of the most famous local wine Moscatello by a local abbott.
But if you want a more low-key experience, then it’s worth seeking out smaller, less well-known ones. You won’t often find these food festivals advertised on the internet – these are homegrown celebrations that have sprung up organically over the years, and information travels by word of mouth.
For the lucky visitor who knows where to go, though – or stumbles across an unexpected sagre, they are a real treat. Smaller sagre may only run for a day, but they will generally be merry and relaxed affairs, sometimes with street entertainment or music, but always with plenty of food on show, being prepared and of course eaten (special menus in local trattoria are popular at these kinds of events, and you’ll generally pay around 10-15 euros for a taste sensation worth boasting about – this will be your dine-out story for years to come).
Whether it’s gnocchi in Caserta, apricots in Sant’anastasia (Naples), ham and figs in Castel San Girogio (Salemo), porcini mushrooms in Avellino or mozzarella at the Fiordilatte Fiordifesta in Agerola (Campania) there is an endless bounty of delicious food throughout Italy and no shortage of energy to enjoy it. When in Rome…or indeed any other part of Italy – it’s really best to do as the locals do and just join in…
About The Author: Norman Peires is a South African by birth and a global traveller by nature. The former owner of a luxury travel company, he now lives in the UK and France and spends his time exploring new destinations and revisiting old favourites, blogging about them as he travels. A keen surfer and skiier, he is always interested in finding the next mountain or wave to scale. You can read more of his work at www.normanpeires.com, or tweet him at @NormanPeires….