Panicale Festa dell' Uva - Grape Festival

The 41st Panicale Festa dell' Uva ( Grape Festival ) began yesterday, with a somewhat different format. Gone is the wonderful parade that happened twice in three days, once at night, and where wine was dispensed from a hose on the floats. The cheese rolling also seems to be missing from the programme but there is lots to do; lots of food, lots of music and the wine cantinas, the ' Giro delle Cantine.' 

Once you have purchased your glass holder and glass, map and tickets, you are set for three days of visiting the pop up cantinas that are all within the walls of the village. Each cantina has a local winery and a local producer of typically local food. We decided to do five visits tonight and to save five for tomorrow night.

It was reasonably quiet when we started so we were able to talk to all the wine makers in our Italian and their English about the local wines and wine in Australia.

The wines included grechetto, sagrantino, sangovese, cabernet sauvignon, gamay and merlot. The food included salami, coppa & prosciutto, local Trasimeno beans, olive oil, lake fish pâté, pasta sauces and cheese with a pumpkin relish. All were presented with local bread. A very entertaining night for us.

Outside the village walls there was a big communal meal open to all and this was followed by two live bands.