The ‘two days’ most awaited by wine lovers is coming. We are talking about “Cantine Aperte”, of course, which on Saturday and Sunday in the Marche region alone will see 74 companies welcoming thousands of ‘enonauts’. As many as 37, half of them, are from the province of Ancona, which can boast two excellences such as Verdicchio and Rosso Conero. The second has its kingdom between Ancona and Camerano (but Numana and Castelfidardo are also involved), but the lion’s share, at least on a numerical level, is firmly in the hands of Vallesina, with the many companies of Cupramontana, Castelplanio, Rosora, Staffolo , San Paolo di Jesi, Montecarotto, San Marcello and Jesi which produce the ‘white nectar’.
There are six wineries in Morro d’Alba, with its Lacrima, but the northern area of the province is also decidedly well represented, i.e. the Senigallian area and places such as Serra De’ Conti, Barbara, Ostra Vetere, Castelleone di Suasa and Corinaldo. The other half of the participating Marche wineries is divided between the north, where Bianchello del Metauro stands out, and the south where the choice is very varied, between Rosso Piceno Superiore, Falerio, Vernaccia di Serrapetrona, Passerina and Pecorino, to name the most known. In theory, with just 12 euros you could taste three glasses of each of the 74 participating companies. Which is practically impossible, as well as inadvisable.
It’s just to give an idea of the opportunity that those interested have thanks to the initiative of the Marche Wine Tourism Movement, chaired by Serenella Moroder. On the other hand, the spirit that animates the event is decidedly focused on quality, and on ‘conscious’ consumption, rather than quantity. The slogan is ‘See what you drink’. But it could also be ‘Listen to what you drink’. Moroder recalls that “we are the second region in Italy for the number of participating wineries. Ours is a production of excellence. The world of Marche wine, in fact, has grown a lot. Once upon a time we ran away from the countryside. Today there are young people who open new companies, taking up a challenge”.
In fact, there are those who start from scratch, like Tenuta Grimaldi in Matelica, and those who take the baton from their grandparents, like Vini Simonetti in Staffolo. Then there are names that have already been established for some time, such as Montecappone di Jesi: “We want to make people understand the quality of our wines, explaining how they are produced” says Gianluca Mirizzi. Caterina Garofoli speaks of “an opportunity to raise awareness of the wines, but also of all the people behind their production. It is important to tell who they are. People make the difference”.
But who participates in the initiative? “There are many young people – replies Moroder -, even if more families come on Saturdays. It is important to make children understand how a wine is made too. By educating them in this sense they will then become more aware consumers”. For Moroder “the heart of the event is the empathetic, friendly relationship that is created between winemaker and wine tourist”.
It goes without saying that ‘Open Cellars’ also gives you the opportunity to discover a cultural and landscape heritage of great beauty and historical importance. For updated information you can also consult the website www.movimentoturismovino.it and the social pages (or websites) of the various participating companies.
Raimondo Montesi
