Sagra dell'Uva di Marino

Sagra dell'Uva di Marino is one of the wine festivals that anchors the Lazio calendar, drawing both local visitors and international wine travellers each year. It is held at Centro storico in Marino, in the heart of one of Italy's most distinctive wine areas. It has been running since 1925, with a long unbroken local tradition behind it. One of Italy's oldest grape festivals, held in the Castelli Romani town of Marino since 1925. The day is famous for the 'Miracolo del Vino' — when the town fountain in Piazza Matteotti is made to flow with wine instead of water for several hours. Producers along the Strada del Vino dei Castelli Romani pour Frascati and Marino DOC wines, with parades, historical re-enactments and traditional Roman cooking through the town's medieval streets. Italian grape and harvest festivals — sagre and feste dell'uva — are some of the country's longest-running celebrations, with many running uninterrupted for a century or more. Programmes typically combine grape-stomping demonstrations, traditional music, parades of allegorical floats, food stalls offering regional specialities, and tastings of the area's wines. The events have strong local character and are often as much community celebrations as wine programmes, with town councils, parish committees and local producer associations sharing the organisational load. Many festivals incorporate religious elements — blessings of the harvest, processions to the parish church — that connect the wine calendar to the liturgical year. The event is organised by Comune di Marino, which sets the tone and direction of the programme each year. Lazio surrounds Rome and includes both well-known appellations such as Frascati (the light white traditionally served in Rome) and emerging quality reds from Cesanese del Piglio DOCG. The Castelli Romani volcanic hills south of the capital are the heart of the region's white wine production, while the volcanic soils of the Tuscia area in the north and the Cori area further south support varied production. Lazio wines are closely tied to Roman cuisine. The 2026 edition is scheduled for First Sunday of October 2026. Entry is free, with optional paid tasting passes or guided sessions available on site. Full programme, ticketing and updated information are published on the official site at https://www.comune.marino.rm.it/. Visitors are advised to check directly with the organiser for the latest schedule, as Italian festival programmes are sometimes updated close to the event date. Lazio is anchored by Rome — reached via Fiumicino and Ciampino airports and the high-speed rail hub at Termini. Wine tourism combines naturally with Roman cultural tourism: the Colosseum, the Vatican, the Roman Forum, the Borghese Gallery. Day trips can take in the Castelli Romani volcanic hills (Frascati, Marino, Castel Gandolfo with the papal summer residence), the Etruscan archaeology at Cerveteri and Tarquinia, and the gardens of Tivoli. Roman cuisine pairs the wines with cacio e pepe, carbonara, saltimbocca, supplì and gricia.