Calici di Stelle (Marche) is one of the wine festivals that anchors the Marche calendar, drawing both local visitors and international wine travellers each year. The festival is held at Multiple participating villages and wineries across Marche, in the heart of the Marche wine area. It is an annual event with an established local audience and a consistent place in the regional calendar.
Italy's most romantic wine evening, held around the Night of San Lorenzo when the Perseid meteor shower peaks. Organised jointly by Movimento Turismo del Vino and Citta del Vino, the event runs across hundreds of villages, wineries and historic squares from northern Italy down to Sicily. In Marche, participating wineries and town councils organise open-air tastings combining the area's wines with local food, live music and stargazing. Calici di Stelle takes its name from the Night of San Lorenzo on 10 August, when the Perseid meteor shower peaks over Italy. Wineries and town councils across the region run open-air tastings under the night sky, often combined with local food, live music and astronomy programmes. The atmosphere is relaxed and family-friendly, with wines typically poured in the form of guided tasting flights through the participating area. The event is organised jointly by Movimento Turismo del Vino and Citta del Vino, with each participating town or winery setting its own programme within the broader nationwide framework. Many editions include amateur astronomers giving talks during the evening, adding a cultural dimension to the wine tasting itself. The event is organised by Movimento Turismo del Vino + Citta del Vino, which sets the tone and direction of the programme each year.
Marche is best known for Verdicchio, made in two distinct DOCs: Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (the larger, near the Adriatic coast) and Verdicchio di Matelica (smaller, inland, with a different style). Both have Riserva DOCGs above. The region also produces the powerful Conero DOCG and Rosso Piceno reds from Montepulciano and Sangiovese, alongside sparkling Verdicchio. Marche wines offer strong value compared with neighbouring Tuscany and Umbria.
The 2026 edition is scheduled for Around 10 August 2026 (Night of San Lorenzo). Festival access is ticketed: Paid (tasting pass, ~€10-25). Full programme, ticketing and updated information are published on the official site at https://www.movimentoturismovino.it/it/calici-di-stelle. 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.
Marche is reached via Ancona airport or by train along the Adriatic coast from Bologna or Pescara. The Castelli di Jesi area sits in the hills above Ancona, with Cupramontana and Jesi as practical bases for Verdicchio-focused visits. Marche cuisine pairs the wines with vincisgrassi (the local lasagne), olive ascolane (deep-fried stuffed olives from Ascoli Piceno), brodetto (Adriatic fish stew) and the local pecorinos. The region offers a quieter wine tourism experience than Tuscany or Umbria.
