Cantine Aperte (Trentino Alto Adige)

Cantine Aperte (Trentino Alto Adige) is one of the wine festivals that anchors the Trentino-Alto Adige calendar, drawing both local visitors and international wine travellers each year. The festival is held at Multiple wineries across Trentino and Alto Adige, in the heart of the Trentino-Alto Adige wine area. It has been running since 1993, with a long unbroken local tradition behind it. Italy's biggest open-cellar event, organised by the Movimento Turismo del Vino. On the last Sunday of May each year, more than 20,000 wineries across Italy open their doors for tastings, vineyard tours and producer-led events. The Trentino Alto Adige chapter coordinates participating estates in the area, giving visitors a chance to meet winemakers and taste current and library vintages directly at the cellar. Cantine Aperte is the entry point of Italian wine tourism for many visitors, giving direct access to producers who are otherwise hard to visit without prior arrangement. Most participating wineries offer free or low-cost tastings, with optional paid masterclass sessions, vineyard walks and food pairings. The atmosphere is informal and the focus is on direct producer contact rather than large-scale events. Visitors typically plan a route covering 3-5 wineries across a single day, often combining cellar visits with stops at local restaurants or food producers in the same area. The event functions both as a commercial opportunity for the wineries and as a community celebration, drawing returning visitors year after year. The event is organised by Movimento Turismo del Vino, which sets the tone and direction of the programme each year. Trentino-Alto Adige is Italy's northernmost wine region, sitting against the Austrian border and producing fresh Alpine wines from a wide grape catalogue: Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Lagrein, Schiava, Teroldego and Pinot Nero. The Trento DOC and Alta Langa DOCG appellations produce traditional-method sparkling wines at high altitudes, with Ferrari, Cesarini Sgombero and Cavit among the largest names. The Merano WineFestival is the region's most internationally visible event. The 2026 edition is scheduled for 31 May 2026 (last Sunday of May). 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.movimentoturismovino.it/it/cantine-aperte. 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. Trentino-Alto Adige is reached via Verona, Innsbruck or directly to Bolzano via train. Wine tourism here combines naturally with Alpine activities: hiking in the Dolomites, the Lagorai range, vineyard walks along the Strada del Vino, and the spa town of Merano with its turn-of-the-century Kurhaus and Trauttmansdorff botanical gardens. South Tyrolean cuisine combines Italian and Alpine traditions with speck, knodel, schluttkrapfen, strudel and the local Apfelstrudel.