Enjoy an evening of world-renowned Carmignano wine underneath the falling stars of the Perseid meteorite shower, this August 8, 9 and 10, from 8 pm until midnight, at the Rocca di Carmignano, just 28 kilometers (17 miles) from Florence.
The Wine Nights, formerly called the ‘Calici di stelle’ or ‘Chalices of stars,’ are an opportunity to sample wine from one of the oldest and most illustrious wine regions in the world. Indeed, the area’s vinification history is more than full-bodied; the earliest written evidence of production dates to 804 A.D., in the time of the Frankish Dominion, while ancient wine vessels have even been discovered inside the region’s Etruscan tombs.
A collaboration between the Pro Loco tourist office, the municipality, and Carmignano’s foremost wine-makers and restaurateurs, the romantic evenings have been enjoyed by locals and foreigners since 1999.
This year is particularly special — admission is free — and the night celebrates the 50th anniversary of the recognition of DOC (Denomination of Origin) status for the region. You need only pay for individual tastings (which are all priced between 3 and 6 euros) and food, available from the individual wineries, chefs and restaurants sponsoring the evening. Over three evenings, a wide variety of food will be available, from ravioli and pizza to biscotti and doughnuts — all from local restaurants, and made using local produce.
Yet Carmignano wine as it is known today has a vast history of recognition, both officially and culturally, long before it received DOC status. In 1716 Grand Duke Cosimo de’ Medici issued a proclamation and edict that imposed tight formal constraints on how Carmignano was to be made. This remains one of the very first examples of an official appellation — 220 years before France issued its first Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée. And in his 17th century dithyramb Bacco in Toscana, Francesco Redi praises the Bacchanalian delights he finds in the wine:
If I take a vessel of brilliant Carmignano in hand
My chest so swells with joy,
That I feel no envy for the ambrosial nectar of Jove.
High praise, indeed. The wine, of course, speaks for itself — but nestled in the rolling Tuscan countryside, and underneath the glittering and steadfast streams of the cosmos, the experience is sure to be nothing short of hypnotic.
Getting there is straightforward. Parking can be found at the Piazza San Francesco e Michele, Piazza Matteotti, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, Via Bicchi, Via Redi, or in the Santa Caterina car parks. From there, simply walk or take the (free) shuttle, which runs to the Rocca and back until 1 am. (Will Fitzgerald)
