There is a village in the Cimini Hills that, for six days over the mid-August holiday, throws open the doors of its cellars and turns into an open-air party. It is Vignanello, and its Wine Festival (Festa del Vino) is one of the oldest food-and-wine traditions in the Tuscia: in 2026 it reaches its 55th edition, from 10 to 15 August.

A 55-year tradition, brought back to life by the young

The Wine Festival began more than half a century ago around what Vignanello has always done best: wine. This year the event returns in a renewed edition, run by a new group of young people from the village who have taken up the baton. The star remains the same — the wine, symbol of the farming history of a hill town set between Soriano nel Cimino and Lake Vico.

What happens at the Wine Festival

The heart of the festival is the historic cellars in the old centre, carved into the tufa beneath the houses: they open to the public and pour the wines of the area, close to twenty labels. But it is not only glasses: for six evenings the village fills with flag-throwers and musicians, street artists, food stands, folk games, concerts and DJ sets. It begins on 10 August with the opening parade and builds to the grand finale on the evening of 15 August.

While you are in Vignanello: Castello Ruspoli

Vignanello is not only wine. Above the village rises Castello Ruspoli, with one of the best-preserved Italian formal gardens in Europe: an embroidery of box hedges laid out in the early 1600s by Ottavia Orsini. The castle is still lived in by the family and the garden opens on selected days — check before you set off. A stroll among the hedges before heading down to the festival is the right way to spend the day.

In brief — Wine Festival 2026

  • When: 10 to 15 August 2026 (55th edition), grand finale on the evening of the 15th.
  • Where: old centre of Vignanello (VT), in the Cimini Hills — the cellars are in the heart of the village.
  • What: tastings in the historic cellars, flag-throwers and musicians, opening parade, food stands, concerts and DJ sets every evening.
  • Programme: the day-by-day schedule is published close to the event on the festival's official channels — the dates are confirmed, the times are not yet.
  • Distance: about 35 minutes by car from Villa Vacanze Valentina.

A Tuscia mid-August holiday

The Wine Festival is just the start of a full Ferragosto week: in the same days the Tuscia is a run of food fairs and village feasts, from fireworks over the lake to long tables in the square. We have gathered them all in our guide to what to do in the Tuscia at Ferragosto. And if you are after somewhere cool, Lake Bolsena is close at hand.

Where to stay for the Wine Festival

Villa Vacanze Valentina is in Bassano in Teverina, about half an hour from Vignanello: you go to the festival in the evening and come back to sleep in the quiet of the countryside, with the pool ready for the next day. Discover the holiday home with pool or write to us on WhatsApp for August dates.