Castellina in Chianti Pentecostal Wine Festival

Castellina is 15 minutes by car from Villa Ardore and smack in the middle of one of the world's top wine areas, Chianti Classico, so it's hardly surprising that there is the occasional wine-fest. One of the best is the Pentecostal Wine Fair, held (not surprisingly) over the Pentecost weekend. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings during the festival, you can go along, buy a glass (usually around €10) and move from stand to stand in the vaulted gallery under the old town walls. There are usually around 50-100 exhibitors, each with between 3 and 10 wines, so its not likely you can try them all. But you can have a great deal of fun trying, and then ask the growers of the wines you really like you like to ship you a case. Some of these vineyards only produce a few 1000 bottles a year, so you can find some spectacular wines you would never have a chance of discovering otherwise.  If you are staying at Villa Ardore during this event, be sure to ask your travel curator about this event.  Tickets are available for those in the know to attend la cena sotto le volte to kick off this event with a spectacular dinner of local Tuscan fair and some of the area’s best wines flowing continuously.