Festa della vendemmia (Grape Harvest Festival)

The Festa della Vendemmia in Penna in Teverina is a cherished event that has celebrated peasant traditions and local winemaking culture for over forty years. During the festival, the streets and squares of the historic centre come alive, decorated in an autumn theme with barrels, vats, wicker baskets, vine branches, and bunches of grapes, recreating the evocative atmosphere of the harvest season. The culinary heart of the festival revolves around grapes, grape must, and local wine, showcased through tastings and the distinctive 'Serpentone enogastronomico', a food-and-wine trail winding through the alleys dedicated to sampling regional delicacies. Umbrian culinary heritage shines through traditional harvest-time pastries, notably maritozzi al mosto (sweet buns with must), pane al mosto (must bread), and traditional tisichelle, distinctive aniseed-flavoured ring biscuits. Live music, performances, craft markets, and cultural activities complete the food-and-wine route, offering a warm celebration of rural memory set against the picturesque backdrop of the Tiber Valley.