Italy wines in tasting festival

Wine lovers descended on central Italy last Thursday for a series of open-air tasting sessions in the tiny town of Spoleto in the Umbria region during the Wines of the World festival.

“The wine market is the second reason to visit our country. A lot of tourists come to Italy precisely because of our wines, our excellent foodstuffs and our wine-growing culture,” said Italy’s farming minister Saverio Romano.

The festival, which runs until today, kicked off with a tasting session featuring two of Italy’s most prestigious and beloved wines: Barolo, produced in the Piedmont region, and the Tuscan Brunello di Montalcino.

“The real energy driving Italy, along with fashion and design, is tourism – and wine-tasting in particular,” said Alessandro Casali, the festival’s head.

Visitors to the ancient hilltop town spent the weekend trying various types of sparkling, sweet, red and white wine from all over the country.