(WR) From a national assembly to two nights of wine under the stars. Todi is lining up three events to transform twenty wineries and five hundred hectares into a lever for international promotion. There’s a place in Todi called the Eagle’s Nest. The name tells the story of the city’s founding. From here, this summer, the Todi DOC is attempting to take flight. The journey has already begun. On June 27th and 28th, the city hosted the National Assembly of the Città del Vino Association for the first time. Administrators, producers, and journalists gathered. An audience from all over Italy for an occasion that doesn’t happen often in Todi. The occasion also saw the presentation of the 21st edition of the National Wine Tourism Observatory Report, edited by Nomisma Wine Monitor. The key fact: in Umbria, wine tourism accounts for up to 30% of regional tourism. Not a detail, but a direction.
Behind the event is a region that has learned its trade. Around twenty wineries, a hundred or so vineyards, and five hundred hectares of cultivated land. Nearly two million bottles a year, some of which are already exported. At the heart of it all is Grechetto di Todi. A native grape, already mentioned by Pliny the Elder in his Naturalis Historia. Two thousand years of history condensed into a glass: it’s hard to find a more solid calling card.
The second chapter is called “Le Notti del Vino,” a national format of Città del Vino. On Saturday, July 11, the DOC wineries will return to this very place, in the symbolic setting of the city foundation, to present their wines and experiences to Italian and international visitors. And not just any audience, in this case. The “Friends of Todi” community will be there: over 2,500 people from all over the world who have chosen this city as their home for part of the year. The program combines culture and tasting: Professor Manuel Vaquero Pineiro will discuss Greco Nero, an ancient native grape variety, while DOC wines will be paired with local agricultural products, accompanied by music.
The “Calici di Stelle” event, held on August 9th, in collaboration with the Movimento Turismo del Vino (Wine Tourism Movement), concludes the program. First, guided tours of the city’s monuments, followed by the Eagle’s Nest (Nido dell’Aquila), will offer an evening combining tastings, conviviality, and hospitality. Again, this event will be aimed at an international audience.
A common thread, not three isolated events
The itinerary is held together by the municipal administration’s vision, developed in collaboration with the DOC wineries and industry professionals. Claudio Ranchicchio, Deputy Mayor of Todi and national councilor for Città del Vino, explains: “Todi confirms its commitment to investing in wine tourism as a tool for regional development. Wine represents one of the most authentic elements of our identity and becomes the common thread of an offering that unites landscape, culture, history, quality production, and hospitality.” Networking, Ranchicchio continues, means building economic growth and visibility for the entire area. A heritage, he adds, that deserves greater attention at the national and international level. Three events, one goal: to bring Todi down from the Eagle’s Nest and put it on the map of important wine tourism.