Time to Get Your Wine Tasting On in Lecce: Barocco di Vino

Stefano Belfiore was kind enough to send this along. Lecce's streets will be taken over by 40 local wineries on August 10th, 2011, from 7pm to 2am. This type of event is one of the best ways to taste wine in Puglia because all of the wineries come together. Instead of setting up appointments and renting a car, you just pay 10 euros and stroll the beautiful baroque streets, imagining the great 16th and 17th centuries, when King Charles V and Bishop Aloysius Pappacoda provided funds and roused the minds of great local architects, such as Giusseppe Zimbalo and Cesare Penna.


I've been to tons of events like this in Lecce, and I imagine Barocco di Vino will be a lot like Calici di Stelle, which usually takes place in August. The event will consume the town; the streets will be paved with wine; the parties will go into the wee hours. Here's a video of last year's Calici di Stelle:



Since August is a very busy time in Lecce, I have a couple tips for getting the best out of your experience.

1) Show up exactly when the event begins and purchase your wine glass before the lines become insufferable.
2) Steer clear of the pizza in front of Santa Croce: it becomes a sea of people. Visit the wineries on the smaller streets, where the lines are almost non-existent.

Below is a photo of a worker cutting Lecce stone, aka pietra leccese. That's one big saw blade! Have fun and feel free to share your experiences here on By The Tun.