Canelli Città del Vino
A July weekend that turns the birthplace of Italian sparkling wine into an open-air cellar — tastings, masterclasses inside the UNESCO "Cattedrali Sotterranee", and music through the historic centre.
Why it's special
The masterclasses are held underground in Canelli's monumental tufa cellars, led by AIS sommeliers and hosted by the town's historic houses — a chance to taste Alta Langa, Canelli DOCG, Moscato d'Asti and Asti Spumante where they age, not in a marquee.
Programme · 2026
- The cellar masterclasses are limited and book up — reserve ahead.
- Come in the evening for the diffuse music programme through the centre, and taste the Moscato d'Asti lightly chilled.
Canelli calls itself the Città del Vino — the city of wine — and once a year it makes the case in the most fitting way possible: by opening its underground.
Beneath the town run the Cattedrali Sotterranee, kilometres of tufa cellars where sparkling wine has aged for over a century, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. During the festival the historic houses throw open their cellars and pour side by side, and AIS sommeliers lead tastings down among the vaults rather than in a tent on the square.
Expect the full range of the territory's denominations — Alta Langa metodo classico, the still-young Canelli DOCG, Moscato d'Asti and Asti Spumante — poured by names like Contratto, Coppo and Gancia. Evenings bring music through the centre, so the day slides easily from masterclass to aperitivo.
A relaxed, walkable way into serious wine, in the town where Italian sparkling wine began. See the current programme on the village page and the sources below for exact times and bookings.