Canelli Città del Vino
For one July weekend, the birthplace of Italian sparkling wine becomes an open-air cellar — tastings, masterclasses down in the UNESCO 'Cattedrali Sotterranee', and music through the historic centre.
Why it's special
The masterclasses run underground, in Canelli's tufa cellars, led by AIS sommeliers and hosted by the town's historic houses. You 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 fill fast, so reserve ahead.
- Come back in the evening for the music through the centre, and drink the Moscato d'Asti lightly chilled.
Canelli calls itself the Città del Vino — the city of wine — and once a year it proves the point the only way that really fits: by opening up its underground.
Below the streets 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 their cellars open and pour side by side, and AIS sommeliers lead the tastings down among the vaults, not in a tent on the square.
You'll find 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.
It's a relaxed, walkable way into serious wine, in the town where Italian sparkling wine began. For the current programme see the village page, and the sources below for exact times and bookings.