Castello DiVino - Wine Festival

Italian wine in the shadow of Castello Orsini

Castello DiVino is the food and wine event that every year transforms the village of Nerola, in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, into a large open-air tasting counter. The setting is Castello Orsini, a medieval fortress overlooking the Farfa Valley and one of the most recognizable symbols of the Roman Sabina. The tasting trail winds through the moat and gardens of the manor, a backdrop that alone justifies the journey of just over half an hour from Rome.

A tour of Italy in twenty regions

The formula chosen by the organizers is that of a journey: the selection of labels is not limited to Lazio but covers all twenty Italian regions, with a special focus on sparkling wines and high-quality productions. The public is not left to their own devices: the entire route is guided by expert sommeliers, who accompany visitors glass after glass, explaining grape varieties, territories, and pairings. It is a choice that makes the event suitable for both seasoned wine lovers and those approaching the world of wine for the first time who are looking for someone to tell them what they are drinking.

The cuisine of the Pro Loco

Alongside the tasting counters, the gastronomic area managed by the Pro Loco Nerola offers local specialties. Saturday evening is dedicated to fried food and grilled dishes: fried montanare topped with tomato and basil, battered zucchini flowers, supplì, olive ascolane, fried cod, boards of local cured meats and cheeses, and grilled meat. On Sunday for lunch, the stars are the cellei nerolesi, the long, handmade pasta typical of the village, served with fresh tomato sauce, followed by grilled meat, bruschetta with extra virgin olive oil from the hills of Nerola, and traditional desserts accompanied by sweet sparkling wines.

Nerola and the Roman Sabina

Nerola has just over fifteen hundred inhabitants and is located along the ancient Via Salaria, roughly halfway between Rome and Rieti. The village grew around the castle that the Orsini barons had built in the Middle Ages and which still marks its skyline today: the walls, towers, and uphill alleys of the old town form the natural scenery of the event. All around lies the Sabina, a land of ancient olive groves and one of the most awarded extra virgin olive oils in central Italy, as well as small wineries that in recent years have brought attention back to the viticulture of this corner of the Roman province.

Why it is worth attending

• Exceptional location: you taste inside the moat and gardens of a medieval castle, not in a trade fair pavilion.
• Truly guided tastings: sommeliers present along the entire route, not just self-service counters.
• National selection: labels from all twenty Italian regions, from sparkling wines to great reds.
• Authentic local cuisine: dishes prepared by Pro Loco volunteers, using local products.
• Proximity to Rome: about forty kilometres from the capital, ideal for a weekend getaway.

A young but already established event

The first edition of Castello DiVino took place in the autumn of 2023; from the following year, the event moved permanently to June, when mild evenings allow you to enjoy the village until late at night. In just a few years, the festival has become one of the most popular food and wine events in the summer calendar of the northern province of Rome, capable of attracting visitors from Rieti, the Sabina, and the Roman metropolitan area.