Critical Wine – Terra e Libertà

A wine fair that is also a vision of the world

Critical Wine – Terra e Libertà is much more than a simple wine fair. Every spring, the event transforms the historic center of Bussoleno, in the province of Turin, in the heart of the Susa Valley, into a large open-air laboratory dedicated to natural wine, peasant agriculture, and the defense of the territory. The event takes its name from the famous motto «Terra e libertà» (Earth and Liberty) by the gastronome and wine critic Luigi Veronelli, creator of the Critical Wine concept as a practice of critical and conscious consumption.

Independent winemakers from all over Italy

The heart of the event is the tasting tables of natural wine producers: independent winemakers from all over Italy, joined by some French guests, who offer white and red wines produced without synthetic chemicals, respecting the rhythms of nature. Alongside the wines, there is a rich market of peasant self-productions and local street food stands, for an experience that weaves together taste, knowledge, and sociality.

Debates, workshops, and the culture of the land

The program is not limited to tastings. During the fair, there are debates on sustainable agriculture, peasant viticulture, wine logistics, and social and environmental issues dear to the Susa Valley territory. These are accompanied by workshops of various kinds: from bread-making with a mobile oven to fermentation, from screen printing to creating seed bombs, as well as origami and bookbinding workshops designed for children. There is also space for book presentations and documentary screenings.

Music, theater, and Occitan dances

In the evening, the party lights up with live music: Afro-rock concerts, DJ sets, theatrical performances, and traditional Occitan dances, an expression of the Alpine and Occitan culture that characterizes the valleys of Western Piedmont. A popular and convivial atmosphere that makes Critical Wine a highly anticipated event for natural wine lovers and those looking for a different way to experience a festival.

An event rooted in the Susa Valley

Organized by the Susa Valley No TAV Movement together with the La Credenza Association and the Rete Contadina Valsusa, the event is deeply linked to the identity of the territory and the defense of mountain agriculture. Bussoleno, a municipality in the Susa Valley in Piedmont, becomes for a weekend the reference point for a community that makes wine, land, and freedom its shared values.