Falanghina al Borgo

A Sannio village sharing its Falanghina story

Falanghina al Borgo is the food and wine festival of Bonea, a town of just over two thousand residents in the province of Benevento, in the heart of inland Campania. This is no manufactured wine fair; it is the celebration through which a Valle Caudina village showcases the product that has shaped its economy and landscape: Falanghina. As the most widespread white grape variety in Sannio, it is cultivated on the slopes of Mount Taburno and celebrated under the Falanghina del Sannio and Taburno DOC designations. Local records identify Bonea as a premier production area for this grape, and the festival was born from that very vocation.

Behind the event is the Falanghina al Borgo Association, led by Alfonso Pecchillo, operating under the patronage of the municipal administration headed by Mayor Giampietro Roviezzo. Volunteers, association members, and local wineries all contribute to the effort over the three evenings.

Three nights in the historic alleys

The format is that of a "scattered village": rather than a single stage, the streets and alleys of the historic center host tasting stations distributed along the route. Visitors walk, pause, sample local products, and drink Falanghina from area producers, while performances come to life in the small squares. It is a way to explore the village, not just to eat and drink.

Highlights from recent editions include the Falanghina granita, toasts with the sparkling wine version of the same grape, and dance music that continues late into the night.

The wineries of Taburno take center stage

The heart of the festival lies with local producers. The 2025 edition featured:

• Masseria Frattasi
• Azienda Votino
• Bona Dea
• Antico Ceppo
• Pierpingi
• Vini Vierno

These businesses are deeply rooted in the Taburno area, where Falanghina moves from vine to bottle without ever leaving the village. For visitors from outside the region, it is the most direct way to compare different interpretations of the same grape variety.

Folk music, street performers, and fireworks

The entertainment draws from the repertoire of Campanian tradition and street art. In 2025, folk music groups such as Sfessania, Duo Tiritera, Popolo Vascio, and Kanaischi performed, alongside singer-songwriter Luigi Ruopolo and one-man band Michele Roscica. Street performances included the Fire Show Azahar and Sir Cò, with moments of stand-up comedy. The event concluded with a fireworks display by Piromagia of Pannarano, following a tradition that has long marked the end of festivals in the Sannio region.

Beyond wine: exhibitions, crafts, and local memory

Alongside the tastings, the festival has hosted art exhibitions, displays of vintage agricultural and artisanal tools, historical photographs, and insights into local heritage—including the Fizzo Springs and the Vanvitellian aqueduct that once supplied the Royal Palace of Caserta. The 16th-century Church of San Sebastiano has been used as a venue for conferences and exhibitions, featuring technical meetings on viticulture involving the Sannio Protection Consortium and university professors.

Bonea, the Valle Caudina, and Mount Taburno

Bonea sits in the center of the Valle Caudina, at the base of Mount Taburno. An autonomous municipality only since the late 19th century—previously a hamlet of Montesarchio—it preserves the churches of San Sebastiano, San Pietro, San Nicola, and San Biagio, as well as tuff sepulchers from the Samnite era. Beyond wine, local gastronomy offers taralli, casatiello, and olive oil. Those visiting in August can combine the festival with a hike in the Taburno Camposauro Regional Park.

Why visit

• An event on a village scale, without the crowds of a major festival: you can talk directly to the producers, not just stand attendants.
• The chance to taste multiple interpretations of the same Falanghina in its place of origin.
• Live Campanian folk music and street performers in a traffic-free historic center.
• A remarkable landscape, nestled between vineyards and mountains, less than an hour from Benevento, Caserta, and Avellino.