Festival of Curious Flavors – Sapori DiVini
The food and wine festival of Casalecchio di Reno between handmade fresh pasta and signature wines
About Festival of Curious Flavors
A Festival of Taste on the Outskirts of Bologna
The Festival of Curious Flavors is the major food and wine festival of Casalecchio di Reno, a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Bologna in Emilia-Romagna, less than ten kilometers from the provincial capital. Created to promote local products and traditional Bolognese cuisine, it transforms Piazza del Popolo and the surrounding streets (Via XX Settembre and Via Pascoli) into a route of food stands, exhibition booths, and tastings each year. The event is organized by Pro Loco Casalecchio Insieme, which manages its program and coordination.
Fresh Pasta Takes Center Stage
The heart of the festival is handmade fresh pasta, a true specialty of the Emilian tradition. At the food stands, you can taste the first courses that have made Bolognese cuisine famous: passatelli (dry or in broth), tortellini, tagliatelle, strichetti, lasagne, and tortelloni. Passatelli, in particular, is the symbol of the event — a versatile shape that can be enjoyed in countless ways and gives its name to the edition 'A River of Passatelli'.
Sapori DiVini: Signature Wine
Alongside the gastronomy, the 'Sapori DiVini' section brings together about twenty wineries from all over Italy and beyond its borders: from the Colli Bolognesi to Piedmont, from Veneto to Sicily, from Friuli to Tuscany, to Umbria and neighboring Slovenia. Producers offer guided tastings and share the diversity of Italian wine regions. There is also a moment for in-depth discussion, with a conference dedicated to the world of winemakers hosted at the Casa della Conoscenza.
Music, Shows, and Families
The festival is not just about food and wine: the program includes live music, shows, entertainment, and activities for families that liven up the town center throughout the weekend. On Sunday morning, the streets also fill with the famous Mercato Forte dei Marmi, a traveling market with clothing and accessories. It's an opportunity to discover Casalecchio di Reno, a gateway town to the Bolognese hills and the Reno Valley.
Festival of Curious Flavors — edition 2026
The 14th edition of the Festival of Curious Flavors, themed 'Sapori DiVini' in 2026, brought about twenty Italian wineries and traditional Bolognese food stands to Casalecchio di Reno. Three days of wine tastings, handmade fresh pasta, music, and in-depth sessions on the world of winemakers.
Programme Festival of Curious Flavors 2026
Friday, June 5th
- 5:00 PM — Opening of exhibition stands
- 6:00 PM — Opening of food stands and wine producers' booths
- 6:30 PM — Official inauguration in Piazza del Popolo
- 7:00 PM — Conference 'Vignaioli, gente strana' (Winemakers, strange people) at the Casa della Conoscenza (with Alessio Atti and Stefano Rossi)
Saturday, June 6th
- 5:00 PM — Opening of exhibition stands
- 6:00 PM — Opening of food and wine stands
Sunday, June 7th
- 8:00 AM — Mercato Forte dei Marmi and opening of exhibition stands
- 11:00 AM — Opening of winery booths
- 6:00 PM — Opening of food stands
The 'Sapori DiVini' 2026 wineries (about twenty producers): including Tizzano (Casalecchio di Reno), Alessandro Zanardi (Sasso Marconi), Casadei (Predappio), Nero del Bufalo (Sant'Agata sul Santerno), Cantina del Colonna (Citerna), La Moscabianca (Nizza Monferrato), Castioni (Desenzano del Garda), Arzenton (Cividale del Friuli), Vina Guštin (Vipava Valley, Slovenia), and producers from Veneto, Sicily, Tuscany, Umbria, and Puglia.
Highlights Festival of Curious Flavors 2026
Prices Festival of Curious Flavors 2026
Practical information — Festival of Curious Flavors
How to Get There
Casalecchio di Reno is less than 10 km from Bologna. By car, it can be reached from Bologna's ring road (Casalecchio exit) or from the A1 motorway. By train, Casalecchio di Reno and Casalecchio Garibaldi stations are served by Bologna's suburban lines; alternatively, TPER buses run from the center of Bologna.
Hours and Admission
Free admission to the festival area in Piazza del Popolo and surrounding streets. Food stands and winery booths open in the late afternoon (from 5-6 PM) on Friday and Saturday; on Sunday, opening is earlier in the morning. Food and wine tastings are paid, according to the options offered by the stands.
Tips
Arrive early on Sunday to combine the Mercato Forte dei Marmi with a gastronomic break. Evenings can be cool: bring a light jacket.
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Where does it take place — Festival of Curious Flavors
Piazza del Popolo, Via XX Settembre e Via Pascoli
Piazza del Popolo, 40033 Casalecchio di Reno