Festival of Our Lady Spertusavotte and the First Wine

The Day the Barrel is Opened

In Roccanova, in the province of Potenza, there is a date that marks the farmer's calendar: December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. It is the day of Our Lady "Spertusavotte", an expression in the local dialect that literally means "barrel piercer": the moment when, according to tradition, the first hole is made in the barrel to taste the new wine.

A Centuries-Old Tradition

The act of opening the barrels, called "pertusavotte" in dialect, has for centuries marked the Roccanovese community's relationship with wine. On December 8th, the first racking takes place and the blessing of the cellars, the famous caves dug into the sandstone "tempe" beneath the town, where the wine matures at a constant temperature, is carried out. Sacred and profane intertwine: Marian devotion accompanies the festival of the new wine, in a ritual that tells the story of the village's rural soul.

Grottino di Roccanova DOC

The absolute protagonist is Grottino di Roccanova DOC, a Lucanian wine recognized as a protected designation of origin in 2009, the result of this very tradition of aging in caves. During the festival, the cellars open to visitors, and the historic center comes alive with tastings, local products, and conviviality, in a true winter spirit.

An Authentic Appointment

The Festival of Our Lady Spertusavotte is a deeply identity-driven event, far from the major tourist circuits and therefore even more genuine. For those visiting inland Basilicata in December, it is the perfect opportunity to discover a village with ancient roots, its wine cellars, and a tradition that unites faith, wine, and community.