Grape and Open Cellars Festival

The grape harvest festival on Isola del Giglio

The Grape and Open Cellars Festival is one of the most cherished and anticipated events on Isola del Giglio, located in the Tuscan archipelago in the Province of Grosseto. It takes place every year on the last weekend of September in the scenic medieval village of Giglio Castello, perched atop the island and enclosed by the ancient walls of the Rocca. The event, organized by the Pro Loco Isola del Giglio e Giannutri with the patronage of the Municipality, celebrates the end of the harvest and the wine culture that has accompanied the lives of the islanders for centuries.

Ansonaco, the absolute star

The true king of the festival is Ansonaco (or Ansonico), a robust, amber-colored white wine produced exclusively from the native grape variety grown on the island's characteristic terraces. To produce this wine, the people of Giglio have spent centuries carving land from the rock, building dry-stone walls that still define the island's landscape today. During the festival, the village's historic cellars—true "tasting caves" carved into the stone where wine was once made—reopen to the public to welcome visitors.

Through the village alleys

Throughout the event, the narrow streets of Giglio Castello come alive with scents, flavors, and music. Each of the open cellars offers a different dish from the Giglio and Maremma tradition, to be enjoyed with a glass of Ansonaco. Specialties include cavatelli gigliesi, poacher's soup, wild rabbit, salt cod with potatoes, grilled meats, Tuscan cheeses, and panficato, the island's traditional dessert. In Piazzetta Volta, local winemakers offer guided tastings of their wines.

Music and tradition until late

Evenings are filled with wandering music through the alleys, with groups performing local, popular, and folk repertoires, while Piazza Gloriosa hosts live concerts and DJ sets that keep the night alive. There is also the Giglio Quadriglia, the ancient collective dance that represents one of the strongest identity markers of the island community. The festival is the perfect opportunity to discover the most authentic soul of Giglio, away from the summer beaches, immersed in the conviviality of a village that jealously guards its traditions.

An experience in the Tuscan seaside

Reaching Giglio for the festival means treating yourself to a short off-season getaway, when the island empties of summer tourists and rediscovers its community spirit. Walking through the alleys of Giglio Castello at sunset, glass in hand, listening to music echoing off the stone houses, is a unique way to experience the Tuscan Maremma and the archipelago.