La Macenata

La Macenata: when wine is reborn in the piazza

La Macenata is the annual festival that, between late September and early October, brings life to Paternopoli, a village of just over two thousand residents in the province of Avellino, in the heart of Irpinia and Campania's wine region. The name comes from the local dialect: macenare means to crush grapes, and the act of stomping them with bare feet—a gesture that for centuries marked the start of the winemaking season in rural households—is the centerpiece of the entire event.

The ritual that gives the festival its name

The most anticipated moment repeats throughout each evening: grape clusters are poured into large vats and crushed by bare feet to the beat of music, in front of an audience surrounding the makeshift stages. This is no mere folkloric demonstration; it is a re-enactment of a collective act that once united families and neighbors at the end of the harvest, when hard work turned into celebration. The organizers also offer it as a participatory experience, allowing younger generations and visitors to discover how wine was made before mechanical presses.

The village squares as a sprawling stage

The festival has no single venue: it spreads through the alleys and squares of the historic center, along a route that visitors can explore freely. The key locations marking the evenings are the Frantoio Famiglietti, Piazza Rua delle Rose, Piazza XXIV Maggio, and Piazzetta San Vito. Each spot features alternating stands, stages, and ritual moments, making the walk between them part of the experience.

Aglianico, Taurasi, and Irpinian cuisine

Paternopoli is Aglianico territory: we are just steps away from the Taurasi DOCG area, and local wineries from the village and surrounding towns are the true stars of the stands. Alongside the tasting counters, food stalls serve traditional Irpinian peasant cuisine: grilled meats, cavatelli and fresh pasta, wood-fired bread, sfruttuliata, and rustic homemade desserts. On opening nights, the must-do appointment is AperitiVino, an aperitif featuring white wine tastings in Piazza Rua delle Rose.

Folk music, tarantella, and DJ sets

The soundtrack of La Macenata is rooted in Southern tradition: folk music groups, tammurriate, tarantella, bottari percussionists, and local Irpinian bands perform throughout the village, while in Piazza Rua delle Rose, the evening continues with DJ sets until late at night. The blend of traditional repertoire and contemporary dance has become the festival's signature, attracting a diverse crowd of families and young people alike.

Wine tours and vineyard dinners

Beyond the evening festivities, the association organizes Wine Tours—guided visits to Paternopoli's wineries departing from the center on Saturdays and Sundays—and a summer calendar of vineyard dinners hosted by local wine producers, available by reservation and with limited seating. These offer a unique chance to understand the bond between the vineyard landscape and the wine enjoyed in the piazza.

Who organizes it

The event is curated by the Associazione La Macenata, led by President Vittorio Balestra and Vice President Michela Petruzzo, in collaboration with the Municipality of Paternopoli. Its stated goal is to promote wine culture and the rural traditions of Upper Irpinia by involving local wineries; in recent editions, about twenty-five have participated.

Why it's worth the trip

• An authentic ritual, not a staged performance, still alive in the village's memory.
• Tastings of Aglianico and Taurasi directly with the producers.
• An entire village as a theater, to be explored on foot from one square to the next.
• Live folk music every night, with free entry to the squares.
• Two distinct weekends, for those who can't make it to the first.