Le Cantine di Ripi

A village that tells its story through its cellars

Le Cantine di Ripi is the autumn food and wine festival that best captures the identity of Ripi, a small town in the province of Frosinone, in the heart of the Ciociaria region. For two days, the historic center ceases to be just a collection of alleys and small squares and becomes a continuous journey of flavors: the ancient cellars carved beneath the houses—usually private spaces for storing wine and family preserves—open their doors to the public, returning to their roots as spaces for gathering and conviviality.

Over thirty cellars along a circular route

The heart of the event is the tasting route, organized as a loop with dedicated entrances to manage visitor flow. The open cellars, numbering over thirty in recent editions, each offer one or more traditional Ciociarian dishes, paired with new wine from the local hills. These are not temporary stalls, but real, authentic spaces managed by the residents and local districts, giving the visit a domestic, non-commercial atmosphere that is the true hallmark of the event.

Visitors purchase a tasting kit that includes the official festival glass and a glass-holder pouch, allowing them to move freely along the route and choose what to sample. This kit system, combined with the commitment to making the event plastic-free, is a key focus for the organizers in recent years.

The cuisine of Ciociaria

The culinary offerings draw from the local peasant repertoire. Common dishes found along the route include homemade pasta with meat sauces, legume soups, cured meats and cheeses from small local producers, bruschetta with fresh olive oil, and seasonal homemade desserts. It is autumn comfort food, designed to pair with young wine and to be enjoyed while standing, moving from cellar to cellar.

• New wine from the vineyards of the Ripi hills
• Typical dishes of the Ciociarian peasant tradition
• Zero-kilometer products from local farms
• Local handicrafts displayed along the village streets

Folk music and village atmosphere

Accompanying the tasting are musical stations distributed along the route—five in recent editions—and roaming folk groups that traverse the alleys playing the organetto, tambourine, and zampogna. The choice of folk music is not merely decorative: it is part of the cultural project of the organizing association, which has worked for years to recover the traditions of the Ripi districts and involve the town's youth in their preservation.

Who organizes it

The event is curated by the APS Contrade Ripane, a social promotion association that brings together volunteers from the town's districts, with the patronage of the Municipality of Ripi. The organization is entirely based on the voluntary work of the inhabitants, who prepare the cellars, cook, and manage hospitality every year.

Ripi and Ciociaria

Ripi sits on a ridge overlooking the Sacco Valley, a short distance from Frosinone and conveniently located near the Rome-Naples axis. The village retains its medieval layout with a network of alleys, arches, and stairways, which is exactly what makes an event like Le Cantine possible. In the Ripi calendar, this autumn event complements La Via del Gusto, the summer street food festival, together forming the town's year-round food and wine offering.