Pachino Grape Harvest Festival

The wine festival in the heart of south-eastern Sicily

The Pachino Grape Harvest Festival is one of the most cherished food and wine events in the municipality of Pachino, in the Province of Syracuse, at the southern tip of Sicily. Every year in September, the event attracts enthusiasts, producers, and visitors to celebrate the grape harvest season and the winemaking identity of a territory made famous by Nero d'Avola and the historic Nero di Pachino.

The Stazione del Vino, the beating heart of the event

The focal point of the festival is the so-called Stazione del Vino (Wine Station), set up in Piazza Pietro Nenni at the old Pachino railway station. Here, a journey that combines tastings, culture, and entertainment comes to life: over sixty local labels are offered at the stands, accompanied by traditional dishes prepared by local restaurateurs in collaboration with students from the local hospitality school.

Program and activities

The event calendar, spread over three days, alternates between convivial moments and cultural appointments:

• Palio delle Botti: the spectacular simultaneous barrel race that ignites the crowd;
• Concorso dei Vini dello Scagno and awards dedicated to the best local productions;
• La Vendemmia nel Piatto, an amateur culinary competition;
• Masterclasses, conferences, and debates with institutional guests and industry experts;
• Demonstrations of grape pressing according to the ancient tradition of the palmento;
• Concerts, popular games, and live performances.

One territory, three symbols

The Grape Harvest Festival is not just a wine fair: it is a story of Pachino's identity. The 2025 edition, titled Red Heritage Pachino, symbolically linked the three red products of the territory—wine, the famous Pachino tomato, and tuna—in a journey that enhances the food, wine, crafts, and experiential tourism of south-eastern Sicily.

Pachino and the Wine Route

Part of the Vino Connect Sicilia project, the event also promotes the mapping of a Wine Route that connects vineyards, villages, and wineries in the heart of the Nero d'Avola territory. An opportunity to discover Pachino, its districts, and a winemaking tradition that has its roots in the characteristic stone palmenti.