Vini d'Abbazia
Monastic wines in the cloister of Fossanova Abbey
About Vini d'Abbazia
The monks' wine returns to Fossanova
Vini d'Abbazia is the wine festival that every June transforms Fossanova Abbey—located in the hamlet of Priverno, in the province of Latina, in the heart of Lazio—into a vast open-air winery. The concept, launched in 2022 by journalist Rocco Tolfa, is as simple as it is original: to showcase wines born within the walls of monasteries and abbeys, both in Italy and abroad, and to highlight a winemaking tradition spanning nearly a thousand years of European history.
An extraordinary setting
Consecrated in 1208, Fossanova Abbey is one of the earliest and purest examples of Gothic-Cistercian architecture in Italy. Its essential lines, the cloister, the austere church, and the Refectory reflect the strict rule of the Cistercian monks—the same order that reclaimed land, planted vineyards, and codified agricultural practices across Europe that still form the basis of quality viticulture today. Tasting a glass in the shade of those arches is not just a scenic detail; it is the very essence of the event. The abbey is located just a few kilometers from the Circeo National Park, in a corner of the Agro Pontino that is well worth a visit.
How the event works
The format is well-established and spans three days, from the afternoon until late evening:
- Tasting stands — over thirty exhibitors, including monastic wineries, secular producers linked to monastic sites, and consortia from the Latina and Frosinone areas, arranged around the medieval cloister.
- Masterclasses — guided, limited-seating tastings in the Refectory, led by prominent figures in Italian oenology and wine criticism.
- Conferences and meetings — seminars on native grape varieties, extra virgin olive oil, wine tourism, and the relationship between viticulture and religious communities.
- Food & Wine Village — free entry, featuring food artisans, local producers, and live music.
- Wine shop — to purchase the bottles tasted, including those from monastic estates that are difficult to find elsewhere.
Rare wines and distant stories
The true appeal of Vini d'Abbazia lies in labels you will find only here. Alongside big names in Italian wine, you will find productions like those from the Trappist nuns of Vitorchiano or the Cremisan Monastery, founded in 1891 in Bethlehem, where viticulture has become a tool for dialogue between different religious communities. It is a journey through forgotten grape varieties, ancient techniques, and a slow production philosophy, far removed from industrial logic.
A rapidly growing event
In just a few editions, the festival has become one of the most popular food and wine events in southern Lazio: the 2026 edition, the fifth, recorded over 5,000 visitors and sold-out masterclasses. The event is supported by the Lazio Region, Arsial, and the Chamber of Commerce of Frosinone-Latina, and is endorsed by the Latina Province Wine Route.
Why it's worth the trip
Vini d'Abbazia is neither a local food festival nor a commercial trade fair: it is a cultural event that uses wine as a lens to explore historical and spiritual heritage. Visitors to Fossanova will find a knowledgeable yet informal crowd, an increasingly younger demographic, and a monumental setting that justifies the trip on its own. Pair it with a visit to the medieval village surrounding the abbey and the Archaeological Museum of Priverno.
Vini d'Abbazia — edition 2026
Vini d'Abbazia 2026: the fifth edition
From June 12 to 14, 2026, Fossanova Abbey hosted the fifth edition of Vini d'Abbazia, which closed with over 5,000 visitors and sold-out masterclasses. The theme of the year was wine told through four keys: culture, spirituality, scientific research, and contemporary art.
Over thirty exhibitors—Italian and international monastic wineries, producers linked to monastic sites, and companies from the Latina and Frosinone provinces—animated the tasting stands arranged around the medieval cloister, while the free-entry Food & Wine Village offered the culinary excellence of the Pontine region with live music. The wines were accompanied by seminars on native grape varieties and the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil.
According to founder Rocco Tolfa, the most significant result was the engagement of the younger audience, introduced to wine culture through an informal tasting approach. The event was organized with the Lazio Region, Arsial, the Chamber of Commerce of Frosinone-Latina, and the Latina Province Wine Route, with the Banca di Credito Cooperativo di Roma as the main sponsor.
Programme Vini d'Abbazia 2026
Friday, June 12
- 4:30 PM - 10:00 PM — Opening of the tasting stands in the Abbey cloister and the Food & Wine Village
- 6:30 PM — Masterclass in the Refectory: wines of the Cremisan Monastery, led by Riccardo Cotarella and coordinated by Marcello Masi. A story about the winery founded in 1891 in Bethlehem and viticulture as a tool for dialogue between religious communities
- 8:00 PM — «Great Reds» Masterclass with Roberto Cipresso, dedicated to great Italian and international red wines
Saturday, June 13
- 4:30 PM - 10:00 PM — Tasting stands and Food & Wine Village
- 6:30 PM — «The Wine of Monasteries» Masterclass with Vincenzo Mercurio, on productions from the most prestigious Italian abbeys
- 8:00 PM — «Emotional Masterclass» by Francesca Venturi and Giuseppe Ferroni from the University of Pisa, on the relationship between perception, emotion, and tasting
Sunday, June 14
- 4:30 PM - 10:00 PM — Tasting stands and Food & Wine Village
- 7:00 PM — «Between Whites and Perlage: discovering light» Masterclass led by Chiara Giovoni, dedicated to great whites, sparkling wines, and rare grape varieties
Throughout the event
- ViCro — wine under the microscope exhibition by multimedia artist Silvia Iorio: tannins, polyphenols, yeasts, and grape skins transformed into visual landscapes, in a dialogue between molecular biology and contemporary art
- Conferences and seminars on native grape varieties, extra virgin olive oil, and wine tourism
- Wine shop featuring the labels on tasting, including Bellavista, Tenute Capaldo, Vallepicciola, and the Trappist nuns of Vitorchiano
Highlights Vini d'Abbazia 2026
- Over 5,000 attendees and five sold-out masterclasses
- More than 30 exhibitors including Italian and international monastic wineries
- Riccardo Cotarella on the wines of the Cremisan Monastery in Bethlehem, the «wine of peace»
- The ViCro exhibition by Silvia Iorio: wine observed under a microscope becomes contemporary art
- Tastings in the cloister of Fossanova Abbey, a Gothic-Cistercian masterpiece from 1208
Prices Vini d'Abbazia 2026
Practical information — Vini d'Abbazia
Getting there
Fossanova Abbey is located in the municipality of Priverno (LT), along the Via Ferriere-Fossanova. By car: take the Frosinone exit on the A1 motorway and follow the SS156 dei Monti Lepini, or the SS148 Pontina from Rome. By train: Priverno-Fossanova station on the Rome-Naples line via Formia, about 3 km from the abbey. Nearest airports: Rome Fiumicino and Rome Ciampino.
Tickets
Entry to the tasting circuit with a glass: approximately €30 (daily ticket). Tasting + one masterclass package: approximately €40. Masterclasses have limited seating and must be booked online. The Food & Wine Village is free to enter.
Hours
Tasting stands in the cloister from 4:30 PM to 10:00 PM; masterclasses in the Refectory from late afternoon onwards.
Tips
Book masterclasses well in advance: they have regularly sold out in recent years. For accommodation, in addition to Priverno, you can choose from Terracina, Sabaudia, and Latina, all within half an hour. A camper-friendly area is available.
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Where does it take place — Vini d'Abbazia
Abbazia di Fossanova
Via San Tommaso d'Aquino, Fossanova, 04015 Priverno