Wine Festival

An evening dedicated to wine in the heart of Cilento

The Wine Festival is the summer food and wine highlight of Torre Orsaia, a small town of just over two thousand inhabitants nestled on a hill in the province of Salerno, Campania, within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. For one night, the historic center comes alive: tables are set out in the square, winery stands line the path, and the village fills with visitors arriving from the nearby towns of the Bussento and lower Cilento areas.

This is not a monumental event, but an authentic village festival, built by the volunteers of the Pro Loco: it is precisely this family atmosphere, where the person pouring the wine is often the one who produced it, that makes it one of the most anticipated events of the Torre Orsaia summer.

The food and wine trail

The heart of the evening is a tasting trail set up in Largo San Leonzio. Visitors move from one stand to another with a glass in hand, sampling labels from local wineries and pairing them with dishes offered by the food stalls.

• Wine tastings from Cilento wineries
• Food stalls with typical local products
• Outdoor seating and service until late at night
• Convivial atmosphere in the village center

Cilento is a land of honest wines, often linked to native grape varieties of southern Campania such as Aglianico, Fiano, and Piedirosso, grown on terraces overlooking the sea or on inland hills like those surrounding Torre Orsaia. The festival is an opportunity to discover them directly from the producers, far from trade fairs.

The music: from big band to the final concert

The food and wine experience is always accompanied by musical entertainment. In the most recent edition, the evening featured the Franco Torre Big Band, a group that brings a brilliant and danceable repertoire to the square, culminating in a concert by Gigione, one of the most popular names in Southern Italian square music, capable of getting entire generations of the audience to sing along.

Music is not just a backdrop: in Cilento festivals, the stage in the square is the moment when the community truly comes together, and the party continues well past midnight.

Largo San Leonzio, the stage for the festival

Largo San Leonzio is one of the open spaces in the center of Torre Orsaia, easily reachable on foot from anywhere in the village. Its compact layout is perfect for an event of this type: stands along the sides, a stage at one end, and the audience in the center, with the village acting as a natural backdrop.

Torre Orsaia, between olive trees and peasant tradition

The village stands at an altitude of about 295 meters, surrounded by centuries-old Pisciotta olive trees, the iconic variety of Cilento olive growing. The municipality includes the hamlets of Castel Ruggero, Calleo, and Borgo Cerreto, and preserves historic fountains such as the Olmo and the Scalitta, a testament to the ancient art of local stonemasons. The local cuisine, simple and linked to the Mediterranean diet, finds one of its most sincere summer showcases in the Wine Festival.

Who organizes it

The event is managed by the Pro Loco Torre Orsaia, a tourism and social promotion association active since 1969 and recognized as an Infopoint since 2022, which enlivens the town's calendar throughout the year with cultural, sporting, and gastronomic events.