Wine Festival – Wine Tourism Fair in Bivongi 2026

Piazza del Popolo · Bivongi, Costa Viola, Calabria

24 October 2026 – 25 October 2026

On Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2026, from 9.30am to 11.30pm, Bivongi hosts the first edition of the Festival del Vino – Salone dell'Enoturismo (Wine Festival – Wine Tourism Fair). The “Wine Village” fills Piazza del Popolo and the old town with stands of wineries and wine consortia, tastings, talks on wine tourism, wine and olive oil masterclasses, cooking demonstrations, food and drink and live music; a concert by the Sabatum Quartet is announced for Saturday. Hikes, horse rides and bike tours to the places where the wine is made are also planned. The Bivongi DOC wine consortium is one of the main players, and the festival page is run by the Pro Loco Bivongi. The sources mention no entrance ticket; prices for tastings and excursions have not been published.

Dates, times and venue of the first edition

The Festival del Vino – Salone dell'Enoturismo makes its debut in Bivongi on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2026, open non-stop from 9.30am to 11.30pm on both days. Its centre is Piazza del Popolo, which together with the old town becomes the “Villaggio del Vino” (Wine Village) for two days, bringing together stands, meetings and tastings.

The festival page is published on the website of the Pro Loco Bivongi, a local tourism association founded in 1973, whose logo also heads the row of partners on the poster. Alongside it are the GAL Terre Locridee, the Calabria Region with its Calabria Straordinaria brand, the municipality of Bivongi, the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria, the Bivongi DOC consortium and the funding programmes Piano Azione Coesione, FSC and the National Strategy for Inner Areas.

What is on in the Wine Village

The programme combines events for the public with meetings for people in the trade. At the stands, wineries, consortia and local areas present themselves and meet; the talks focus on wine tourism, meaning travel built around vineyards, cellars and producers; the masterclasses, announced with industry experts, cover both wine and olive oil. Cooking demonstrations, a food and drink area and concerts complete the picture.

A concert by the Sabatum Quartet is announced for Saturday. The detailed schedule, with times for the individual talks, masterclasses and cooking shows and the names of speakers and wineries, had not been published at the time of writing: follow the Pro Loco's channels in the days before the festival.

Hikes, horse rides and bike tours

Part of the festival heads out of the village. The programme includes trekking excursions, horse rides and a “bike wine experience”, designed to take visitors to the places where the wine is made and to show them the natural and cultural heritage of Bivongi and the Stilaro valley.

The sources give no details on routes, duration, difficulty, prices or how to sign up: if you want to take part, ask the organisers beforehand and bring suitable shoes and clothing. In late October the days are shorter and in the hills the temperature drops quickly after sunset, so the middle of the day is the best time for outings.

Bivongi DOC and its consortium

The local wine is Bivongi DOC, an appellation created in 1996 and produced across the provinces of Reggio Calabria and Catanzaro; in June 2026 its consortium celebrated thirty years of the production rules. The red, also made as Novello and Riserva, comes from black grapes such as Gaglioppo, Greco Nero, Nocera, Calabrese Nero and Castiglione; the white from Greco Bianco, Guardavalle and Mantonico, sometimes with Malvasia Bianca and Ansonica. There is also a rosé.

The protection consortium, chaired by Adele Anna Lavorata and directed by Giuseppe Perri, is one of the announced protagonists of the fair. In recent years it has already taken visitors into the cellars with the Bivongi DOC Fest, whose 2025 stops included Cantine Murace in Bivongi and Tenuta Diecimani in Stilo.

Admission and practical information

The sources mention no ticket to enter the Wine Village, which spreads across the square and the streets of the old town. What has not been published is the cost of tastings, masterclasses, excursions and food, or whether booking is required: these are the things to ask before you go.

The point of reference is the Pro Loco Bivongi, which has a festival page and Facebook and Instagram profiles. The old town is a maze of alleys, steps and slopes, so wear comfortable shoes, especially in the evening. If you are staying for Sunday, remember that the clocks go back one hour on the night between 24 and 25 October.

How to get to Bivongi

Bivongi lies in the Stilaro valley at the foot of Monte Consolino, inland from the Ionian coast of the province of Reggio Calabria. By car, follow the SS106 coastal road to Monasterace, then head inland on provincial road SP9, which runs up the valley from Monasterace to Bivongi.

The nearest railway station is Monasterace-Stilo on the Ionian line, served by regional trains to Reggio Calabria and Catanzaro Lido and by some InterCity services; from the station to the village you will need a car or taxi, as the sources mention no shuttle for the festival. No dedicated parking is documented either: with stands and visitors filling the old town, it is worth arriving early.

What to see in Bivongi and the Stilaro valley

The best-known monument is the Greek Orthodox monastery of San Giovanni Theristis, just outside the village between the Assi and Stilaro valleys: its basilica, dedicated to the saint known as “the reaper”, dates from the late 11th century. In the village are the sanctuary of Maria Santissima Mamma Nostra, with an 18th-century wooden statue of the Immaculate Virgin, and an old town paved in porphyry, a tangle of alleys and stone stairways.

Further upstream on the Stilaro is the Marmarico waterfall, with a drop of more than a hundred metres, considered the highest in Calabria; it is reached by a long dirt track, by 4x4 or on foot. The 1913 hydroelectric plant and the nearby Bagni di Guida springs are also worth a stop. More events in the events calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Bivongi Wine Festival?

On Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2026, from 9.30am to 11.30pm on both days.

Where does it take place?

In Bivongi, in Piazza del Popolo and the old town, which become the Wine Village for the occasion.

Is there an entrance fee?

The sources mention no entrance ticket. Prices for tastings, masterclasses and excursions have not been published.

What is on the programme?

Winery and consortium stands, tastings, wine tourism talks, wine and olive oil masterclasses, cooking demonstrations, food and drink and concerts; the Sabatum Quartet play on Saturday.

Are there excursions?

Yes: trekking, horse rides and a bike wine experience. Routes, prices and sign-up details are not yet public, so ask the Pro Loco Bivongi.

Which wines will be at the festival?

The announced protagonist is Bivongi DOC, with its consortium; more broadly, the festival is devoted to Calabrian wine production.

How do I get to Bivongi?

By car on the SS106 coastal road to Monasterace, then provincial road SP9 to Bivongi; by train to Monasterace-Stilo station, then by car or taxi.

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