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San Martino in Puglia and Salento. 10-11 Novembre

San Martino day is a very heartfelt feast throughout Italy, so much so that it is celebrated in all regions with its own traditions.

The festival is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, a soldier who, meeting a poor man, decided to cut his coat in half to give a part of it to the unfortunate to shelter him from the cold. The following morning, however, the soldier found his cloak intact and, shaken by the event, decided to convert to the Christian faith. San Martino has since been referred to as the saint of solidarity, charity and sharing.

This is joined by the pagan aspect of the festival, given that in the same period the peasant population celebrated a very important moment in rural life.

Tradition has it that in the same days (November 12th) the closing of the agricultural year was also celebrated, a sort of “agricultural New Year”. The peasants celebrated this moment with rich banquets, thanking them for the good harvest of the year and for the narrow famine. The celebration also served to propitiate a more prosperous future for the following year. The peasants offered their citizens their own products for the celebrations, opened their own “ozze” (traditional clay amphorae) which contained the wine. Precisely wine was a symbol of hope for prosperity, wealth and well-being.

Even today, therefore, in San Martino day celebrates the end of the harvest and the birth of “new wine”.

Salento and the San Martino’s tradition

The Salento tradition has it that the celebrations of the feast of San Martino respect the agricultural tradition. The winemakers offer the new wine by opening their own barrels and the doors of their wineries for events and events.

In Salento, San Martino is celebrated in the evening, around a table with traditional dishes, new wine and chestnuts. A party to spend at home with friends and family or, in fact, in the many wineries in the area. In fact, the feast has become an opportunity to bring good wine lovers closer to the wineries and therefore to the knowledge of wine. There are many wineries that in the evening of San Martino organize real events to welcome fans. A way to recover the tradition that wanted the party to be a moment of sharing with the citizens.

At San Martino dinner includes traditional dishes, such as seconds of fine meat accompanied by vegetables. Dried fruit, walnuts but above all roasted chestnuts (roasted chestnuts). On the table of San Martino, the Salento’s pittule can not be missing, delicious balls of leavened and fried dough; the tradition wants them to be simple, or in one of the many variations: pizzaiola (with tomato, capers and black olives), with cod, with white cabbage, with American sweet potato.

King of the Salento table this evening is, as mentioned, also the “vino novello“. Novello wine is a young wine that, due to the lack of maceration of the grape skins, cannot have a long shelf life.

Events in Salento at San Martino

Cantine Aperte at San Martino _ 10-11 November

The national event promoted by Movimento Turismo del Vino (Wine Tourism Movement) in the days of 10-11 November for the San Martino’s day, sees the participation of as many as 70 wineries throughout Puglia. 70% of them are found in our Salento.

You can read all the news about it, with a list of wineries and maps to reach them, in our post Cantine Aperte in Puglia 10-11 November 2019.

puglia open winery
Credit: Movimento Turismo del Vino

Novello in Festa _ Leverano 8-9-10 November

In one of the areas of Salento with the highest vocation for viticulture, thanks to the presence of the historic Conti Zecca Winery, an event dedicated to Novello could not be missed during the Feast of San Martino.

Many events scheduled between food and wine, music and folklore during the event. We advise you not to lose:

  • Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 November, 6.00 pm_ XVI edition Salone dei Vini and Novelli at the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie
  • Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 November, 7.00 pm_ BIBLIOWINE, presentation of the book “Guide to the Jewish Salento” (authors F. Ghio and F. Lelli, published by Capone Editore 2018) followed by an illustration of the kosher wine produced by Cantine Leuci di Guagnano.

You can consult Novello in Festa Leverano program.

eventi novembre

San Martino. Le Lune e il Vino_Nardò 8-9-10 November

In Nardò the event created by the Nereidi Cultural Association under the patronage of the Municipality of Nardò will take place in Piazza Salandra in the historic centre of the town.

The name given to the event evokes the influence of the moon (and its lunar phases) on the phases of agricultural activity and therefore in the cultivation of the vine. Can the moon phases influence the harvest? This is the question on which the event invites discussion.
Between science and the profane, the popular tradition has it that in the crescent moon phases the bottling allows obtaining excellent sparkling wines. The phases of the waning moon favour long-aged wines instead. While the full moon allows obtaining fine wines of any kind.

The event focuses on the promotion of DOP Nardò, one of the 8 DOP present in Salento. Therefore, alongside the typical gastronomic specialties in the individual stands, the protagonists will be the cellars:

  • Schola Sarmenti
  • Tenute Gabellone
  • Cantina Sociale di Nardò
  • Cantina Giuri
  • Vini Falconieri
  • Vini Bosegna

For more information about the event, you can consult the Facebook page dedicated to the event San Martino. Le Lune e il Vino.

eventi puglia novembre

Santu Martinu a Casa Cupertinum _ Copertino 16 Novembre

Event organized by Cantina CupertinumSANTU MARTINU A CASA CUPERTINUM Vino, cose buone, musica e festa” will start on Saturday 16 November at 6.00 pm at the headquarters of the historic winery. The tasting of new wine will be accompanied by that of award-winning wines from the Cupertinum winery. In addition, you can taste local products, pittole, grilled meat and dried fruit.

Among the events, the opening of the exhibition “cartoLINEE”, a visual art exhibition by Andrea Greco graphic designer, illustrator and visual artist. The evening will be enlivened by the music of CARLA & THE BANDIT with Carla Petrachi, classical and jazz pianist, singer, eclectic musician and percussionist Andrea Luperto.

For more information about the event, you can consult the Facebook page dedicated to the event Santu Martinu a Casa Cupertinum.

eventi puglia lecce
Credit: Cantina Cupertinum

San Martino in Piazza _ Monteroni di Lecce 16-17 November

The celebrations continue even on the weekend following the feast of San Martino. In Monteroni di Lecce, the Pro Loco organizes the VI edition of the San Martino in Piazza event with the participation of Valerio Daniele and Ninfa Giannuzzi known artists of the Orchestra della Notte della Taranta. A moment in which to talk about territory through wine and its local gastronomic products combined with the music of popular tradition known all over the world thanks to the famous Notte della Taranta event.

For more information about the event, you can consult the Facebook page dedicated to the event San Martino in Piazza.

evento novembre puglia
Credit: Pro Loco Monteroni di Lecce

 

 

 

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