The town of Vin Santo "Would you like a drop of Vin nSanto...?". This was the ritual welcoming of the local country-folk on receiving visitors. And that "drop" was not just a turn of speech. Vin Santo, prcious as it was and is steel today, is served in small doses. Montefollonico is known simply as "the Town of Vin Santo" to the wine connoisseurswho take part in the annual festival appropriately named after the offer of a "drop", "Lo gradireste un goccio di Vin Santo...?", held every 8 December. Here, the wine makers lovingly protect the traditional recipe of patience and dedication. In the past this wine, time-consuming and painstaking in the making, was considered to be a kind of panacea for all illnesses and it was therefore given to convalescetns and children, too. Of course, its maine use was the worthy crowning of meals and dinners of a certain importance, served with simple, traditional homemade cakes. Wine connoissewurs and historians have made a good number of guesses as to the origins of the name and each would appear to have found the right one. Some say the name could be down to the almost miraculous healing properties of this "sainted" wine; others say the name derives from the Greek word xantos, meaning yellow; others say that the name comes from All Saint's Day, when the wine is traditionaly bottled. Perhaps, the wiset of all simply taste the wine, not caring as to why it is called Vin Santo, enjoying, certainly in religious silence, its unique flavour, mellowness and nuances.

PROGRAMMA 2008:

ANCORA PROVVISORIO
Domenica 7 dicembre:
10:00 convegno per gli addetti ai lavori;
15:30 stand e assaggi dei Vin Santi "etichettati";
21:00 spettacolo al Teatro "B. Vitolo".
Lunedì 8 dicembre:
11:00 presso il Teatro "B. Vitolo" elezione del miglior Vin Santo fatto in casa;
15:30 stand con assaggi di Vin Santi amatoriali, gastronomia ed vini locali.

Quest'anno "gemellaggio" con il passito Friulano Picolit