Food & Wine Festivals

As one of the world’s culinary meccas, it’s no surprise even the tiniest, most remote village in Tuscany celebrates its local specialty with a sagra (local food festival). The region is overflowing with fairs honoring everything from fresh wine and olive oil to truffles, chestnuts, and wild boar. Most of these take place during fall and are an excellent way to delve into the culture and discover the area’s most esteemed products.

One of the most famous is Boccaccesca, an annual food and wine extravaganza taking place on the narrow medieval streets of Certaldo Alto. Traditional Tuscan dishes like porchetta and ribollita soup are available to sample during the event, and so are local cheeses, cured meats, and revered wines like Chianti Classico or Brunello of Montalcino.

Other notable gastronomic festivals include the White Truffle Fair in San Giovanni d’Asso, Sagra del Cinghiale di Chianni (the Wild Boar Festival of Chianni), Il Desco in Lucca, and Cookstock in the historic center of Pontassieve.

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