By Erika Gerardini - JUMP Team (Italy)
11 of November in Calabria region. At St Martin's every must becomes wine!
Today 11 of November is the Saint Martin’s Day in Calabria and in many local villages people celebrate the end of the grape harvest, with the new wine and roost fresh chestnuts coming from mountains.
In San Martino every grape must become wine!
The adage reminds us that wine, together with chestnuts and autumn specialities from Calabria, is the protagonist of the San Martino festivities. There is no shortage of events around the region to cheerfully celebrate the moment when the first wine and woodland products are tasted.
The San Martino festival in Calabria is widespread. Many municipalities in the region celebrate the saint, St Martin, Bishop of Tours, the protagonist of the parable in which he shares his cloak with a half-naked beggar he meets on his way. Continuing on his way, he met another poor man to whom he gave half of his cloak. After this gesture, the cold ceased, giving rise to the so-called ‘Summer of St Martin‘.
The feast day dedicated to the saint of Tours is important for the agricultural world, as 11 November is still the day on which new wine is tasted for the first time.
