The Feast of Saint Lawrence, also known as the Night of the Shooting Stars, will be toasted with wine throughout Italy in the hope that wishes made on a falling star will come true.
Organised by the Wine Tourism Movement (MTV) and the union of wine-producing towns Citta del Vino, Calici di Stelle (Goblets of Stars) will bring thousands of people together on the of August 10 to watch the falling stars while enjoying wines and traditional snacks in some of the most beautiful and suggestive spots in the peninsula.
These will include Medieval city squares, castles and vineyards.
A number of leading vineyards will again open their cellars for visits by the so-called winenauts from the Wine Tourist Club.
Aside from the wine and the food, participants will be able to attend open-air film screenings and concerts or enjoy folklore shows and poetry readings.
MTV began its wine appreciation activities in 1992 with its Open Cellars initiative which since then has been held every year on the last Sunday of May. Over 900 vineyards throughout Italy take part and welcome tourists and offer them wine and local food specialties.
Open Cellars originally began in Tuscany but spread quickly to Italy's other wine-producing regions. According to MTV Chairman Francesco Lambertini, it has now become "a day of celebration for wine-lovers. It is an occasion in which the best in wine production is placed in a framework of local traditions, history and culture."
Aside from Open Cellars and Calici di Stelle, MTV also sponsors Benvenuta Vendemmia (Welcome Harvest) which takes place on a Sunday in September. It aims to give wine tourists and enthusiasts a first-hand view of what happens after the grapes are picked.
MTV's activities have given a major boost to wine tourism with an estimated four million wine tourists generating revenue of more than two million euro in wine-producing regions. Revenue is expected to climb 10% this year with an 8% increase in the number of wine tourists.
"Wine tourism represents an opportunity to promote our country's agroindustrial wealth and it is a strategic way to bolster local economies," said Lambertini.
According to a study by the social research group CENSIS, wine and food have become the second most important reason why tourists come to Italy .
