Save the date! On November 11, many areas of Italy celebrate Saint Martin's Day. A traditional folk festival linked to the opening of new wine barrels, San Martino coincides with the start of the new agricultural year. It embraces the values of respect for time, nature, and rural conviviality, very close and dear ideals here at Carpineto. 

According to the biography of the saint, at the age of fifteen, as the son of a soldier, he had to join the army. He got promoted to the rank of circitor and sent to Gaul, near the city of Amiens. 

The task of the circitor was to patrol at night and inspect guard posts, as well as to keep watch over the garrisons. During one of these patrols, an episode occurred that changed his life: he encountered a half-naked beggar. Seeing his suffering, he cut his military cloak in two and shared it with the beggar. 

After this noble gesture, the sky cleared and the temperature immediately became milder. Since then, legend has it that every year there is a break from the cold spell to commemorate the event. The following night, Jesus appeared to him in a dream wearing half of his military cloak. When Martin awoke, his cloak was magically intact once again.

November 11 is the perfect chance to embrace autumn. There’s new wine to drink and seasonal specialties like roasted chestnuts, pumpkin, and sausage to eat. 

Depending on the customs, regional specialties can range from special family dinners to cookies shaped like a horse rider. Venice is one of the cities that participates in this custom, offering cookies realised looking exactly like St. Martin is traditionally depicted. In Palermo, they prepare regional bread and Muscat wine. 

The bread is in the shape of a round loaf, and is made with aniseed or wild fennel. In South Tyrol, more specifically the region of the Törggelen, this date is also very important. The farmers in the valley are happy to celebrate the grape harvest offering the new wine together with their finest autumn products. 

There’s always an abundant supply of roasted chestnuts, speck, and smoked meat, along with the other South Tyrol delicacies. In Salento, they also celebrate the San Martino festival. Here the special treat is also the vin cotto, along with pittule, or fritters.

Talking about a good glass of freshly opened wine, you can't miss pairing it with a delicious platter of Italian cold cuts. 

The most flavorful cold cuts, such as prosciutto and salami, pair perfectly with light or medium-bodied red wines. The fruity aromas of these wines balance the spices in the cold cuts. Here are a couple of our suggestions.

Carpineto Chianti Classico Riserva D.O.C.G. is produced in the oldest part of Chianti, between Florence and Siena, an area dotted with cypress trees, olive groves and villages that seem suspended in time. Here, Sangiovese and Canaiolo grapes give life to a wine that perfectly combines tradition and refinement. A long ageing in the bottle, after a period in Slavonian and French oak barrels of various capacities, gives this Chianti Classico a unique aromatic complexity. From the very first sip, you can perceive its velvety structure, enriched with notes of raspberry and vanilla, while its intense ruby red colour with garnet reflections anticipates the depth and warmth it releases in the mouth. 

Carpineto's Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva DOCG 2020 is made of Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile), Canaiolo, and the other permitted varietals. It is a well-made Montepulciano red of notable elegance and structure. 

The 2020 growing season featured a cool spring and a hot summer, though summer temperatures vary enough to help the grapes ripen well. Montepulciano is of course a historic and prestigious Sangiovese growing area. Maceration lasts 10-15 days under temperature control. The malolactic fermentation and aging occurs over a period of 24 months in a Slavonian oak cask and a few stacked French oak casks. 

Labeled bottle age is 6-8 months. The finished product has a ruby red color, garnet reflections, and “ethereal” violets and toasted wood aromas. Sangiovese lovers will appreciate the dry, harmonious, and velvety mouthfeel and aftertaste. 

Now that you have just the right indications, you are ready to celebrate Saint Martin’s Day and embracing its traditional values with Carpineto products.