Three days of masterclasses, tastings, and meetings dedicated to wine, culture, and local areas, deepening understanding of the viticultural heritage preserved over the centuries by abbeys and monastic communities, will enliven the Abbey of Fossanova from June 12th to 14th. This journey intertwines spirituality, culture, and wine, featuring some of the most authoritative voices in the winemaking world, including Riccardo Cotarella, Roberto Cipresso, and Vincenzo Mercurio. Among the most anticipated events is a masterclass dedicated to the wines of the Cremisan Monastery, in Palestine, a few kilometers from Jerusalem, where viticulture becomes a tool for dialogue and cooperation between different cultures and religions.
For three days, the monastic complex, one of the most significant examples of Cistercian Gothic architecture in Italy, built between the 12th and 13th centuries on the ruins of an ancient Benedictine monastery, will host over 30 wineries from Italian and international abbeys, as well as lay producers associated with monastic sites and consortia. Tasting tables will enliven the medieval cloister, along with a food & wine village dedicated to the area's culinary excellence, while the Abbey Refectory will host masterclasses and tastings led by some of the most respected voices in the winemaking world. The Borgo di Fossanova Infirmary will be the hub of seminars dedicated to native grape varieties, wine tourism, and scientific research on the benefits of extra virgin olive oil.
Founded to showcase the winemaking heritage preserved over the centuries by abbeys and monastic communities, Vini d'Abbazia has established itself over the years as one of the most original formats in the Italian food and wine scene, progressively expanding its scope through events, conferences, and new regional collaborations. Following the conference "The Culture of Wine and the Identity of Territories: The Work of Abbeys," hosted in 2025 by the Vittorio and Mariella Moretti Foundation at the Convent of the Santissima Annunciata in Franciacorta, and the preview of Vini d'Abbazia held on May 2 and 3, 2026, in Calabria, at the Cistercian Abbey of Santa Maria della Matina in San Marco Argentano (CS), the project now returns to the village of Fossanova with the national edition, confirming the central role of the Lazio event within an increasingly structured and recognizable journey. The event will feature some of the most important wineries linked to Italian and international monasteries and abbeys, alongside secular producers, consortia, and territories sharing a strong cultural and agricultural identity. The 2026 edition also confirms the event's desire to broaden the dialogue between wine, research, tourism, and sustainability, strengthening the role of Abbey Wines as a platform for discussion on the issues that are redefining the contemporary wine landscape.
The program will open on Friday, June 12th at 15:00 PM in the Borgo di Fossanova Infirmary with a training seminar titled "The Value of Native Grapes: Between Quality and Territory." Organized in collaboration with ARSIAL, the seminar is aimed at Lazio producers and will focus on the value of native grape varieties, with a focus on marketing and wine tourism. Speakers will include Enrico Chiavacci, Marketing Manager for Marchesi Antinori; Violante Cinelli Colombini, National President of the Movimento Turismo del Vino; international winemaker and writer Roberto Cipresso; Giovanni Acampora, President of the Frosinone Latina Chamber of Commerce and Assonautica Italiana; Massimiliano Raffa, President of ARSIAL; and Giancarlo Righini, Councilor for Agriculture and Budget of the Lazio Region.
The tasting tables inside the Cloister and the food & wine village located on Via dell'Abbazia will open at 4:30 PM. They will also be open on Saturday and Sunday until midnight.
At 18:30 pm, in the Cloister Refectory, Riccardo Cottarella—President of Assoenologi and a leading global figure in the sector—will lead the masterclass "The Wine of Peace from the Cremisan Monastery: A Dialogue Between the Three Religions in the Holy Land." The focus of the event will be the wines of the Cremisan winery, founded in 1891 in Bethlehem, on the border between Palestine and Israel, where work in the vineyards engages Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities in an experience of cooperation, education, and coexistence. The masterclass will be coordinated by Marcello Masi, journalist and television host.
At 20:00 PM, one of Italy's most internationally renowned winemakers, Roberto Cipresso, will lead the masterclass "I Grandi Rossi," a sensory and spiritual journey through the diverse expressions of red wines from abbeys and terroirs renowned for their winemaking talent.
On Saturday, June 13, at 18:00 PM, at the Infermeria del Borgo, a presentation will be held at the Sapienza University of Rome on the beneficial properties of extra virgin olive oil, strengthening the dialogue between scientific research and quality agri-food production. Speakers will include Giovanni Acampora, President of the Frosinone Latina Chamber of Commerce and Assonautica Italiana, Alessandro Rossi, Professor of Cellular Biology at Sapienza University of Rome, and Eugenio Lendaro, Professor of Chemistry and Preparatory Biochemistry at Sapienza University of Rome.
At 18:30 pm, Vincenzo Mercurio, Vinoway Selection's Best Italian Winemaker 2025, will present the masterclass "Monastery Wine." This will take you on a journey through some of Italy's most prestigious monasteries, including Novacella Abbey, Praglia Abbey, Monte Oliveto Maggiore Monastery, and the Trappist Monastery of Vitorchiano, accompanied by a reflection on the cultural and territorial value of abbey wines.
The day's program will conclude at 20:00 PM with the "Emotional Masterclass," promoted and curated by Francesca Venturi and Giuseppe Ferroni of the University of Pisa, dedicated to the multisensory approach to tasting and the relationship between perception, emotion, and wine.
The fifth edition will conclude on Sunday, June 14th at 19:00 PM, again in the Refettorio del Chiostro, with the masterclass "Between Whites and Perlage: Discovering Light." Leading this journey through great whites, exceptional perlage, and rare grape varieties, from the secret vineyards in the cloisters of Venice to the golden hues of Chablis, will be Chiara Giovoni, Champagne Ambassador and Champagne Editor for Spirito di Vino.
All masterclasses have limited seating and can be purchased online, as can individual day tickets. Info: https://www.smstudiopr.it/it/news/dettagli/dal-12-al-14-giugno-la-quinta-edizione-di-vini-dabbazia-riunisce-a-fossanova-grandi-protagonisti-de.html
