Italy has a free public wine fountain and we are here for it
Breaking news: Italy has a free public wine fountain. But before you ask - no, you can’t bring the pregame party over before you head to the bar. The too-good-to-be-true locale is not a place for “drunkards” or “louts,” as noted by Dora Sarchese Vineyards, whose red wine flows from the fountain’s spout.
Explorers can find it in Caldari di Ortona in the province of Abruzzo near the terminus of the popular pilgrimage route Cammino di San Tommaso, which runs from Rome to the Cathedral of St. Thomas in Ortona. Though the winery created the fountain in 2016 as a gift to those who complete the pilgrimage, the wine is free to all visitors around the clock.
According to The Local, the fountain is not the first of its kind. But its creators insist it is Italy’s first “proper” wine fountain, because it will be accessible all day, every day. Other fountains around the country have been used to dispense wine, but only on special occasions. Just south of Rome in Marino at the town’s annual grape festival, white wine from a fountain is available for one hour only. In 2008, the wine even traveled into the taps of local homes - now that doesn’t sound so bad.
Though these pilgrims traveling to venerate the relics of St. Thomas might not agree on the finer points of theology with the Pilgrims who traveled to Plymouth Rock, they’d likely all agree that food and drink are something to be thankful for. If you’re giving thanks with family and friends this holiday season, choose your perfect Thanksgiving blend with the help of these 13 wine experts.
belongs on the dinner table just as much as turkey does. Choose your perfect Thanksgiving blend with the help of these 13 wine experts.
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