Prosecco Calendar – Italy’s National Holidays & Prosecco Events

by

Last Updated on January 13, 2023 by jofitzsimons

Prosecco calendar overlay on a desk with a plant

Whether you’re planning to visit Italy’s Prosecco region to go wine tasting, planning a trip to Italy more generally, or looking for a good excuse to drink Prosecco (we have a few), here are the key dates, holidays and timings to keep in mind. Note: since we’re a Prosecco website, we focus on activities and events in the north of Italy, specifically the Veneto region. However, many of the holidays listed below are national and will apply to the whole of Italy.

Dates: We have included a specific date where the holiday happens on the same date each year. Where the date changes each year, we have intentionally left out the specific dates so the calendar remains relevant each year. A quick search online will give you the correct date for the year you’re visiting.

January

1 January, New Year’s Day – Like many countries around the world, New Year’s Day is a National holiday with many businesses and restaurants, including the Prosecco wineries, closed so that people can rest after New Year’s eve celebrations.

6 January, Epiphany – Epiphany is a National Holiday in Italy. The Epiphany feast, known locally as La Befana is a religious holiday with a weave of folklore involving a witch flying on her broomstick, searching for baby Jesus and delivering presents to children. Many businesses, including the Prosecco wineries close on this day.

January, many wineries, hotels and restaurants are closed during the first week of January in the Prosecco region. It doesn’t make a trip impossible – just do your research. If you book a tour with us, your driver will do all the planning for you.

February

Mid-February to early March, Venice Carnival – the famous Venice’s carnivale has been running annually since the 11th century. While it’s a glorious event, crowds can make accommodation and restaurants very busy. Plan ahead. Carnival take place in the two weeks leading up to Shrove Tuesday. Want some calm after the crowds of Venice carnival? Why not book a relaxing trip out to the Prosecco region – only an hour away from Venice. Find out more here.

March

24 March, European Gelato Day – a day when artisanal gelato is officially tasted in the European Parliament, we don’t think this special day should just be for the politicians. Grab yourself a scoop. Or two.

22 March to 25 April, Easter – Easter, that wandering religious holiday, is a national holiday in Italy, with businesses, including the Prosecco wineries, closing for both Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Although the dates wander, the holiday falls on the Friday and following Sunday between 22 March and 25 April. Check for annual dates.

March to June, Primavera del Prosecco – Spring in Prosecco (Primavera del Prosecco), is a magical time in the Prosecco region. As the region springs back to life, expect local events from exhibitions, wine tastings and cultural tours of the area. Special packages are available from some hotels, B&Bs and agriturismi. Find out more here.

April

22 March to 25 April, Easter – see above.

March to June, Primavera del Prosecco – Spring in Prosecco continues. See March for details.

May

1 May, May Day – the first day of Spring is a national holiday in Italy, as it is across Europe. Known in Italy as Calendimaggio or cantar maggio, businesses (and the Prosecco wineries) tend to close on 1 May.

3rd week of May, Vino in Villa – Italy’s biggest and premium Prosecco festival has traditionally been an event to aim for rather than avoid. Taking place in a castle in the Prosecco region of Italy, complete with food, tastings and the best Prosecco producers in the world, putting this Prosecco festival on your bucket list was a must-do. However, the last festival happened pre-covid and that may have been the last of it. We will keep you updated if this festival starts up again.

March to June, Primavera del Prosecco – Spring in Prosecco continues. See March for details.

June

2 June, Republic Day – Festa della Repubblica is Italian National Day. This holiday celebrates the signing of the Referendum in 1946, which led to the creation of Italy as a republic. While the main celebrations take place in Italy’s capital, Rome, businesses are closed throughout the country, including the wineries.

March to June, Primavera del Prosecco – Spring in Prosecco continues. See March for details.

July

25 July, National Wine and Cheese Day – another great US national holiday we’ve fully embraced. Here are our favourite Italian cheeses.

July and August, Peak Season – Peak travel season starts in July, especially after the schools finish for summer. While it’s a fun and vibrant time to visit Italy, with excellent sunshine, accommodation and wine tours get busy. Try to book several months ahead.

August

13 August, National Prosecco Day – Pop some corks, your favourite Italian Sparkling wine has a national holiday. Celebrate it, but most of all drink it. Try our Easy Prosecco Cocktail Recipes. Or find out How To Choose The Best Prosecco.

15 August, Ferragosto – The Assumption of Mary, Ferragosto, is another National Holiday in Italy that has religious origins. This catholic holiday coincides with the end of summer and is a celebration of the Virgin May. Businesses and the Prosecco wineries close for the celebration.

July and August, Peak Season – See above.

Late August, Pre-Harvest Beak – Many of the Prosecco wineries close for a quick break ahead of the harvest in September. Some wineries remain open so if you book a tour with us, you can leave it to our drivers to know where is and isn’t open each day.

National Peach Month – a great national holiday celebrated in the USA and a perfect excuse to blitz up a Bellini. Here’s our Bellini cocktail recipe and some variations. Interestingly, white peach season in Italy falls earlier, in June and July.

September

September and October, Prosecco Harvest Season – The vines are at their most beautiful in September just before they are picked. Typically the grapes are harvested from the vine late September (though it changes yearly depending on the weather). Processing the picked grapes happens throughout October. In short, it’s a unique and spectacular time to visit the Prosecco region. It also makes it two of our busiest months for Prosecco tours. Meanwhile, the wineries are super busy tending their crops and many close to focus on the harvest. While we can typically find wineries to visit, we recommend you book ahead.

October

September and October, Prosecco Harvest Season – see above.

October to January, Acqua Alta – You may be aware that Venice is sinking but that isn’t what’s behind Acqua Alta, the regular tidal flooding of Venice. When high tides, plus low pressure and winds coincide, Venice can find itself submerged in water. Historically, this has meant visitors have faced buying or renting thigh-high wading boots to get around the city. However, The Mose Seawall Project was implemented in 2020 to try and prevent acqua alta and has so far been successful. We’d still recommend checking before you go but, hopefully, acqua alta is now a thing of the past.

1 October 2023 – Local roads closed for the Granfondo Cycling Tour. We will not be running Prosecco tours on this date.

November

November, Shoulder Season – November is a great time to visit the Prosecco region. The crowds are fewer, the restaurants less busy and there’s more availability at the wineries. Take advantage of great prices.

December

25 December, Christmas Day – the Prosecco wineries are closed for this National Holiday. If you’re planning to visit Italy over the Christmas period, consider a hotel that has a restaurant attached as many independent restaurants will close on 25 and 26 December.

26 December, Boxing Day – as with Christmas Day, the Prosecco wineries are closed for this National Holiday.

December, Christmas Markets – Italy has some wonderful Christmas markets and there are several in or close to the Prosecco region. You can find a list of the local Christmas markets here.

General Planning Tips

Planning to visit over the weekend?

Many of the wineries close for some or all of the day on Saturday and Sunday. There are some that will be open – you won’t face a dry trip – but a weekday visit is better. If you only have the weekend available, Saturday is better than Sunday.

What time are the wineries open?

Most wineries are open in the morning from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., close for lunch, and re-open from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. Some wineries are starting to open longer hours. Here are our tips for planning your wineries. Easier – book a tour and your drivers will make sure you visit when the wineries are open.

Check out our FAQs page for more trip planning tips. Or leave a comment below if you have any questions.

Related Articles:

Leave a comment