Wine festival in Mendrisio: La Sagra dell'uva

On the last week-end in September, as is the tradition, the streets of Mendrisio are dressed in their Sunday best. The courtyards, run by the different sporting and cultural associations, become meeting points where you can taste delicious local dishes or sip some good wine. Via Stella and Corso Bello fill up with curious people walking through the small market which has a never-ending row of stalls, where you can buy everything from roast chestnuts to incenses, from cheese from the Muggio Valley to oriental fragrances.

The origins of the Wine Festival date back to the years of the Second World War. It was a rural feast, where the farmers and the winegrowers of the area displayed their products. Originally held in Balerna, it was transferred to Mendrisio in 1944 after the construction of the covered market.

The elderly still remember those times, when the winegrowers competed to have the best grapes and win the coveted prize. The decline of rural life, the abandoning of the covered market (replaced by the courtyards) and the creation of the small market have all contributed to transforming the Wine Festival into an event involving the whole region.

Every now and then you can see a painter intent on transferring the emotions of the day onto canvas; he is taking part in the “painters in the square” competition.

For more info click here: http://www.sagradelluva.ch/

Venue: La Sagra dell'Uva
Where: Mendrisio
Date: September 27th to 29th, 2013