Everything is ready at the Castello Volante in Corigliano d’Otranto to host the second edition of Spiritosa. From Saturday 28 to Monday 30 September, Southern Italy’s first festival entirely dedicated to ‘drinking well’ returns. Spirits, sparkling wines, craft beers, wines, soft drinks and natural beverages from all over the world will take centre stage at this ‘recreational business’ event, conceived and organised by Sartoria degli Spiriti under the editorial coordination of Nick Difino (author, TV presenter and food & tourism consultant), in collaboration with numerous national and international organisations. Three action-packed days of “spirited experiences” to discover the sector’s finest offerings first-hand through meetings with experts, producers, brand ambassadors, importers and distributors. A programme featuring around forty masterclasses and talks from the Spiritosa Academy, guided tastings in the tasting room, a cocktail competition, culinary offerings, a business room, activities for schools, a market, DJ sets and live music, all taking visitors on a journey inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. The exhibition spaces (Saturday from 4.00 pm to 4.00 am, Sunday 29th from 4.00 pm to midnight, Monday 30th from 10.00 am to 8.00 pm – admission €10, tasting tokens included – advance tickets available on Dice.Fm) will be set up across the three levels, making the most of the evocative atmosphere of the Castello Volante. The tour, featuring over sixty participating producers, will begin in ‘Hell’ in the cellars of the Sala Cavallerizza, with an area dedicated to spirits and sodas; ‘Purgatory’ in the Tabaccaia will host the beers, whilst ‘Paradise’, amongst the frescoes of the Noble Halls on the first floor, will feature wines and sparkling wines. Hidden away in the secret recesses of the Castello will be a secret bar where some of Italy’s finest cocktail bars will take turns hosting events. ‘Spiritosa is elegant and delightfully restless. She is lively, ingenious and sharp-witted, full of humour and wit. She likes to play with irony and sarcasm. It is spirited and loves satire. It adores stimulating all the senses… which is why it can also be effervescent. Spiritosa focuses on the quality of raw materials and production processes, but also on style, taste, and the pursuit of beauty and pleasure. Spiritosa is also so because it contains alcohol – and thus stories, tales, traditions and cultures. Spiritosa tells of journeys, discoveries, fusions and migrations,’ says Michele Manca (president of the Spiritosa Festival). The second edition of Spiritosa – Festival del Bere Bene is organised by Sartoria degli Spiriti in collaboration with the Puglia Region and Puglia Promozione, under the patronage of the Lecce Chamber of Commerce, the Province of Lecce, the Municipality of Corigliano d’Otranto, Confcommercio Lecce and Confindustria Lecce, in partnership with technical partners IAFeM – Accademia Italiana Alta Formazione e Marketing, AIS | Associazione Italiana Sommelier – Lecce, BTM – Business Tourism Management, Puro Ghiaccio and Casavola. Main sponsors: Gin Mare, Molinari, Mebimport, Jack Daniel’s, Propaganda, Cantine Paololeo and Orsini Soda. The full programme is available at spiritosa.org.
SATURDAY 28 SEPTEMBER | From 4.00 pm to 4.00 am
From 5.00 pm to 8.00 pm, the packed programme of masterclasses and talks gets underway (limited places – info and bookings info@spiritosa.org) to taste, discuss and exchange views on new trends, the state of the art and emerging trends (always with a glass or a goblet in hand). In the Tasting Room of the Sale Nobili, coordinated by Valentina Serafino (AIS-certified wine taster), the programme will feature the ‘New Wine Generation’ session with winemaker Giovanni Aiello (Serìo Vini, Tenute Riovini and Autnotout) and wine writer Serena Leo, alongside masterclasses by Davide Zanette (commercial director at Vini La Marca) on the evolution of the Prosecco market in Italy, and Titti Dell’Erba (wine communicator and ambassador for Bere Bene Puglia – Armanblanc Armalike) with “Bubbles with style: sips and stories from Lazio in the glass”. In the Competition Room, the spotlight will be on Fabio Moroni (Ultimo – Varese), who will take us on a journey exploring how to turn a simple dream of opening a bar into a real community; Aristodemo Pellegrino (cultural manager, archaeologist and tour guide, creator of the ‘Sulle vie della Birra’ project, and Unionbirrai Beer Tasters representative for Puglia and Basilicata), with an in-depth look at beer tourism and alogastronomy, and Annamaria De Luca’s exploration of the allure of grappa. In the Medieval Hall, an event featuring Francesco De Rosa of Manifattura, a self-sufficient cocktail bar in Florence where only Italian drinks are served, Fabrizio Candino from Sartoria in Palermo, with his democratic and accessible approach to mixology; and Flavio Guido, president of IAFeM – Accademia Italiana Alta Formazione e Marketing, who will host a lively ‘Salotto’ with surprise guests. Finally, on the Nuvole terrace, ‘Molinari Extra’s twist on tradition’ and ‘Drink & Ink: the drinks of great authors and literary figures’ with journalist and copywriter Eleonora Tricarico. From 6.00 pm, Frank Lucignolo and Pantu will take turns at the DJ booth on the terrace. At 8.00 pm, the first dinner with Andrea Mazzola and Diletta Bagordo, resident chefs at Nuvole, the Castello’s bistro, to rediscover the aromas and colours of Salento. Finally, from 10.00 pm, in the atrium, the Adults Only +25 one-night event featuring Buck, Okee Ru and the British artist Andy Smith – creator of the beats for Portishead and The Prodigy, who left his mark on an entire generation. A tireless alchemist of the beat, with a musical narrative capable of moving back and forth through time, he will present a very special disco-boogie DJ set on 7” vinyl.
SUNDAY 29 SEPTEMBER | From 4.00 pm to midnight
From 4.00 pm to midnight on the terrace, the DJ booth will feature sets by DJ Sorge and Whtrsh – who has been supporting the Roman rapper Coez at live shows since 2012 – alongside concerts by Valerie & Proto (with a tribute to Lucio Dalla and Franco Califano) and Herta’n Roll (rock ’n’ roll, swing and boogie). From 5.00 pm to 8.00 pm, the programme of masterclasses and talks resumes (limited places – info and bookings info@spiritosa.org). In the Tasting Room of the Sale Nobili, there will be three events dedicated to the wines of Cantine Paololeo with Serena Leo, to branding with Chiara Buzzi (partner at Rita Cocktail in Milan, F&B writer) and to the origins of viticulture and its evolution in Puglia with Francesco Solinas (lecturer in Archaeobotany at the University of Salento). In the Competition Room, the focus will be on “Non-Alcoholic Beer: the latest market trends’ with Manila Benedetto (food & beverage and tourism expert, digital marketing strategist and project manager, Unionbirrai Beer Taster, and coordinator for Puglia and Basilicata of Slow Food Editore’s Guide to Italian Beers), “Malt, ladles and hobs: the pleasure of home brewing” with Aristodemo Pellegrino and the Homebrewer Salento group, and “Cocktail finance – The numbers behind your bar” with Bruno Rocco from Banana Republic in Rome. In the Medieval Hall, neurologist Antonio Leo (IAFem – Italian Academy of Higher Education and Marketing) will devote his talk to “Neuromarketing applied to wine communication”, Stefano Talice (sales director and brand ambassador at Mercanti di Spirits) will speak about the bar industry, whilst Susana Alonso (wine digital strategist, sommelier and founder of Sorsi di web) will take a fresh look at wine tourism from unconventional perspectives in the BTM Space with her talk “Toasts that support the discovery of a region”. On the terrace, there will also be the “Diplomatico Rum Experience” with Monica Noni and “The Nose in Cocktails” with Oscar Quagliarini. At 8.00 pm, the second event on the terraces of Nuvole, the castle’s bistro, will feature chefs Nino Rossi (chef and owner of Qafiz in Santa Cristina D’Aspromonte – * Michelin) and Miller Bryant, who have brought the Gotty project to life – a perfect union of two very different culinary backgrounds.
MONDAY 30 SEPTEMBER | From 10.00 to 20.00
From 12.00 to 20.00, the programme of masterclasses and talks comes to a close (limited places – info and bookings: info@spiritosa.org). In the Tasting Room at 12.00, the day kicks off with a session dedicated to students from hospitality schools, featuring Giuseppe Lampugnani and Marco Fedele. From 2.00 pm to 7.00 pm, the programme continues with a discussion on Champagne with Riccardo Orsini (Brand Manager, Première Italia – Champagne Terroir), ‘Stories and flavours in the glass’ with Clemente Zecca (Conti Zecca), “Communicating wine without clichés” with Cristiano Cini (Wine TV); the new frontier of “de-alcoholised wines” with Marzia Varvaglione (President of Agivi and the first producer of de-alcoholised wine in Puglia), wine and health with Michele Antonio Fino (lecturer at the University of Pollenzo and author of “Non me la bevo”|Mondadori) and Fiorella Perrone (researcher and coordinator of the Gambero Rosso Academy in Lecce), and an in-depth look at the Salento region in the post-Xylella era with agroecologist Massimo Toma, Fabio Tarantino (Vice-President of the Province of Lecce), Francesco Minonne (Ruralia), Leo Piccinno (President of DAJS) and Daniele De Pascalis (Melograni Martino). In the Competition Room at 12 noon, there will be a discussion on liqueurs with Michele De Bellis (Mebimport), whilst in the Medieval Hall from 11 am to 8 pm, there will be an event entitled “Bar or cocktail competition? The economics and psychology of a challenge” with Daniele Gentili (bartender and marketing specialist at Red Bull Italia), “Service vs Hospitality” with Chiara Buzzi (Rita Cocktail | Milan), “Personal growth and goals in the world of hospitality” with Giovanni Torre (Circus | Catania), “Behind the Bar” with Michele Capasso (Kadavè | Naples), “Understanding the choice of craft beers in your venue” with Aristodemo Pellegrino and Francesco Fumarola (Mebimport), “The Bohèmien Method” with Salvatore Longo (Boheme | Catania), “How to use social media tools” with Eleonora Tricarico (journalist and copywriter), “The world of gluten-free beers” with food and wine journalist Alfonso Dal Forno. From 5.00 pm on the Nuvole terrace, there will be a discussion on the theme “Drinking well as a factor in regional growth” with Alessandro Delli Noci (Councillor for Economic Development for the Puglia Region), Stefano Minerva (President of the Province of Lecce), Dina Manti (Mayor of Corigliano d’Otranto), Federico Pastore (Director of Confcommercio Lecce), Valentino Nicolì (President of Confindustria Lecce), Michele Manca (President of the Spiritosa Festival). At 1.00 pm on the terraces of Nuvole, the castle’s bistro, lunch will be served with Maurizio Raselli (owner and chef of Tre Rane Ristoro in Lecce). His artisanal cuisine offers a democratic take on fine dining, representing one of the most successful approaches to dining currently found in the region. The long final day of Spiritosa will also host Italy’s first vintage market entirely dedicated to the world of bars, featuring enamelled signs, professional equipment spanning the decades, tables and chairs from bars of yesteryear, signage, calendars, furniture, and fridges. From 2.00 pm to 8.00 pm, music returns to the terrace with a long set by Max Nocco, a DJ set by Tropicalia (featuring Afro and world music sounds and exoticism of rare beauty), and a closing live performance by Niuri Te Sule, blending tradition and singer-songwriter styles. From 3 pm to 8 pm, twenty bartenders from across Italy, carefully selected from all over the country, will compete in the final of the Spiritosa cocktail competition. Conceived and directed by Sartoria degli Spiriti and Giorgio Chiarello (an internationally renowned Italian professional bartender) and presented by Marco Fedele (bartender brand ambassador for the Molinari group and a member of the Spiritosa crew), this competition is open to professionals in the mixed drinks sector who wish to try their hand at creating an original drink. A panel of distinguished judges, chaired by Antonio Parlapiano and comprising Luca Bruni, Francesco Spenuso, Chiara Buzzi, Oscar Quagliarini, Daniele Gentili, Diego Melorio and Giorgio Chiarello, Nino Rossi, will judge the drinks without knowing the identity of their creators. The eight best competitors will face off in a series of head-to-head duels, a veritable battle of shakers and theatrical flair. At the end of the challenges, the top three bartenders will be honoured at an official ceremony, crowning the winner of the Spiritosa Cocktail Competition 2024.
EXHIBITORS
From the best-known labels, evoking traditions and regions steeped in history, to rare and precious gems, all waiting to be discovered by enthusiasts and true connoisseurs, Spiritosa’s ‘Paradiso’ promises a journey into the world of signature wines, with a selection that includes the finest and most sought-after sparkling wines. Alongside these masterpieces of winemaking, ‘Purgatory’ features craft beers, carefully selected for their quality and originality, whilst ‘Hell’ offers a variety of spirits and mixed drinks, designed to satisfy even the most discerning and refined palates. The event will therefore offer a unique food and wine experience, thanks to the presence of these and many other exceptional products, spread across the three exhibition areas set up for the occasion. Each area has been designed to provide the best possible setting for the countless exhibitors taking part in Spiritosa, who will be bringing with them exclusive, high-quality products, ready to be discovered and enjoyed by the public. All this takes place in a setting where every detail has been carefully considered, to offer a unique experience that combines the pleasure of taste with the discovery of new gems on the food and wine scene.
SARTORIA DEGLI SPIRITI
This ambitious project stems from the vision of Michele Manca of Sartoria degli Spiriti, one of Puglia’s leading organisations specialising in training and services within the beverage sector. “Spiritosa is a visionary and ambitious project that aims to create a large family of industry professionals,” emphasises Manca. “Through an innovative approach and an unconventional format, it seeks to experiment with and consolidate what I call ‘recreational business’. At Spiritosa, business is conducted differently, prioritising human relationships, mental and physical wellbeing, and conviviality.” Launched in 2023, the Spiritosa Festival is aimed at all enthusiasts and professionals in the beverage and mixology sector, operating on a B2B and B2C basis. “The first edition exceeded all expectations, hosting more than a hundred companies from the beverage sector, twenty-two speakers and four chefs, whilst involving sixty professional bartenders from across Italy in the cocktail competition, with a total attendance of over 3,500 people.”
Opening hours
Saturday 28th from 4.00 pm to 4.00 am
Sunday 29th from 4.00 pm to midnight
Monday 30th from 10.00 to 20.00
Info
Website: spiritosa.org
Instagram: spiritosafestival
Facebook: Spiritosa Festival
