Harvest

Harvest time at Casali and throughout Tuscany ranges from late September to early October. The grapes are expertly removed from the vines, smashed, mixed as appropriate and put into casks.

Guests of Casali are invited to participate in the picking and smashing of the grapes.

Ripe with tradition, the harvest celebrations in Tuscany were formalized in the early 20th century and remain one of the best times to visit the region. From www.tuscanjourney.com:

The first organised celebration started in 1926 in a town named Impruneta, in the Chianti area. It was during the Fascist period, a time when the Government wanted to celebrate local traditions and products with fairs, and most of these have been maintained to the present day. The celebrations in Impruneta are on the last Sunday of September (the 24th, this year) but the town is busy beforehand, buzzing with the preparations for the parade which goes through Piazza Buondelmonti. There is a competition between the four districts of the area, to see who can create the most beautiful carnival float. The parade is accompanied by dancing and music and it's a lively affair.

Sienna also has its own Festa dell'uva from September 20 through 24 in Castelnuovo Berardenga. There are also events in Buonconveto and Montalcino, which are the neighboring towns of Casali.