According to the bible, old mate JC once turned a half-dozen jugs of water into wine. But this Italian town has taken things one step further, creating a fountain that dispenses red wine instead of water!
And get this: it’s open 24 hours a day, and is totally FREE – oh hail the mighty grape!
The wine fountain, located in the town of Caldari di Ortona (a commune in Abruzzo, near Rome) and designed by local architect Rocco Valentini, was created for pilgrims along the historic Cammino di San Tommaso, which is the route St Thomas was said to have travelled between Rome and Ortona back in the day.
Credit: Dora Sarchese Vino.
But it’s also open to tourists and basically anyone who wants to fill their bottles and quench their thirst.
Unlike a regular fountain though, this fontana del vino functions more like a tap, and instead of being located in some central town plaza, you’ll need to visit Dora Sarchese – a local vineyard located in town.
Still, it’s definitely pretty cool, and is perhaps a reason in itself to embark along the pilgrimage route…
Just in case you didn’t know, the Abruzzo region is famous for its excellent red wines, which are made from the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grape.
Source: www.facebook.com/dorasarchese.vini
Contrary to you may think though, this isn’t the first wine fountain in the world.
Nah uh.
That accolade belongs to a similar fountain near the town of Estella, the Bodegas Irache, which was built in 1991 and is on the famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route in Spain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJbPRB8pdl0
The new fountain in the Italian town is a joint project of the vineyard and a non-profit organisation that protects the pilgrimage route, and was made from recycled materials.
But who knows: perhaps the new installation may attract a new kind of pilgrim, one more interested in praising the grape rather than the gods?
Still, whether stopping by in the town enroute on the famous pilgramage or merely to have a glass or two overlooking the gorgeous vineyard, this is definitely another reason why the Italians are the masters of the la dolce vita!
