PLEASE NOTE SUNDAY 3 MARCH ITALIAN FESTIVAL CANCELLED

We regret to inform that we are forced to cancel today’s Italian Festival at Idiom.
Extremely high winds overnight have caused damage to the tent structures and the engineer’s certificates are no longer valid. We cannot compromise the safety of guests or exhibitors.

All entrance tickets for Sunday 3 March are refundable on Webtickets.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

The ITALIAN FESTIVAL at IDIOM will take place again this year in its traditional slot on the first weekend in March, forming part of the Cape’s Winelands harvest season festivities. So join us on Saturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd March 2024 in Somerset West for this annual enogastronomic and cultural journey through Italy as we celebrate all things Italian.

WHAT’S NEW IN 2024

HIGHLIGHT – PERFORMANCES BY FLAG THROWERS FROM AREZZO

This year Idiom has partnered with the Italian Embassy, the Italian Consulate and the Italian Institute of Culture in Pretoria to bring the ‘Sbandieratori d’Arezzo’ – the flag-wavers from Arezzo in southern Tuscany – to the Festival. Special occasions in Florence and Tuscany are often marked with street parades featuring flag throwers and flag wavers. The art of flag throwing dates back to Medieval and Renaissance times when military parades would be accompanied by each town’s band of merry musicians and their colourful flag wavers. Performances by the sbandieratori will take place at 1 – 2pm and 4 – 5pm each day.

FEATURE REGION FOR THE FESTIVAL THIS YEAR IS TUSCANY

2024’s focus region is central Italy’s Tuscany region, birthplace of the Italian language itself.
The Tuscan accent is often considered the standard Italian accent due to its association with the works of Dante Alighieri and other literary luminaries.

 FOCUS ON TUSCAN CUISINE, WINE AND SANGIOVESE

Tuscany is arguably the most famous of all Italian wine regions, due to the romantic glamour of its limitless rolling hills, cypress-lined country roads and hilltop villages. Located in central Italy along the Tyrrhenian coast and stretching inland to the Apennine mountain range, Tuscany is home to some of the world’s most notable wine regions – Chianti, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are primarily made with Sangiovese grapes whereas the Vernaccia grape is the basis of the white Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Tuscany is also known for the dessert wine Vin Santo, made from a variety of the region’s grapes.

ACCESS TO THE ITALIAN WINE TASTING AREA

The wine tasting area will have a special in depth area dedicated to Tuscan wines, and the wine masterclasses and talks will also unpack and explain the complex Tuscan appellations and explain how Chianti has become a household name.
Several Cape producers including Idiom also produce wines made from Sangiovese, so it will be interesting to see how the local Sangiovese compares to the Tuscan examples.

For more of an in-depth exploration, sign up for one of the informative themed wine masterclasses.

 ALSO NEW – EXTENDED SUNSET TRADING HOURS, ON SATURDAY EVENING 2nd MARCH,
ENJOY FIORENTINA STEAK TAGLIATA WITH CHIANTI OR SANGIOVESE FOR DINNER

This year most stalls will remain open late for a sunset session on Saturday evening 2 March. Reduced price tickets are also available for customers who want to arrive after 2pm on Saturday, still in time to see the late afternoon performance by the Flag Throwers.

AND FINALLY – LIMITED VIP TICKETS WITH RESERVED SEATING

As a result of requests from previous editions, we are also creating a VIP tent with dedicated bar and service. Enjoy a complimentary antipasto platter on arrival and receive a curated goodie bag. The area will have a prime view of the Flag Wavers and the live music.

A TYPICAL DAY AT THE ITALIAN FESTIVAL

If you arrive in the morning, start your day by walking past the display of Alfa Romeo or Ferrari cars, courtesy of the local dealerships and Italian car clubs. Order an Italian coffee by Illy or Segafredo and ask the barista why Italians don’t drink cappuccino after midday! Browse all the Italian themed stalls and fill up your weekend shopping bags with specialist Italian deli products from your favourite suppliers of Italian goodies. There will be stalls with suppliers of Italian fashion, books, ceramics and more…

For lunch, choose from a mouth-watering range of regional Italian streetfood offerings and try delicacies ranging from pecorino to porchetta.  Last year’s hit pizza stand, will once again be operated by Enrico di Giambattista of Pizza Connection in Woodstock, while Idiom’s award winning kitchen will also be preparing Italian and Tuscan dishes.

PROSECCO TENT AND ALMARE SPRITZ

Bubbly lovers can visit the Prosecco tent and our Almare Spritz area.

COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS

The festival is a great place to explore the regionality of authentic Italian dishes prepared by our participating Italian guest chefs and suppliers, who will also be hosting daily show-cooking demonstrations. Guest Chef Andrea Volpe from Tuscany will be demonstrating how to make ‘Pappardelle al Cinghiale’ – a typical Tuscan pasta dish made with a wild boar ragu

ENTERTAINMENT AND LIVE MUSIC

There is plenty of entertainment for all age groups. Enjoy lots of live Italian and local music with several acts over the two days.
Dedicated Italian-themed kiddies activities will take place on both days, such as pizza-making classes for the little ones, mosaicking and mask making, face painting, our football penalty shootout competition and much more.

The Italian Festival will take place as usual on the lawns of Idiom with its panoramic views of False Bay and the Helderberg mountains. The full program with activity time slots will be released the weekend before the festival.

There will be a few masterclasses scheduled throughout the event. The Saturday masterclasses will be repeated on Sunday.
Please note that these tickets will need to be purchased in addition to your festival entry ticket which is available on Webtickets.
45 minute sessions | R150 – R200pp | Limited seats available. Download the Masterclass schedule here.

SATURDAY 2 MARCH 10AM – 8PM & SUNDAY 3 MARCH 10AM – 5PM

• Gold Ticket: Includes access to the wine tasting area, reserved seating in VIP area, surprise goodie bag, dedicated waiter and bar service, antipasto platter on arrival, best view of entertainment & reserved parking. R990
• Red Ticket: Includes wine tastings, a bottle of San Pellegrino or Aqua Panna water and a branded wine glass. R360
• White Ticket: Includes a bottle of San Pellegrino or Aqua Panna water. Excludes wine tasting. R240
• Green Ticket: Entry for kids under 18. R120