Chieri – Di Freisa in Freisa

The 16th edition of “Di Freisa in Freisa”: a great event to celebrate one of Piedmont’s iconic grape varieties, Freisa di Chieri

On Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24, Chieri will once again host the two-day event dedicated to Freisa di Chieri and the wines of the Turin Hills: masterclasses, in-depth discussions, guided tastings, but also music, entertainment, culture, gastronomic encounters with other local specialties, and enhancement of the city’s commercial fabric.

Having become one of the most anticipated events in the Piedmontese food and wine scene, “Di Freisa in Freisa” returns to toast for the 16th consecutive year: the appointment is Saturday, May 23 (from 5 p.m. until midnight) and Sunday, May 24 (from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.) in the historic center of Chieri.

The event

The Chieri City Council event is organized by Gusto Sì, Consorzio di Tutela e Valorizzazione delle DOC Freisa di Chieri e Collina Torinese, and Croce Rossa Italiana Comitato di Chieri, with the aim of highlighting all the facets of a unique and precious grape variety, but also to enhance and promote the cultural, artistic, food and wine and commercial excellence of the Chieri area.

Two days full of initiatives, moments of celebration and storytelling, masterclasses, guided tastings, but also many opportunities to learn more broadly and in depth about the different souls that inhabit the area: from the purely food and wine ones to the catering ones to the artistic and social ones.

“Di Freisa in Freisa is one of the most eagerly awaited events for our city and, in general, for the entire Chieri area,” declare Mayor Alessandro Sicchiero and Councillor for Territorial Promotion Antonella Giordano. “The event, in fact, is not only meant to celebrate one of Piedmont’s historic grape varieties, but also aims to show the many visitors the countless excellences that Chieri is able to offer. From artistic and cultural ones to food and wine, to businesses and Associations: everyone wants to participate in this great festival and give their contribution to make this two-day event unforgettable.”

“In the last two years Di Freisa in Freisa has been renewed with the aim of becoming even fresher and more contemporary and thus bringing us closer to a young audience, eager to learn about Freisa and the other wines of the area through conscious consumption of absolute quality,” explains Matteo Rossotto, president of the Consorzio di Tutela e Valorizzazione delle DOC Freisa di Chieri e Collina Torinese

Program

There will be two central cores from which the event will come to life: Piazza Cavour and Via Vittorio Emanuele II. As per tradition, Piazza Cavour will be transformed into a large open-air stage with “Notes and Goblets of Freisa” bringing together the world of food and wine with that of music and entertainment.

24 wineries in the area will offer walk-around tasting of Freisa and wines from the Collina Torinese, along with other labels from the Canavese, Asti and Alessandria areas. A tasting itinerary enriched by the presence of the Enoteca Regionale dei vini della Provincia di Torino, which will offer participants a real journey through the wine scene of the province of Turin. Not only wine but also food thanks to a rich proposal of high quality street cuisines with their local and regional specialties.

Making the party even more lively will be music. In the afternoon and evening of Saturday, May 23, a long DJ set will feature the extraordinary participation of Francesco Quarna and Maurizio Rossato of Radio DEEJAY. On Sunday, traveling music will enliven the event throughout the historic center: from forays by BandarAdan, a landmark of street art for more than 20 years, to Occitan folk music and dancing by the group Controcanto. On Sunday, Radio GRP will also be present in the square, with widespread music and interviews, and the event will conclude with the San Marco Philharmonic – Wind Orchestra, which will entertain the audience on a journey through soundtracks and original pieces for orchestra.

Freisa Space

The Cooking Loft Spazio Gusto at Via Vittorio Emanuele 40/A will instead be the home of Spazio Freisa, active all day Sunday from 10 a.m. onwards. A place where producers, industry experts, sommeliers, as well as Wine Lovers and the simply curious will be able to delve into all the characteristics of Freisa di Chieri through guided tastings and masterclasses designed to raise awareness of conscious and, above all, quality consumption, paired with the products of the Distretto del Cibo del Chierese-Carmagnolese, thanks to the valuable collaboration with the teachers and students of the Norberto Bobbio Institute of Carignano.

Opening the day’s program of appointments at Spazio Freisa will be the meeting” Agricultural Coffee: Water and Resilience” (10 a.m.) as part of the IDEA project, in collaboration with the Agroenvironmental Working Table of the Chierese-Carmagnolese Food District: a much-needed moment of reflection during which the SWITCH Masterplan, a strategic initiative of the territory, created to respond concretely to the water crisis of 2022-2024, will be presented.

This will be followed by highly “oenological” moments such as the Blind Testing “Freisa among the greats” (12 noon), a blind tasting of three Freisa-based wines amidst three top national and international labels led by Mauro Carosso, President of AIS Piemonte; the appointment with “Freisa meets dealcoholated wines” (3 p.m.) offering an interesting journey through the history of dealcoholated wine in the company of Professor Vincenzo Gerbi; and, again, the meeting with the “Young outsiders of Freisa” (5 pm) to get to know together with Gaetano Pio Liscio – DISAFA enologist – five young new producers who have decided to launch themselves into the world of viticulture, up to the Masterclass “The Wines of the Province of Turin” (6 pm) with a tasting led by enologist Giampiero Gerbi to discover the four territories of viticulture in Turin. Moderating all the masterclasses will be food and wine journalist Danilo Poggio.

Between solidarity and culture

Alongside the many initiatives dedicated to Freisa, the Chierese weekend will involve other local businesses that have decided to participate as protagonists in the festival.

The Italian Red Cross – Committee of Chieri, thanks to the contribution of the Department of Social Policies of the Municipality of Chieri, once again this year organizes, on Saturday 23, the White and Red Night under the banner of entertainment but also of awareness and solidarity, to which are added free activities throughout the weekend designed for the whole family.

For younger children, in addition to the initiatives proposed by Red Cross, the Chierese-Carmagnolese Food District will be present in Cavour Square with the farm “La Collina,” from Baldissero Torinese (TO), accredited since 2021 by the Piedmont Region as an educational farm, which will offer fun and engaging games aimed at children, with the following times: Saturday, May 23 from 5 to 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 24 from 10 a.m. to noon and 3 to 7 p.m.

Chieri’s restaurants and eateries are also joining in with the initiative “La Freisa di Chieri nel Piatto,” offering an itinerary of tasty and creative pairings in which Freisa di Chieri meets other typical products such as the products of the Chierese-Carmagnolese Food District.

During Di Freisa in Freisa it will be possible to get to know the artistic and cultural beauties of the city: from the Palazzo Opesso Civic Gallery with the art exhibition “Beyond the Image 2026 – 11th edition of the Chieri Arte Prize,” to the Textile Museum, from the StArt Gallery to the MAC (Archaeological Exhibition of Chieri), without forgetting the many open monuments such as the churches of San Bernardino, Sant’Antonio Abate and San Filippo, which it will be possible to visit guided by Carreum Potentia.

Finally, on the afternoon of Saturday 23 at 4 p.m., new interventions made at the Don Bosco Museum will be presented, including the display of some objects that belonged to the saint.

Between shopping and sports with La Freisa at the Fair

The weekend of May 23 and 24 will then be all about shopping with “La Freisa in Fiera”: participating stores in collaboration with Ascom and the Old Town Committee will take part in the event by displaying their products in Via Vittorio Emanuele II and Piazza Umberto I. Also on Sunday will be staged the hobbyists’ market by Association 360, while an extraordinary market will be held in Via Palazzo di Città, curated by the Avac mercatals.

Chierese businesses will also be involved in two other initiatives in collaboration with Ascom and Comitato Centro Storico: “Freisa & Friends,” which provides a “double” discount system: concessions for customers of participating businesses to use for tastings in Piazza Cavour, and offers to be discovered in the stores for those who participate in the event; “We Love Freisa,” on the other hand, transforms merchants who want to immortalize their love for Freisa in a shot with a giant bottle into models.

For lovers of cycling and cycling tourism, appointment on Saturday 23 at 12:30 p.m. with “Pedali DiVini” the bicycle ride curated by Turismo Torino and Province along the roads of the Chieri area.

For all information about Di Freisa in Freisa and individual initiatives organized during the event, visit www.difreisainfreisa.it

Useful Information

• Where: Historic center of Chieri
• When:
  • • Saturday 23 5 p.m. – midnight
    • Sunday 24 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Event website www.difreisainfreisa.it

Di Freisa in Freisa is an event of the Municipality of Chieri organized by Gusto Sì, Consorzio di Tutela e Valorizzazione delle DOC Freisa di Chieri e Collina Torinese and Croce Rossa Italiana Comitato di Chieri with the support of the Piedmont Regional Council and under the patronage of Piedmont Region, Metropolitan City of Turin, Turin Chamber of Commerce, Unesco Biosphere Reserve and Collina Po and with the participation of Enoteca Regionale dei vini della Provincia di Torino and Strada Reale dei vini torinesi.