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If you'd like to learn about the tradition of wine making and you love Italian wine, you should come here and enjoy this magical time of the year. Wine tourism during the harvest season is a splendid experience you shouldn't miss!

A lot of cities and towns all around Italy held fairs and “sagre” to celebrate the grapes and wine.

If you are planning to come in Tuscany on the last week of September, we suggest you to make a day trip to the town of Impruneta and take part to the oldest harvest festival in the area, “La Festa dell’Uva”.

The beautiful city of Florence is the birth place of renaissance, and is often referred to as the Athens of the Middle Ages. This capital of the Tuscany region of Italy attracts millions of tourists each year, and was ranked as the world’s 72^nd most visited place in the year 2009. The city is also known as the fashion capital of Italy. Apart from the beautiful locales, grand history and friendly people, the city of Florence is also famous for the Firenze Gelato festival each year.

The Firenze Gelato festival will be held from May 23^rd to May 27^th, 2012 as part of the Florence International Handicrafts Trade Fair. The visitors can experience the process of ice cream making, and taste amazing craft gelato, made with authentic Italian ingredients.

You can also try fantastic cocktails with gelato. Bartenders can provide alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of the drinks to provide a refreshing and delightful break to people of all ages. Ice cream lovers can taste and buy hundreds of varieties of 100 percent Italian products.

While there is no concrete evidence to prove it, most historians believe that the ice cream originated in Florence during the Renaissance period. Ruggeri, an amateur cook and poultry seller, won the food competition organized by the Lords of Florence in the early sixteenth century. The fame and taste of the recipe spread across the Tuscany area, and the modern ice cream desserts were born. Painter and sculptor Bernardo Buontalenti surprised his guests at the inaugural banquet of the Fortress of Belvedere with his own ice cream recipe in1559.

The Mostra Internazionale dell'Artigianato is one of the most famous Trade Fairs in Italy. Every year you can see the handcrafted products of the ancient Florentine Workshops and see some of the fantastic arts that are being rediscovered by this fair.

There is an abundance of culture, arts, handicraft and more new creative styles at this event. There are some unique pieces modelled by experienced craftsmen.

There are distinct areas that are divided up into pavilions such as: The Italian Regions, Region of Tuscany, Visions, Handicrafts, Slow Cities and much more.

Anyone who knows anything about wine, and even those who don’t know much at all will have heard of the fantastic wine that is sometimes nicknamed the "Bordeaux of Italy".

Yes Chianti wine is famous, first being classed as a ‘type’ of wine in the 13th century. The primary grape used for reds is Sangiovese.

Red Chianti wine is often defined as a fruity wine meaning that it will also appeal to new wine drinkers. If you are new to the world of wine but would like to learn then Chianti offers many tours of wineries that are both enjoyable and enlightening.

The wine itself has many different flavours associated with it including cherry, spice, tobacco, and almonds.

It is often found accompanying well seasoned foods as it is strong and bold in flavor, and thus it is the perfect compliment to the traditional Italian cuisine. 

So if Guinness tastes better in Ireland, do you think Chianti Wine tastes better in Italy? If you’d like to find out while also taking a holiday in Italy, why not have a look at some of the holiday villas available in Tuscany and the Chianti Region itself? With guided wine tours and fantastic scenery and food, it’s something you don’t want to miss out on.

The Tuscan outdoor markets are good fun, and with some luck you can even find some good souvenirs to bring home with you. Lots of local produce, antiques and clothes are available at very reasonable prices.

This is a full list of outdoor markets in the region: