A vineyard in the Abruzzo region of Italy is home to a fountain that only dispenses wine. And, the best part is that it’s free.
The idea was born after a similar wine fountain was set up along Spain’s Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route a few years ago.
The wine fountain is located in Caldari di Ortona and is open to visitors and pilgrims alike.
They’re a symbol of hospitality
A wine fountain adds a touch of elegance to the Shabbat table and can be a beautiful way to greet guests at a dinner party. They can also help to make the passing of Kiddush wine easier and more convenient for hosts. In addition, they can serve as a decorative piece on the sideboard.
A few years ago, a winery in Italy realized 10 out of 10 people’s dreams when it opened a fountain gushing red wine 24 hours a day for all to drink. The fountain is located in a town called Caldari di Ortona and was a collaboration between the local winemaker, Dora Sarchese Vini, and an organization that promotes the Cammino di San Tommaso pilgrimage route.
Europe has a long history of free wine, from a Venetian fountain for sailors in the 1630s to a tradition of wine flowing through water conduits at the English court in the 1500s. But a fountain with actual wine spouting from it is a first.
They’re a work of art
Fountains of all shapes and sizes have been the subject of folklore and urban legends for centuries. Some resurrect beauty, others grant wishes and some dispense wine. While the latter may be a bit of a stretch, one vineyard has taken it upon themselves to make it happen in Caldari di Ortona, Italy.
As the Local reports, a vineyard has created a fountain that — unlike those water fountains you might remember from your childhood schoolyard days — dispenses free wine, 24 hours a day. It’s located along a popular religious trek, and is open to the public.
In a way, this is just like the Fountain that Marcel Duchamp created in 1917. He bought a urinal from a sanitary ware manufacturer and submitted it (or planned to submit it) to the Society of Independent Artists, which he helped organize and promote. Its directors deemed it immoral, as it was connected to human waste. This was a major shift for art, as it meant that an object’s meaning could be more important than its materiality.
They’re a way to hydrate
While we here in the US are accustomed to water fountains with vertical spouts that allow you to fill up your water bottle, Europe one-upped us by putting wine in the mix. In Italy’s Caldary di Ortona city, a fountain spurts not lowly H20 but delicious red vino 24 hours a day, and for free.
The fountain was a dream of local vineyard Dora Sarchese, and was inspired by a similar fountain that greeted pilgrims on Spain’s Camino de Santiago trail. The company also offers a webcam to keep far-flung fans of this wine fountain in the know, The Local reports.
Jewish Wine Fountains are used to celebrate the Sabbath and Kiddush, a traditional Jewish ritual involving blessing over a glass of wine. They can be a great way to bring a touch of luxury and elegance to your Shabbat and holiday table. Choose from our wide selection of anodized aluminum designs. Drill a hole near the back of the base so that your tubing can run through and connect to your fountain pump.
They’re a way to celebrate
There are water fountains, and then there’s this fountain in Italy that dispenses red wine for free. Located in Caldari di Ortona along a popular pilgrimage route, the fountain is run by a local vineyard and nonprofit organization.
The “fontana del vino,” as it is called locally, aims to serve thousands of pilgrims each year on the Cammino di San Tommaso. The route, which connects historical churches and abbeys along a 196-mile path to the Basilica of Saint Thomas, draws countless Roman Catholic visitors from around the world each year.
Although this is the first wine fountain of its kind in Italy, it certainly isn’t the only one in Europe. In fact, Bruges recently installed a two-mile-long beer pipeline that pumps 1,000 gallons of ale through the streets each hour, allowing people to fill their glasses from fountains beneath the sidewalk. And Tudor England’s King Henry VIII had a few wine conduits that spouted unlimited amounts of vino for his courtiers.