3 events on the Amalfi Coast in September.
Gusta Minori is the Amalfi Coast's premier food festival — a multi-day celebration of the culinary traditions that earned Minori the title 'City of Taste.' The lungomare transforms into an open-air kitchen with dozens of stalls serving the coast's signature dishes: ndunderi (ancient gnocchi predating Roman times), scialatielli ai frutti di mare, melanzane alla cioccolata (eggplant with chocolate — better than it sounds), and the legendary pastries of Sal De Riso. Cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, and historical reenactments of ancient recipes fill the program. The festival celebrates not just taste but memory — how food connects generations on this coast. Hundreds of thousands attend across the event days.
Go straight to the ndunderi stand — they sell out early every night. The scialatielli are best from the stands run by actual restaurant kitchens (look for the longer lines). Arrive before 20:00 on weekend evenings or the crowds become unmanageable.
Distinct from the rotating Maritime Republics regatta, Amalfi's own Historical Regatta is an annual event that recreates the glory of the medieval maritime republic through a rowing race between the town's four historic rioni (quarters). Each rione fields a crew in traditional colors and races along the harbor, cheered on by residents who have supported the same quarter for generations. A lavish historical parade precedes the race, with hundreds of costumed participants reenacting scenes from Amalfi's golden age — diplomats, merchants, sailors, and the Doge himself processing through the streets to the harbor. The atmosphere is fiercely competitive and deeply local.
The harbor wall near the arsenal museum gives the best view of both the start and finish. The costume parade through Via Lorenzo d'Amalfi (around 16:00) is worth watching even if you skip the race itself.
The grape harvest on the Amalfi Coast is unlike any other wine region — vines grow on near-vertical terraces sometimes accessible only by monorail or donkey, and grapes are hand-picked and carried down in baskets on workers' shoulders. The indigenous grape varieties — Falanghina, Biancolella, Pepella, Tintore, Piedirosso — produce distinctive coastal wines that taste of salt, sun, and volcanic mineral. September brings harvest activity to vineyards in Furore (Costa d'Amalfi DOC), Ravello, and the hills above Maiori. Small producers open for tastings and cellar visits. The white wines of this coast, especially from Furore and Ravello, are among Italy's most underrated bottles.
Winery visits typically 15-30 EUR per person with tasting. Book directly with Marisa Cuomo (Furore), Ettore Sammarco (Ravello), or Reale (Tramonti).
Contact Cantine Marisa Cuomo in Furore for the most dramatic vineyard visit in Italy — the vines literally hang over the sea. Their Fiorduva white is world-class. Book at least a week ahead in September.
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