Grape harvest reproduces the wine enjoyed in Pompeii before it was buried in volcanic ash almost 2,000 years ago.

The annual vendemmia, or grape harvest, gets underway on 20 October in the ancient Roman ruins of Pompeii.

The traditional grape harvest is part of an ongoing project, now in its 22nd year, to reproduce the wine grown in Pompeii before the city was buried by a volcanic eruption from Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

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The harvest takes place in the vineyards of the Casa del Triclinio Estivo and, for the occasion, the Foro Boario vineyard will also be open to the public on Wednesday 20 October from 09.00-13.00.

The wine is named after Pompeii's Villa dei Misteri (Villa of Mysteries) and is made with local Piedirosso and Sciascinoso grapes, using viticulture techniques from ancient Roman times.

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The project began in 1994, involving archaeologists, historians, botanists and wine experts, in a limited area of the excavations but has since expanded to include 15 plots located in Regiones I and II of ancient Pompeii.

Photo: Umberto Cesino per Parco Archeologico di Pompei