Over 100 accredited journalists of which 80% from abroad and 40 wineries ready to uncork on the notes of the triumphal march of Aida. It is the snapshot of Amarone Opera Prima, the extraordinary and off-season event of the Consorzio Vini Valpolicella scheduled in Verona from 17 to 20 June. A special occasion that challenges the taboo of the summer calendar to present the 2017 vintage outside the traditional location of the Preview in February, also staging the partnership between the two symbols of the city of Verona in the world: Arena and Amarone.
After the gala dinner on June 17 at Giardino Giusti reserved for the press (by invitation only), the Amarone Opera Prima program opens on June 18 with two masterclasses at Palazzo Verità Poeta (Vicolo San Silvestro, 6), to discover the versatility of the Big Rosso and the top vintages that have contributed to its positioning in over 80 countries around the globe. It starts at 11.30 with “Amarone 4wd, off the beaten track: different styles of Amarone combined with haute cuisine dishes from various countries of the world”, an initiative conceived with La Peca, the two Michelin star restaurant in Lonigo (Vi) and the narration of the food critic and wine expert, Davide Scapin. It then continues at 3.00 pm, with the session “The boom generation: the last decades of Amarone from its escalation to global success”, conducted by JC Viens, Italian wine ambassador and Wset educator.
For the national and international press from 20 nations – from the USA to the Arab Emirates, from South Korea to Canada to Israel, Singapore and the main European markets – the day ends in the Arena to attend Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida, the symbolic opera, performed under the stars in the Roman amphitheater since the first edition in 1913.
Sunday 19 June, Amarone Opera Prima moves to the Palazzo della Gran Guardia (Piazza Bra), for the tasting of Amarone 2017 dedicated to the press (from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm for the specialized). Then the press conference on the state of the appellation “Amarone and the myths of Venetian hospitality, between history and legend” at 11 am. Wine lovers and trade operators are allowed to visit the wineries stands from 4.00 to 8.00 pm.
Monday 20 June, the last day of Amarone Opera Prima, the event is open to the public and trade operators from 10.00 to 20.00.
