Verona Wine and Olive Oil Tourism Days

The Verona Chamber of Commerce dedicates four days to wine and oil tourism: 66 companies will meet 21 international buyers, discovering the excellence of the territory, mapped thanks to the Best of Wine Tourism contest.

Here are the magnificent 7 of the Best of Wine Tourism competition, the businesses that have distinguished themselves from others in a special way and will compete for the Global Best of Wine Tourism Award along with the nominees awarded in the other Great Wine Capitals (Gwc).

Each year, in fact, Gwc's international jury chooses an international winner for each of the 12 countries in the Network. From the seven winners who were honored this year, the international winner will be selected at this year's Annual Conference to be held in Lausanne, Switzerland, Oct. 22-26.  Last year in Mendoza, Argentina, the jury awarded the prize to Pieropan Winery "for having built a winery that combines the most advanced technological structures with fascinating architectural solutions, in harmony with the surrounding nature and respecting the landscape of the Soave hills." Accepting the award last night were Teresita Pieropan and the designer, Moreno Zurlo.

This year 103 wineries and supply chain service businesses participated in the competition. They are collected in a Guidebook that flanks the map of wine tourism offerings with a focus on oil tourism with the presentation of 13 olive oil enterprises that opened their doors to the public.

Below we highlight the list of Best of Wine Tourism winners with their motivations and a brief description.

Category Architecture and landscape: Casa Sartori 1898

"For masterfully restoring a historic villa and park, transforming them into a unique experience that combines wine, art and culture, creating a perfect harmony between human art and the natural beauty of the place."

Welcome to Villa Maria, the beating heart of Casa Sartori 1898 for over 120 years. A special place surrounded by beauty and nature: from the large park with its centuries-old plants, to the Corte Brà vineyard enclosed in the ancient brolo, the first purchased by the founder. Its historic cellars, with their concrete tanks and oak barrels, jealously guard precious colors, scents and flavors, unique treasures of Valpolicella; entering them means living an exciting experience, which can only end by savoring in the wines all our history. The starting and finishing point of the tour route will be the Wine Shop of Casa Sartori 1898, created in the original gatehouse of the Villa's janitor, restored with an ecological sensitivity that earned it Carbon Neutral certification and also offering additional services, such as a space dedicated to children and a charging column for electric cars.

Category Arts and Culture: Farina

"For supporting the dialogue between Art and wine culture by creating exhibitions of works by contemporary artists of international significance within the winery's environments, whose design lends itself perfectly to displaying the artworks selected as part of the 'Art Ferment' project."

More than 100 years of history bind the Farina family to the land, the vineyard and the art of making wine. The advent of the 4th generation, represented today by Claudio and Elena, saw its establishment beginning in the 2000s. Farina's revolutionary phase begins, which will lead to an expansion of the facility with cozy rooms created in the old dovecote for tastings and events. In 2019, a further renovation of the accommodation begins, with evocative new reception areas for the wine tourism experiences offered by Farina today. Next to the magical glass "cube" inside the historic courtyard, an ideal location for events, here is the ultra-modern Wine Boutique, where the winery's wines can be tasted accompanied by excellent gastronomic products. Important investments are also made in sustainable technology and winemaking research. Alongside steel and wood for winemaking and aging, The choreographic "Tulip," raw concrete vats and innovative ceramic stoneware containers are Farina's fascinating new challenge to achieve mature but fresh wines.

Category Innovative experiences in wine tourism: Cantine Giacomo Montresor

"For creating a museum that offers an immersive experience telling the story of history, culture and territory, in a journey that involves all the senses, offering visitors the ideal framework for understanding the context in which the great wines of Verona are born."

Wine is an immersive experience to be lived 360 degrees between storytelling, culture and territory. Our journey begins with the history of our wineries, which are inextricably linked to the city of Verona. In fact, our facility is located a stone's throw from the historic center. At Montresor it is possible to discover and experience the culture of wine in Valpolicella. An experience that has as its protagonist the world of wine: our choice is to open the doors of the winery, to let you taste our products, history and territory. Hospitality for us at Montresor has become over the years part of the philosophy that we carry on day after day, with passion and important innovations. Create your own wine experience! Immerse yourself too in a sensory journey to get to know the flavors of Valpolicella: you can choose between two wine trail proposals with two tasting formulas.

Sustainable Practices: Le Carezze

"For its commitment to creating an oasis in nature, taking care of the flora and fauna as well as the vines, combining a passion for wine with the protection of the ecosystem."

Le Carezze Organic Winery: "It is located in the Veronese plain on an area between two rivers, the Adige and the Fratta with a total extension of 30 hectares, only 11 of which are cultivated with certified organic methods since the year of planting in 2015. The goal behind the Le Carezze farm project is to restore the biodiversity lost in the last century with the mechanization of agriculture and the massive use of monoculture. To this end, a large part of the farm's land area has been used for planting native tall trees, and in a few years the countryside has been repopulated with many animal and plant species. We sow flower meadows to encourage pollination of the vines by bees. During their visits, tourists can walk among the vineyards, our lush forest and among the many species of aromatic plants stimulated in their senses by the colors and scents. In the vineyard they will learn about new grape varieties that we believe are the future of sustainable practices: we are talking about fungus-resistant grapes, known as Piwi grapes. Guests will also be able to taste our wines in the new tasting room, which can accommodate up to 60 people, or participate in our themed events and the many dinner-tastings we organize.

Category Accommodation: Valentina Cubi

"For creating an exclusive environment within an ancient rural courtyard, inspired by the traditional raw materials of the area that invites you to rediscover the pleasure of life in the open air and the rhythms of a Valpolicella winery."

Valentina Cubi: "Purchased this winery in 1970 we set out to produce quality wines using only the grapes we grow the commitment to operate with respect for nature was realized in 2007 by beginning the conversion to organic. In 2010 part of the winery obtained "organic" certification. The wines produced proved to be to the liking of both us and our customers and convinced us to convert the entire company to "organic" It matured in us the desire to introduce other people to the reality of life in Valpolicella, so we decided to open, adjacent to the winery, an Agriturismo where we can accommodate people who wish to experience the reality of this fantastic land. Today 5 rooms can accommodate wine tourists who want to spend a few days in a quiet area surrounded by our vineyards. Our guests tasting our wines and visiting the winery and vineyards enter a reality made of serious and competent people, passionate about wine, dedicated to quality and beauty. Through sharing our style we make them participants in every step of our work, from the vineyard to the bottle. Food-wine pairing tastings, vineyard tours and special events are organized."

Categoria Dining: Osteria di Campagna Domìni Veneti

"For having created between Valpolicella and Lake Garda, in an old farmhouse surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, a place where typical dishes and products find the right alchemy with the excellence of the territory's wine production."

Since 1933 the story of Cantina Valpolicella Negrar has been the story of men and women dedicated to the creation of quality wines, a sincere and living expression of a territory: the Valpolicella. A smile, the attentive gaze and dedication of our winemakers in a place, which remains in the heart, are the foundations of our Cantina. For years, the winery has been committed to improving the reception business and offering our guests the best possible experience. The new "Osteria di Campagna" Domìni Veneti in Cavaion Veronese is part of an extended hospitality project between Valpolicella and Lake Garda, which promotes sustainable tourism, to enjoy on site the slow rhythm of the seasons, the flavors of typical dishes at Km 0 and excellent glasses of Amarone, Recioto, Valpolicella and Ripasso

Wine tourism services: Strada del vino Valpolicella

"For the activity of promoting the territory through initiatives to enhance wines, typical products, tourist routes and all social and cultural economic realities."

The Valpolicella Wine Road Association deals with the promotion of the territory through the enhancement of the artistic, cultural and enogastronomic heritage of Valpolicella. The activity of the association insists on the territory related to the production of Valpolicella Wine, which extends over 19 municipalities, starting from the municipality of Dolcè and Pescantina, up to the municipality of Montecchia di Crosara. Therefore, our activity affects the entire Valpolicella denomination, an area renowned for the production of fine wines such as Amarone, Recioto, Valpolicella and Valpolicella Ripasso. One of the goals of the Valpolicella Wine Trail is to raise awareness of its members through various promotional initiatives. Through the establishment of information points, the management of the official tourist portal of Valpolicella www.infovalpolicella.it and the organization of events, it is also possible to achieve another of the association's main goals: to publicize the many cultural, artistic, naturalistic and food and wine resources.