Verona, 7 March 2023. A full scale wave of wine passion will spread out from Vinitaly in the Exhibition Centre to the centre of Verona, ready to raise glasses in a toast at Vinitaly and the City. The Off-Show event specifically for the general public and enthusiasts is scheduled 31 March-3 April. The four-day event will bring colour to the historic centre of Verona thanks to a mosaic of cultural, artistic, musical and geographical appointments involving a mix of tastings, masterclasses, talks, meetings and guided tours - all in the name of Italian wine-making excellence. The area made up of Piazza dei Signori (Loggia di Fra Giocondo, Loggia Antica and Torre dei Lamberti), Cortile Mercato Vecchio and Cortile del Tribunale is where most of the appointments and tasting lounges will be hosted.
Watched over by the statue of Dante - the protagonist of the "Willing to soar to the stars - The Purgatory song of forgiveness” exhibition curated by Frank Nembrini which will be presented on 1 April (15:00-16:00) in the Loggia di Fra Giocondo - the heart of Vinitaly and the City is the stunning Enoteca Vivite–Alleanza delle Cooperative. Here, visitors will be able to taste wines from all over Italy before venturing into the Mixology area in Loggia Antica. This , section is home to proposals by Bartenders Group Italia, Nespresso, Molinari, Italian Wine Brands, The Organics by Red Bull, Consorzio dell'Asti Spumante e del Moscato d'Asti Docg, Campari and Acqua delle Stelle by Pernigo.
The Banca Passadore & C Lounge - the official partner of the exhibition - will illuminate the architecture of the Court of the Scaliger Lords, while the Lugana DOC Consortium will take the toast up to a height of 84 metres on the panoramic terrace of Torre dei Lamberti. The geography of Italian wine-making, on the other hand, will be re-drawn in Cortile Mercato Vecchio, home for the occasion for "embassies" from Lake Garda, with the Chiaretto and Bardolino Consortium to the Province of Treviso with the Asolo Montello Wine Consortium and the far south of the country with the Calabria Region. This is also the venue for the Wine Talks of Vinitaly and the City conducted by oenologist and wine writer Sissi Baratella. A space for debate and discussion between visitors and producers. Lastly, Cortile del Tribunale will see a selection of snapshots covering the wine scene all over Italy with the Guide to Italian wines by Gambero Rosso and the Latium Region as protagonists of tasting of award-winning wines and food&wine novelties.
The most evocative new features on the programme include the launch of the Vinitaly and the City Wine Guitar in wood from chestnut wine barrels made by Fabrizio Paoletti, the lute-maker who has made guitars for stars including Bruce Springsteen, Keith Richards and Joe Walsh. There are also literary appointments, in collaboration with the Feltrinelli Verona bookshop, starting on Sunday 2 April with two presentations with a food and wine theme. Roberto Valbuzzi (following his family tradition as chef of Ristorante Crotto Valtellina, as well as a well-known television face) will talk about his "Cook, Restaurateur, Farmer", published by Gribaudo (15:00), while Joe Bastianich will present his book "The Great Story of Italian Wine", written with Tiziano Gaia for Mondadori Electa (19:00).
The opening times for Vinitaly and the City are as follows: Friday 31 March 18:00-23:00 (inauguration at 18:00), Saturday 1 April 15:00-23:00, Sunday 2 April 15:00-23:00, Monday 3 April 18:00-23:00. Tickets (1 glass, 4 tasting vouchers, 1 experience token and access to the event lounges) can be purchased online until 30 March at a cost of €16.50. at the event venue itself (from 31/03 to 03/04), tickets can be purchased at the help desk in Piazza dei Signori and online at a cost of €20 (info and shop at www.vinitalyandthecity.com).
Vinitaly and the City is organised by Veronafiere in collaboration with the Verona City Council, the Province of Verona and the Cariverona Foundation.