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The seven best wine tourism offers, the winners of the first edition in Verona of the contest “Best of Wine Tourism”, were awarded the “Best Of Wine Tourism-Award 2018” of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network.
Verona Best Of Wine Tourism 2018 winners
Verona is the first province in Italy for wine export: it is possible to assert with certainty that the Italian oenological scene is represented by the extreme variety of the typologies of wines produced in this area. If there is an ideal Wine Capital, we can affirm that Verona plays this role.
This year the Chamber of Commerce of Verona has organised its first edition of the “Best of Wine Tourism” Award involving 40 wineries and wine tourism facilities.
The Chamber of Commerce seized this precious opportunity in order to develop new competences in this field and find additional instruments for the promotion of its territory.
We are very proud of the results of this first “Verona Best of Wine Tourism” edition: our firms have enthusiastically responded and actively participated.
Seven awards in seven categories:
Wine tourism services: Europlan
A tourism group managing hotels, residences and apartments and an incoming tour operator on Garda Lake. Thanks to its highly qualified staff and deep knowledge of the region, Europlan is the main contact for the biggest European tour operators. Europlan offers quality products with an excellent price-performance ratio for various tourist destinations and makes use of advanced and flexible techniques that facilitate collaboration at each level. www.europlan.it
Art and culture: Villa Canestrari
Founded in the 1990s by the Bonuzzi and Franchi families, who have been producing the typical wines of Verona for over 130 years. The vineyards are located in the Illasi Valley, between Colognola ai Colli and Illasi, where the limestone terrain of Valpolicella overlaps with the volcanic soil of Soave, allowing them to produce both types of wine.
Thanks to the different microclimates, the soils produce grapes that highlight the typical characteristics of their wines and enable them to experiment various kinds of ancient local grapes varieties as well.
In Illasi, above the ageing cellar of Villa Canestrari, a wine museum was set up where you can sense the passion for producing wine and the gratitude for the work of the ancestors who, for over a century, preserved the documents and agricultural equipment which can be admired today during guided tours. www.villacanestrari.com
Wine tourism restaurants: Villa Cordevigo Wine Relais
A classic Venetian villa in the hills above Lake Garda, just half an hour away from Verona, surrounded by the 250-acre family estate of vineyards and olive groves. The hotel has 33 rooms: Classic, Tradition, Elegance, Junior Suites and Suites. No two rooms in the villa are alike and each combines fine furnishings, beautiful décor and careful attention to detail.
The Barchessa wing of the villa hosts the renowned Michelin starred restaurant where Giuseppe D’Aquino charms the diners with a personal blend of Neopolitan and Veneto cuisines.
The “Essentia” Spa cares for guests’ wellbeing and relaxation with special holistic treatments promoting a new level of balance between body and mind.
Special cooking courses can be organised on request, followed by interesting tours of the family’s winery and cellars 5 km away at Vigneti Villabella, and trips to the opera at Verona in the summer months. www.villacordevigo.it
Accommodation: Masi Wine Experience
With this culture and hospitality project, Masi opens not just the doors of its historic headquarters in Valpolicella but also the other centres of hospitality where Masi’s spirit and philosophy have become the guiding principles.
Among these, the Serego Alighieri estate, belonging to direct descendants of Dante the Poet, who have lived in Valpolicella since 1353, offers a dip into the archive of this noble family and their lives in the Valpolicella area.
The Serego Alighieri Estate offers the chance to stay overnight in the historic Foresteria, redesigned to contain eight apartments which are decorated in the traditional style of country gentlefolk.
Due to the cooperation with Masi, world leading Amarone producer, it is possible to taste and buy the whole range of Masi and Serego Alighieri wines, along with wines from a number of great Amarone vintages”. www.masiwineexperience.it
Sustainable wine tourism practices: Azienda Agricola Coffele Alberto
The Coffele vineyards cover approximately 25 hectares in Castelcerino, the most northern part of the Soave Classico area, and another 4 hectares in Campiano (VR). A unique place surrounded by nature, with a breathtaking view over the vineyard valley.
The company adopts a farming system that respects both nature and territory, as well as the health of the consumer, it excludes chemical weeding and it fertilizes the soil with compost and humus produced in the estate.
Coffele obtained the Organic Certification, the first in the Soave Classico area.
The company has a strong innovative drive that is proven by the creation of numerous projects related to biodiversity, sustainability, social responsibility and hospitality. www.coffele.it
Architecture and landscapes: Tenute SalvaTerra
Located in the orchard of one of the most prestigious historic mansions of the sixteenth century in Valpolicella: Villa Giona, surrounded by cypresses, olive trees, stone walls and vineyards, at the foot of one of the most fascinating villages of the entire historical Valpolicellla, Castelrotto.
An experienced team is available for tastings and tours of the park and the vineyard of Villa Giona and the enchanting cellar.
Guests can choose amongst three types of tastings including the Valpolicella Wines, Prosecco and Pinot Grigio, from their vineyards located in Padua and Lake Garda. www.tenutesalvaterra.it
Innovative wine tourism experiences : Zeni 1870
The Zeni family represents a united family dedicated to the production of the best wines from the region around Verona. Passion, sacrifice, ambition and strategies have been painting the way for more than 140 years between the hills of Bardolino and those of the Valpolicella as a gift of love towards this land, so rich in history and traditions.
The wine museum explains the whole process of winemaking through the succession of thematic areas: from the cultivation of vines to the transformation of the grapes and up to the bottling. Visitors can also book guided tasting tours and let themselves submerge into a guided sensorial journey through the world of wine and our ancient territory.
In April 2017 the Zeni winery has opened an Olfactory Gallery offering a new experience to whoever wants to explore the harmony of our wines through the olfactory sense. www.zeni.it
About the Great Wine Capitals Global Network
Founded in 1999, the Great Wine Capitals Global Network is an alliance of nine internationally renowned wine regions – Adelaide|South Australia; Bordeaux, France; Mainz|Rheinhessen, Germany; Mendoza, Argentina; Porto, Portugal; Bilbao|Rioja, Spain; San Francisco|Napa Valley, USA, Valparaiso|Casablanca Valley, Chile and Verona, Italy.
The Best Of Wine Tourism awards serve as an industry benchmark for excellence and recognize leading wineries and wine-tourism related businesses within each Great Wine Capital that have distinguished themselves in areas such as innovation, service and sustainable practices. For more information visit www.greatwinecapitals.com.
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