At the Chamber of Commerce, the tenth edition of the award named the seven winners of the Best of Wine Tourism 2027. They are Monte del Frà, Monteleone21, Cantina Bio Annafrancesca, Siridia, Azienda Agricola Val di Venere, Viaggia e Assapora and Villa del Brolo. Each one came out on top of a final shortlist of three candidates in its category. Now the international challenge awaits. At the end of the month, in fact, they will represent Verona against the finalists of the Great Wine Capitals, the network that brings together eleven “capitals” with a strong wine and wine tourism vocation. The event is the GWC annual plenary, held this year in New Zealand, in Hawke’s Bay, from 18 to 22 October. There, one of the seven Verona winners will be chosen as Global Best of Wine Tourism. And the same will happen for each of the other cities in the network.
Seven Categories, Seven Excellences
Let’s start with art. The “Art and Culture” award goes to Monte del Frà, the Sommacampagna winery that, with its Art-Winery project, has turned its cellar into a hub of artistic excellence. In “Food and Wine Experiences”, instead, Monteleone21 stands out, the offering created by Masi in Valpolicella. Here guests enjoyed an immersive Gourmet Wine Experience, always following the profile of the glass. All this within an architectural setting designed to provide versatile hospitality.
On the green front, Cantina Bio Annafrancesca of Legnago shines in “Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices”. Its vineyard has become an oasis of biodiversity, where environmental protection and love for the land of the Pianura dei Dogi blend into an elegant, sincere story. The “Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences” award then goes to Siridia of Negrar. The winery has turned tasting into a journey guided by the philosophy of Winefulness. In fact, it combines pioneering products with respect for Valpolicella, protecting its biodiversity with zero land consumption.
Now on to hospitality. In “Accommodation”, the winner is Azienda Agricola Val di Venere in Valpantena, with an innovative glamping offer. Guests enjoy total immersion in the territory, through experiences and tastings of organic and natural wines. For “Wine Tourism Services”, instead, the award goes to Viaggia e Assapora. The company has turned its passion for the territory into an inclusive, barrier-free offer, with itineraries that make wine tourism experiences accessible to everyone. Finally, “Architecture and Landscape” crowns Villa del Brolo in Mezzane di Sotto. What won the jury over was its careful conservative restoration, which blends contemporary elegance with ancient details. Then there’s the attentive hospitality of the Furia family.
Wine as a Strategic Lever
For Verona, in short, wine tourism is a decisive game, as Paolo Arena, president of the Verona Chamber of Commerce, stated:
“Wine is a strategic asset for Verona, not only in terms of production but also for the potential linked to wine tourism. Our province already attracts millions of visitors from all over the world every year: the challenge is to ensure that an ever more significant share of these arrivals also chooses to enjoy an experience connected to wine, wineries and territories. But to fully seize this opportunity, we need a structured and shared strategy, capable of making the growth of wine tourism more solid and continuous. In this direction, membership of the GWC network is an important tool for strengthening international relationships and alliances and further increasing Verona’s appeal as a wine tourism destination. The awards presented are concrete proof of this: our wineries know how to offer high-level experiences, able to meet the expectations of an increasingly demanding international audience.”
The ceremony also opened with a video message from the Minister of Culture, Gianmarco Mazzi:
“The Best of Wine Tourism is an important award because wine tells the story of the territory, the work of its businesses, the traditions and the history of its communities. Wine tourism in Italy is worth 3 billion euros and is growing steadily. It is a strategic lever for our Nation because it brings together landscape, culture, gastronomy and hospitality, generating wealth for our territories.”
Destination Hawke’s Bay
The Great Wine Capitals Global Network was founded in 1999 and brings together some of the world’s leading wine cities and regions. They all share one element: wine lies at the heart of their economic, cultural and tourism identity. Today there are 11 “wine capitals”: Adelaide (Australia), Bilbao Rioja (Spain), Bordeaux (France), Hawke’s Bay (New Zealand), Lausanne (Switzerland), Mainz (Germany), Mendoza (Argentina), Porto (Portugal), San Francisco/Napa Valley (Usa), Valparaíso/Casablanca Valley (Chile) and Verona, the only Italian member.
The network encourages the exchange of experience and know-how between territories. It also develops joint projects in tourism, business and training, and promotes innovation and sustainability across the wine tourism supply chain. Among its best-known initiatives is precisely the Best of Wine Tourism. The international award celebrates wineries and operators that stand out for the quality and innovation of their wine tourism offer, from architecture to dining, from art to sustainability.
And the Verona contest was tight right up to the end. In “Architecture and Landscape”, Villa del Brolo was up against Cantina Valetti and Giardino di Pojega – Villa Rizzardi. In “Art and Culture”, Monte del Frà beat Farina Wines and Zeni 1870. In “Food and Wine Experiences”, Monteleone21 competed with Antica Bottega del Vino and Villa De Winckels. In “Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences”, Siridia outperformed Azienda Agricola Fugolo Gianluca and Cà Rugate. For “Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices”, Cantina Bio Annafrancesca came out ahead of Cantina Le Carezze and Cantina Leonildo Pieropan. In “Accommodation”, Azienda Agricola Val di Venere prevailed over Castrum Wine Relais & Bistrò and I Tamasotti. Finally, in “Wine Tourism Services”, Viaggia e Assapora got the better of Strada del Vino Valpolicella and Verona Local Dreamer.
