Wine, gastronomy and musical excellence merge into a new experience with Vinitaly, The Opera's Ouverture

A tasting of the finest Italian labels, accompanied by products of gastronomic excellence, combined with an evening of opera in the largest open-air theatre in the world. This is Vinitaly, the Opera's Overture, a sensory experience and a celebration of Italian-made quality. Fondazione Arena di Verona and Vinitaly are enhancing the offer of the Arena Opera Festival Experience, a project managed by Infront Italy.

Just a stone’s throw from the Arena, in the seventeenth-century Gran Guardia palace, an exclusive experience is coming to life. From 4 July to 31 August, for a total of 38 evenings, Italian wine will take centre stage on a pre-opera tasting course. From Thursday to Sunday and during some Gala evenings, the exclusive bar overlooking Piazza Bra will host a selection of local wineries, led by the sponsor Sartori di Verona, official supplier of the Opera Festival, and by the wineries that have signed up to the 67 Colonne per l'Arena di Verona project. But that's not all. In fact, there will be an area dedicated to the best labels selected by Vinitaly. The wine cellars and tasting wines will thus change every night. The wines will be accompanied by the finest-quality meal – dishes paired with the wines presented, a tribute to Italian cuisine, nominated for World Heritage status.

The experience will start at 7 p.m. and last until the show begins. In addition to individual tickets, which can be purchased from the website www.arena.it together with the show, there will be two ways for corporate customers to participate: corporate subscriptions with 80 or 100 tickets and the flexible ‘carnet’ with 40 tickets, designed to offer companies maximum freedom of use. Upon request, the experience can also be enhanced with an introduction to the opera, created by Fondazione Arena to prepare the audience for the show on stage that evening. To book, send an e-mail to hospitality.italy@infrontsports.com.

“We strive to provide a complete offer of the highest quality, primarily from the artistic point of view to satisfy music lovers and fans, but also through new experiences that give foreign audiences an immersion into what it means to be ‘Italian’ and to ensure an unforgettable evening for companies and their customers,” according to Cecilia Gasdia, the General Manager of Fondazione Arena. “As we always say, the Arena is the most Italian place on Earth; thanks to this collaboration with prestigious companies, such as Veronafiere and Vinitaly, it is now even more so”.

“This initiative – the fruit of a partnership between Veronafiere and Fondazione Arena – represents a winning example of synergy in the promotion of two outstanding symbols of our territory and flagships of Italian-made quality: wine and culture,” adds Federico Bricolo, President of Veronafiere. “Vinitaly, the most important event dedicated to our wine, and the Arena, one of the most extraordinary temples of music and opera, have come together to promote not only events, but an all-round Italian experience that will appeal to the general international public”.

“With Vinitaly, The Opera's Overture, we wish to further strengthen the link between culture, hospitality and territory,” says Alessandro Giacomini, Managing Director of Infront Italy. “The Arena di Verona is a symbol of our heritage, and creating an opportunity for companies and institutions to meet within its walls means showcasing the best of Italian identity: art, relationships and hospitality".