Verona, Italy, uniquely melds opera and wine. On February 1 and 2, the Valpolicella Wine Consortium celebrated Amarone Opera Prima’s 20th anniversary with world-renowned tenor Vittorio Grigolo, a former Sistine Chapel soloist and Arena Opera Festival star since 2013.The two-day event, hosted in the 17th-century Gran Guardia building on Piazza Brà, featured 70 producers. Consortium President Christian Marchesini focused his keynote on Valpolicella’s future amid shifting global markets and consumer preferences. Master of Wine Andrea Lonardi, the consortium’s vice-president, noted that while past Amarone production catered to demand for smooth, approachable reds in high volumes, today’s market seeks wines with…
