Opera Wine: the 2027 edition unveiled in New York
The top labels selected by Wine Spectator are on offer at a tasting in Verona. Among the new additions is the ‘Led by Women’ category
Letter ‘A’: Aldo Conterno, Allegrini, Antinori. And then, in order: Ca’ del Bosco, Donnafugata, Ferrari, Frescobaldi, followed by Mastroberardino, Nino Negri, Ornellaia, Tasca d’Almerita, Tenuta San Guido, right through to Zenato. To ensure no one is left out, the selection made by Wine Spectator for the upcoming Opera Wine – a prelude to Vinitaly 2027 taking place next April – is a veritable ‘all-star line-up’ of Italian wine. The list of the top 150 Italian wineries selected by Wine Spectator, one of the most influential American wine magazines, was announced in New York during Vinitaly USA and the Wine2Wine Business Forum.
Opera Wine is a premium wine tasting event scheduled for Saturday 10 April at the Gallerie Mercatali in Verona, the day before the opening of the 59th Vinitaly.
The new feature of Vinitaly Operawine 2027 is the ‘Led by Women’ category, which showcases the first 46 Italian wineries led by women.
The full list, unveiled by Alison Napjus and Bruce Sanderson, both senior editors at Wine Spectator, also features 31 ‘Legacy Icon’ (wineries featured in every edition and which have shaped the history of Italian wine) and 73 ‘Classic’ (leading producers in their respective regions with a proven track record of quality). This serves as a form of certification of both the quality and the significance of the selected wines.
According to Wine Spectator, ‘OperaWine brings together some of the leading wineries on the Italia scene, offering tastings of great wines, many of which come from the producers’ collections of older vintages. This year, the new ‘Led by Women’ category highlights estates where women hold key roles, from ownership and production to representation. Alongside ‘Legacy Icons’ and ‘Classic’, this group enriches our unique tasting event outside the United States.”
In total, there are 16 new entries in the upcoming edition and 17 wineries returning to Opera Wine after a period of absence. As for the regional origins of the 150 key Italian wine brands selected by Wine Spectator, Tuscany is the best represented with 48 wineries, followed by Piedmont (27), Veneto (15) and Sicily (14). Campania and Trentino-Alto Adige share fifth place, with seven wineries each. Tickets to take part in the large-scale tasting are not yet on sale and will be available via the Vinitaly portal.
