“OPERAWINE: FINEST ITALIAN WINES, 100 GREAT PRODUCERS”, WINE SPECTATOR AND VERONAFIERE’S PREVIEW OF VINITALY 2012 IS BORN “UNDER A LUCKY STAR”: DAVID THORNE, U.S. AMBASSADOR IN ITALY CHRISTENED IT TODAY IN MILAN

“OperaWine: Finest Italian Wines, 100 Great Producers”, the “Preview” of Vinitaly 2012 (to be held on March 24th in Verona; www.operawine.com) organized by “Wine Spectator” and Veronafiere-Vinitaly, is born “under a good star”: The U.S. Ambassador in Italy just happened to be in Milan today at the Hotel Principe di Savoia, at the presentation of the event, to “christen” the “100 great Producers” of Italian wine (to date there are 86 names, the entire list will be published in December, ed), which were selected by the most influential wine magazine in the world for its first wine tasting in Europe dedicated to the excellent wines from each region in Italy. The American Ambassador Thorne told the President of Veronafiere, Ettore Riello and the General Manager, Giovanni Mantovani that he will do his very best to be at Vinitaly 2012, the international wine event (to be held in Verona in its new format from Sunday, March 25th to Wednesday, March 28th, 2012; www.vinitaly.com), as he greatly appreciates Italian wine, one of the leading symbols of “Made in Italy” throughout the world.