Toast of Milano Cortina 2026 speaks Italian with maxi investment by Prosecco Doc

Starting from tomorrow evening, the eyes of the world, sports fans and not only, will turn to Milan and Cortina, the “widespread stage” of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, for the opening ceremony and, afterwards, for the performances of the champions of skiing and all other competing disciplines. When the Olympic Flame is lit simultaneously in Milan and Cortina, the moment will also be celebrated with the presence of the Prosecco DOC Protection Consortium: the producers of the world most famous Italian sparkling wine, which is the Official Sparkling Wine of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. “It is an investment - the most significant in the history of the denomination - which brings Veneto and Friuli regions before a global audience of more than 3 billion spectators”, explains a note by the Consortium, adding that the partnership with the Games “represents an important opportunity to promote Italian culture and identity on a global scale, in perfect harmony with the theme of Harmony which characterizes the event”. The choice also follows a clear territorial logic: “Cortina d’Ampezzo, the beating heart of the Games, lies within the boundaries of the Prosecco DOC, in the province of Belluno, one of the nine provinces of the Denomination”. “The Winter Olympics have returned to Italy, after Turin 2006 and, before that, Cortina 1956. The likelihood that an event of this scale will return to our lands again soon is remote  - declares Giancarlo Guidolin, president of the Prosecco DOC Consortium -  not being present would have been like looking away while the world looked at our home. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show that Prosecco DOC is not just a wine: it is the territory which produces it, the communities who live it, the work of thousands of producers from Veneto and Friuli”.
Prosecco DOC will therefore feature prominently in all key moments of the Games, starting with the inauguration of Casa Italia at the Triennale in Milan on February 6th, attended by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella - the menu and chef for tonight dinner remain top secret (although rumors suggest the Cerea family of the three-starred Da Vittorio in Brusaporto, ed), but earlier today the President lunched with the Italian athletes in their cafeteria, with a meal featuring pumpkin and cheese lasagna, grilled swordfish with steamed vegetables, apple pie, and seasonal fruit. Particularly, as Official Sparkling Wine, the Prosecco Consortium will oversee several types of locations: 13 Competition Venues (Olympic/Paralympic Family Lounges) where Prosecco will be served in official lounges at all competition sites in Cortina (four venues), Milan (four venues), Val di Fiemme (two venues), and Valtellina (three venues). 6 Live Sites and Fan Villages, i.e. public entertainment areas in Milan (Piazza del Cannone), Bormio (Piazza Cavour), Livigno (Isola area), Cortina d’Ampezzo (Largo delle Poste), Predazzo (Piazza del Comune), and Brunico (Tschurtschenthaler Park). In addition, three Casa Italia locations: the official Coni spaces at the Triennale in Milan, the Farsettiarte Gallery in Cortina, and Aquagranda in Livigno (where the 26 wines selected for “Musa” will also be present, the hospitality house project curated for Coni by Lt Wine & Food Advisory with support from journalist and “Corriere della Sera” deputy editor Luciano Ferraro).
There will also be the Prosecco DOC Sparkling Hub, a 600-square-meter lounge in San Babila, in Milan, serving as a reference point for international media and opinion leaders, with a program ranging from haute cuisine to signature mixology, from art to technology. Prosecco DOC will also be featured at the Cortina Dolomiti Lounge, the official lounge of Fondazione Cortina at the Museo delle Regole in Cortina d’Ampezzo, at Casa Veneto in the Casa delle Regole, and at Casa Verona at the Verona Arsenal, and not only, with other strategic presences. 16 Prosecco DOC producers are officially participating in the Consortium activities for Milan Cortina 2026 (Brilla! Cà di Rajo, Cantine Maschio, Casa Vinicola Bosco Malera, Italian Wine Brands, La Marca, Le Rughe, Masottina, Mionetto, Pitars, Ponte 1948, Serena Wines 1881, Torresella, Villa Sandi, Val d’Oca, and Valdo). The Consortium has also planned a major visibility campaign in strategic locations such as airports (Treviso, Venice, Milan Malpensa, and Bergamo Orio al Serio), a vaporetto in Venice, ski lifts and alpine destinations, with 23 installations in key ski areas totaling over an estimated 6.6 million impressions (4.8 million in Courmayeur and 1.8 million in Arabba).
Furthermore, the Consortium highlights that “the Games are an opportunity for an extraordinary territorial promotion initiative through educational tours which will bring journalists and strategic operators from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, China, and Germany directly into the heart of the Denomination, between Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. Among the participants, there will be authoritative voices such as Jeff Porter (Wine Enthusiast) and Rumi Furuya (Kateigaho magazine), allowing them to experience first-hand the authenticity and excellence of the Prosecco DOC territory, transforming the Games into a bridge between Italy and international markets”.
“The Olympic toast marks the transition from the tension of competition to the joy of celebration  - concludes Consortium president Giancarlo Guidolin -  Milan Cortina 2026 is not just marketing but a statement of territorial identity before the world: behind every glass of Prosecco DOC, there are a territory to preserve, a community to uplift, and an authentic identity to protect”.