Antica Bottega del Vino, real “temple” of Italian wine and not only, goes to Cortina

From the “city of lovers”, the capital of Valpolicella, tied to its “legendary history” to the “pearl of the Dolomites” to write a new chapter in that story: starting from December 30, the Antica Bottega del Vino of Verona, an authentic “temple” of Italian wine and one of the attractions in one of Italy most visited art cities, will open in Cortina d’Ampezzo, an iconic destination for winter tourism in Italy, now more than ever in the spotlight thanks to the upcoming Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics (starting from February 6).
The Antica Bottega del Vino in Cortina will be a “branch” similar yet different, of the historic and award-winning venue in Verona, located on the central Corso Italia, with its opening scheduled on the eve of the next Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2026, which will conclude in Verona, the city where the Bottega arose in the 1500s during the golden age of the Venetian Republic. It has been 15 years since, following the closure of the Bottega, the Famiglie Storiche - Historical Families (which now count 13 wineries: Allegrini, Begali, Bertani, Brigaldara, Guerrieri Rizzardi, Masi, Musella, Speri, Tedeschi, Tenuta Sant’Antonio, Tommasi, Torre D’Orti, and Zenato) decided, united, to give the city back a place of meeting and cultural identity, which under the management of director Luca Nicolis has found new and vital momentum. The success of the venue is due to the quality of its cuisine, its extraordinary wine cellar - ranked among the 96 best in the world and awarded the “Grand Award” by “Wine Spectator” for 21 consecutive years - and a by-the-glass offering hard to find elsewhere, combined with the convivial atmosphere among original Austrian furnishings. Today, the Bottega is still headed by the Famiglie Storiche, united in their belief in the project.
“The success of the Bottega, the trust and esteem for director Luca Nicolis convinced us to take this further and important step - explained Sabrina Tedeschi, current president of the Antica Bottega del Vino - Luca, thanks also to his volcanic enthusiasm, has managed to create a great team in Verona, which has effectively become the eleventh family behind the Bottega. The choice for the new opening fell on Cortina, an iconic and international location (ed: the other option was Milan), which we consider an important showcase for our wines”.
In Cortina, attention to local tradition, as well as the quality of the food and wine offering, will be the same as in Verona. The menu will feature iconic dishes from the Verona venue - such as chicken salad, Amarone risotto, and cicchetti - alongside those that best represent Ampezzo tradition. The wine cellar will host thousands of bottles (21,000 in Verona), with an additional 1,500 labels compared to Verona 4,100. In the kitchen, there will be chef Giulio Alberto Debeni, with extensive national and international experience and a long collaboration with chef Luca Dalla Via at the Bottega, while the cellar will be entrusted to head sommelier Pietro Campara. A team “trained” for two years in Verona, designed to bring the style and identity of the Antica Bottega del Vino to Cortina.
“The task entrusted to us by the Famiglie Storiche has been incredibly stimulating - explained Luca Nicolis, a true Italian host - and thanks to the commitment of the entire team and our suppliers, it led to the realization of this ambitious project. The Bottega Vini in Cortina will be different, but with the same charm, attention to quality, and character as the “original” in Verona, also thanks to the reinterpretation in Ampezzo style of interiors enriched by restored antique pieces, such as a late 19th-century Austrian stube”. Similarities include the same position of the counter, taken from an old late 18th-century sacristy, the chalkboard listing wines by the glass, and woodwork crafted, like everything else, by local artisans. The venue is significant in size: about 300 square meters over two floors (0 and -1), with a large outdoor area for around 100 seats in total, open seven days a week, year-round, and a kitchen of 40 square meters “which - underlined Nicolis - will make the Verona staff envious, as they only have 12”.
The investment for the purchase and renovation of the premises by the Famiglie Storiche heading the Bottega Vini has been substantial. “A step following the success of the Antica Bottega del Vino in Verona, which led us to reinvest in Cortina to continue the project, also supported by Banco Bpm, whom I thank for being by our side”, concluded Pierangelo Tommasi, president of Famiglie Storiche.