During the 2025, Area 39 managed the coordination of the collateral activities for the European project D’Opera – Quality Heritage of Europe, a campaign celebrating two protected designations of origin: Valpolicella DOC and DOCG wines and Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese. The D’Opera project is promoted by the Consorzio per la Tutela dei Vini Valpolicella and the Consorzio del Parmigiano Reggiano. The program included stops in Düsseldorf, Rome, Milan, and Paris.
On the occasion of ProWein Düsseldorf 2025 (16–18 March 2025), the project welcomed more than 150 selected professionals.
The program featured:
- ● two trade fair workshops led by sommelier Claudia Stern, focused on pairing different Valpolicella labels with two aging varieties of Parmigiano Reggiano;;
- ● an exclusive Fuorisalone event at Hotel Schnellenburg, organized as a walk-around tasting, where guests had the opportunity to taste a selection of wines from the Valpolicella Consortium paired with 24-month-aged Parmigiano Reggiano.
These two events confirmed the strong interest of the German market in the excellence of Made in Italy products, with over 150 selected professionals taking part in the activities.
The event program: Rome, Milan, and Paris
On 20 October 2025 in Rome, at the Signorvino store in Piazza Barberini, two educational workshops and a walk-around tasting took place.
During the day, two workshops were held by food and wine critic Antonio Paolini together with expert taster Alessandro Stocchi from the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, involving a total of 25 participants including specialized press representatives and industry professionals.
The sessions addressed strategic topics for the wine and food sector, including the impact of climate change on production techniques — particularly on the evolution of the appassimento process — as well as changes in consumer behavior and public preferences in the wine market and in food pairings.
Starting at 6:30 PM, the walk-around tasting welcomed more than 100 qualified contacts among trade operators and industry journalists, offering an informal moment of tasting and networking between producers and food & wine professionals.
The initiative confirmed the effectiveness of the event’s digital promotion strategy, based on the direct distribution of invitations and dedicated communications via email to a targeted mailing list of industry operators and journalists. This activity achieved open rates exceeding 81%, a particularly significant result when compared to the average performance of email campaigns in the events sector, highlighting a high level of interest and engagement from the target audience.
In Milan, on 22 October 2025, at the Signorvino Wine Room in Via Dante, the project brought together around 40 professionals including press representatives and opinion leaders from the sector.
The sessions, moderated by Alessandro Torcoli, editor of Civiltà del Bere, explored the evolution of the appassimento technique and the versatility of Valpolicella DOC and Valpolicella Superiore wines.
The storytelling experience was enhanced by pairings with Parmigiano Reggiano aged up to 90 months, curated by Alessandro Stocchi, highlighting the complementarity between these two outstanding Italian excellences.
The tour further strengthened the project’s presence in France with an event held at Signorvino Paris on 29 October 2025.
Under the guidance of wine critic Gabrielle Vizzavona and Fabrice Gour, consultant specialized in the development of the French market for the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, two educational masterclasses led participants through a tasting journey featuring different Valpolicella wines paired with four aging stages of Parmigiano Reggiano (24, 48, 60, and 90 months).
The event concluded with a walk-around tasting involving journalists, local trade operators, and wine lovers, who had the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the Consortium’s labels paired with 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano, receiving extremely positive feedback regarding both the quality of the selection and the overall experience.
The added value of Area 39
Area 39 ensured integrated operational management, coordinating every phase of the project: from defining the strategy and coordinating activities across different markets, to selecting venues and managing the organizational secretariat. It also oversaw the technical direction of the content, the engagement of high-profile speakers, as well as the final reporting and analysis of the results achieved.
A comprehensive approach that transformed each stop into a coherent, authoritative, and measurable experience.
Looking ahead
The continuation of the project in 2026–2027 represents an important step toward further strengthening the international positioning of the two denominations and enhancing dialogue with European trade professionals, media, and opinion leaders.
Area 39 will continue to provide its strategic and operational expertise to develop increasingly effective formats capable of generating added value for both the Consortia and the territories they represent.
