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Tasting Italy: Winter House Milano Cortina 2026 Tells the Story of Sport and Territory Through the Glass
On the occasion of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Winter House will be active from February 6 to 22 at Aethos Hotel Milan, serving as the Italian hospitality home dedicated to the U.S. Hockey and Skating teams, Olympic athletes, their families, and accredited international media.
Winter House is conceived as a platform for connection and storytelling, where part of the programming is devoted to the dialogue between sport, culture, and the Italian production system, expressed through a shared and universal language.
Through a guided tasting with Brian Boitano, we aim to offer American media a tangible experience of Italian culture, where wine becomes a universal language and a tool for dialogue between sport, hospitality, and territory,” says Filippo Bartolotta, internationally recognized wine educator and Art Director of the Winter House Milano Cortina 2026 Wine Program**.
Each glass, he explains, becomes a way to tell the stories of Italian territories and winemakers, in parallel with the values shared by the Olympic sporting world.
The Winter House Milano Cortina 2026 press conference, scheduled for February 7 at 10:00 a.m., will take the form of a guided tasting led by Bartolotta in conversation with U.S. Olympic legend Brian Boitano. The format is designed to welcome American press in Milan through a direct and immersive experience, capable of telling the story of Italy not only through its wines, but through the people, places, and histories that make them an authentic expression of the country.
Tasting does not simply mean learning about a wine; it means embarking on a journey—through territories, production choices, and the stories of Italian winemakers. This narrative reflects principles deeply shared with the Olympic sporting world. Like athletes, winemakers work as a team, face time as a decisive variable, interpret nature, accept challenge, and pursue a dream to its fullest expression. Wine thus becomes both a metaphor for sport and a cultural instrument, capable of conveying universal values through a tangible and recognizable gesture of hospitality.
Bringing the Winter House Milano Cortina 2026 story to life are seven Italian wineries, selected by Filippo Bartolotta to represent different territories, production styles, and visions of contemporary Italian wine. The program is conceived as a cultural journey through the glass, in which each winery embodies values shared with Olympic sport: commitment, identity, teamwork, respect for time, and respect for nature. The wineries participating in the Winter House Milano Cortina 2026 tastings:
The tastings will be served in hand-blown artisanal glassware by X-Glass, a symbol of Italian craftsmanship and manufacturing excellence.
Winners of the “Milano Cortina Wine Games” will receive a KASK ski helmet, an icon of Italian manufacturing excellence and an international benchmark in high-performance helmet production, representing safety, technological innovation, and attention to detail.
The experience will conclude with a convivial and deeply Italian gesture: Romagna-style piadina, an emblem of informal Italian hospitality and of the street food culture so appreciated by the American public. A simple product made from essential ingredients, capable of telling the story of an authentic and deeply cultural cuisine. Italian Cuisine, recently recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, thus becomes an integral part of the narrative.
A mosaic of stories and territories that, through tasting, tells international media the story of a welcoming Italy—one capable of uniting sport, culture, and conviviality in a universal, recognizable, and memorable language.
The story initiated during the press conference and tastings at Winter House Milano Cortina 2026 does not end with the Olympic Games. For guests and all those taking part in Winter House activities, the journey into Italian wine culture continues thanks to the support of HeresLab, a project partner that contributed to the realization of the event by providing a dedicated platform allowing guests to purchase the wines tasted and access exclusive experiences linked to the territories.
Winter House Milano Cortina 2026 – Wine Experiences
During the Winter Olympic Games, Winter House will host three exclusive guided wine experiences for athletes, media, and international guests through the “Milano Cortina Wine Games” format.
February 7 – Press Preview & Guided Tasting
Time:10:00 a.m.
Location: Winter House, Aethos Hotel Milan
Details: Filippo Bartolotta, in conversation with Brian Boitano, will lead a guided tasting reserved for accredited American media, presenting the wines of the seven partner wineries and exploring the connection between wine culture, sport, and Italian hospitality.
Focus: a journey through territories, winemakers’ stories, and Olympic values in the glass. From 6:00 p.m. – Lounge Bar
A high-engagement tasting challenge for athletes and VIP guests, designed to explore Italian territories and grape varieties in a competitive yet friendly spirit. The winner of the Wine Games will receive a KASK helmet.
February 13 – Milano Cortina Wine Challenge Games
From 6:00 p.m. – Lounge Bar
A tasting challenge for athletes and VIP guests. The winner of the Wine Games will receive a KASK helmet.
February 21 – Milano Cortina Wine Challenge Games
From 6:00 p.m. – Lounge Bar
A tasting challenge for athletes and VIP guests. The winner of the Wine Games will receive a KASK helmet.
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