Cortina d'Ampezzo: Queen of the Dolomites

The wine story here is pure Veneto: Prosecco flows like conversation at the Tivoli (Michelin-starred), while the Masi Wine Bar at Col Druscié cable car station serves Amarone and Valpolicella with Dolomite panoramas you can only reach by gondola. The Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT (established 1997) gives local producers latitude to experiment at altitude. Antica Bottega del Vino opened a new location specifically for the 2026 Olympics crowd.

Here's the paradox that defines Cortina: the town lost 34% of its permanent residents since 1971 (down from 8,499), yet became exponentially more exclusive. Fewer locals, more five-star hotels. The skiing is excellent — 120km of runs across Tofana, Faloria, and Cinque Torri — but Cortina has always been about the passeggiata on Corso Italia after the last lift closes, Aperol spritz in hand, Dolomite spires glowing pink in the alpenglow. The rocks here are 250 million years old — ancient coral reefs pushed 3,000m into the sky by tectonic force. The wine is younger. The glamour is forever.