Veronafiere’s 58th edition of Vinitaly.
Veronafiere/Vinitaly
I’ll admit it, 2026 was my first Vinitaly. For someone who writes about Italy and Italian wine for a living and who now calls the Veneto home, it’s quite shocking. Better late than never, I finally hopped a train to Verona for a 48-hour plunge into arguably the most important wine fair on the planet with a single, perfect subject: Italian wine (and, yes, the grappa, the spirits, and everything in between).
Vinitaly occupies 300,000 square meters of exhibition space at the Veronafiere complex, organized by region, with around 4,000 exhibiting wineries and producers under several (very large) roofs. My Italian wine-loving brain had absolutely no idea what to do with itself. I got lost, repeatedly, and still only scraped the surface.
Costaripa’s ‘rosé bistro’ inside Vinitaly.
Jenn Rice
I sat with winemakers, tasted through endless flights, and added a handful of serious new favorites to my list. Costaripa from Lake Garda is my newest rosé obsession (and also Nicole Vezzola, fourth-generation winemaker). Tenuta Stella knocked me sideways with their Friulano DOC Collio wines. At Cantina Rauscedo, a cooperative in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, I got the unexpected delight of meeting San Giorgio della Richinvelda’s mayor, Michele Leon, who showed up to champion what is truly a remarkable community project. And I simply can’t wait to visit Caiarossa, located in Riparbella near the Tuscan coast.
Caiarossa at Vinitaly.
Jenn Rice
I swung by to say hello to the team at Mastrojanni, Brunello royalty from one of my favorite regions, Val d’Orcia in Tuscany. And then there was Josetta Saffirio, where I got to briefly meet fifth-generation winemaker Sara Vezza and taste some choice Barolo and their beautiful Vermouth. Kurtatsch is the Alto Adige winery that has officially become my newest fixation and, as luck would have it, my hiking destination next week.
Organized by Veronafiere, the Verona-based fair institution that has been producing trade fairs, congresses and events since 1898, Vinitaly is equal parts industry reckoning and celebratory chaos. A few things caught my attention across the show floor: low- and no-alcohol wines are everywhere, including, yes, Prosecco. Grappa is having a serious moment (the Grappa Nonino setup was one of the most buzziest of all of Vinitaly!). And wine tourism is more central to the conversation than ever, for producers and consumers alike.
To get a read on what’s trending and what’s actually next for Italian wine and Vinitaly, I sat down with Veronafiere President Federico Bricolo:
President of Veronafiere, Federico Bricolo.
Veronafiere
Jenn Rice: For this year’s Vinitaly, I noticed new categories, including NoLo (No and Low Alcohol). Can you tell us more about this shift and what we can expect in the future?
Federico Bricolo: Vinitaly continues to evolve in alignment with shifts in the global market. The NoLo (No and Low Alcohol) segment currently represents one of the most dynamic categories in the beverage industry; it is already well-established in several international markets and is now experiencing rapid expansion in Italy, following recent regulatory openings.
In response to these trends, we have enhanced the Vinitaly NoLo Experience, transforming it into a structured platform that integrates high-level exhibition, specialized content, and strategic networking. This dedicated area is designed to support companies navigating a high-potential segment that is still defining its long-term landscape.
The data underscores this momentum: Italian producers are accelerating their efforts with new dedicated product lines, and a +90% increase in production is projected for 2026. Furthermore, this business is heavily export-oriented (91%) and primarily driven by the retail sector—a clear indicator of robust and tangible international demand.
Vinitaly’s NoLo Experience.
Veronafiere/Vinitaly
JR: Xcellent Spirits had its own dedicated space this year and it was super popular. I noticed grappa, in particular, was a hot conversation. What else did you notice in the spirits area this year?
FB: Indeed, Xcellent Spirits has been further developed as a core component of our broader strategy to diversify and enhance our offering. The boundaries between wine, spirits, and mixology are becoming increasingly fluid, and the market now demands platforms capable of reflecting this evolution. Mixology has become a well-established market driver.
Simultaneously, heritage products—most notably grappa—are undergoing a significant revival, particularly within the HoReCa channel, where they are reclaiming a leading role through contemporary interpretations. Xcellent Spirits is part of a multi-year strategic plan through which Vinitaly aims to permanently integrate the spirits segment.
Our goal is to foster new business opportunities and encourage cross-category synergy, ensuring a comprehensive representation of the modern beverage landscape.
The exterior of the Veneto pavilion at the 58th Edition of Vinitaly.
SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
JR: Wine tourism was also a huge part of Vinitaly this year. Can you expand on thoughts about emerging wine regions or regions you think will become popular for 2026 and beyond?
FB: Wine tourism has emerged as a primary driver of attraction to Italy and a strategic lever for regional development. Through Vinitaly Tourism, we are working to structure this market with an increasingly organized and international perspective.
While established leaders such as Tuscany, Piedmont, and Veneto continue to excel, new wine geographies are asserting themselves. Sicily, in particular, demonstrates the highest growth potential through 2027, while Lombardy, Puglia, and Friuli Venezia Giulia are successfully consolidating their market positions.
The most significant trend is the widespread nature of this phenomenon: today, every Italian region is developing its wine tourism offering, adopting an increasingly integrated approach that bridges the gap between viticulture, culture, and hospitality.
JR: Anything you can divulge about what’s to come for Vinitaly?
FB: For 2027, our priority is to consolidate and scale our new formats—NoLo, Spirits, and Tourism—which reflect the primary growth trajectories of the industry. In parallel, we are strengthening our international presence with over 30 global events and an expansion into high-potential markets such as India, Southeast Asia, and Eurasia, alongside new initiatives in Africa, Canada, and Australia. The United States remains a central pillar of our strategy.
The upcoming third edition of Vinitaly USA in New York, scheduled for October 26–27, will be held in conjunction with the wine2wine Business Forum. This forum will also serve as the stage to announce the featured producers for Vinitaly OperaWine, the only event held outside the U.S. in collaboration with Wine Spectator. Our overarching objective is to further solidify Vinitaly’s position as a premier global platform for both specialized content and business development.
Within this framework, wine tourism emerges as a vital component: it is no longer merely an experience, but a strategic lever to connect territories, brands, and consumers, ultimately enhancing the international competitiveness of Italian wine.