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Issue 809 - October 26th - 30th 2026 - Expressly created for 3698 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world | |
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| | | To see Italian wine return to growth in the U.S. , its leading market, and beyond, it’s essential to work as a team. In sports, just as in business. This message was echoed by all the “top players” in the promotion, from Vinitaly to ICE Agency, institutions, the supply chain, and producers, as well as by a legendary star of the Italian national soccer team, the historic captain of Juventus, a restaurateur with N. 10 in Los Angeles, and perhaps one day, even a wine producer (maybe in Conegliano, the land of Prosecco DOCG, where he hails from): Alessandro Del Piero, in his role as ambassador for the Serie A League. “If we work as a team, soccer will also return to the top of the world, just like wine, even here in the U.S.”, he said. | |
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| | “The United States is the primary target market for Veronafiere and for Italian wine, and it still holds tremendous potential that requires investment and sustained effort. In this complex phase, which is not without encouraging signs, collaboration between businesses and institutions is crucial to supporting the competitiveness of our wineries and guiding them toward new consumers and markets to explore”. So said Veronafiere President Federico Bricolo at Vinitaly.USA in New York, aiming to maintain a presence in a market that, in 2025, brought 1.7 billion euros into the coffers of Italian wineries, and 997 million in the first 7 months of 2026 (despite an 11% decline compared to the same period in 2025). And where “institutions, as we do with ICE, must stand by businesses now that there are difficulties, not just when there are opportunities”, reiterated Matteo Zoppas, president of ITA-Italian Trade Agency. “Wine is an undisputed ambassador of Italian excellence around the world and a cornerstone of the “Made in Italy” identity, further strengthened by the recognition of Italian cuisine as a UNESCO World Heritage site and by its increasingly close ties to wine tourism”, said Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida. “It is an expression of our identity, of the richness of our regions, and of a productive culture that combines tradition, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit”, emphasized Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani. “It is also an expression of the Italian way of life. These are the elements we are bringing to New York”. For Veronafiere CEO Giovanni Sacripante, these are all resources “to win over new consumers in the United States”, and to promote Italian wine, according to Luca Rigotti, head of the Vino group at Confcooperative, Copa Cogeca, and Mezzacorona, “companies and institutions need to work together,” because “we must promote Italian wine to increase its value”, added Filippo Polegato, head of Astoria Vini and representing the Unione Italiana Vini (UIV). “I believe”, concluded Matteo Lunelli, head of the Lunelli Group, “that American consumers want authenticity, wines with a distinct identity, and our wine expresses, first and foremost, the Italian lifestyle, and then a specific territory and culture”. | |
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| | Showcasing the best of Italian wine, while also sending a message about women’s “empowerment” in a wine industry that, compared to other sectors, is already quite advanced in this regard. And so, the selection will feature the now-iconic “Legacy Icons”, the 31 wineries that have been part of every edition; the 73 “classics,” leading producers in their respective regions; and the “Led by Women” wineries, 46 wineries led by women, the newest addition to the selection of 150 Italian wineries that will take center stage at “Vinitaly OperaWine” 2027, whose list was unveiled at Vinitaly. USA, in New York. And this is not only the famous tasting and traditional preview of Vinitaly in Verona on April 10, but, as Alison Napjus and Bruce Sanderson noted in “Wine Spectator,” “it is also our only tasting event outside the United States”. | |
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| | | Today, when it comes to our approach to food in general, and wine in particular, there are those who would like to shift from a culture of awareness, information, and freedom of choice to a strategy of prohibition and imposed restrictions, in the name of a radical and, in some ways, extreme health-consciousness. This is especially true when it comes to alcohol and wine, which, in recent times, have been the subject of what many describe as outright demonization. This is “absurd, considering that wine has been a pillar of Western culture since antiquity, as clearly illustrated in Plato’s Symposium. It is an indispensable element of our history, culture, and society. Wanting to put it on a “blacklist” is absurd and harmful”. These remarks were made to WineNews by philosopher and essayist Massimo Cacciari, whom we met in Rome a few days ago at the Coldiretti Forum, where he took the time to exchange views on the topic of wine. As he has stated in the past, including to WineNews, wine is a fundamental element that defines the identity of Europeans and Italians alike. For this reason, he calls for institutional reforms to ensure the proper functioning of the European Union: “Either Europe achieves true political unity, or economic unity will also fall apart. There will no longer be any truly unified policies for agriculture”. Nor for wine. | |
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| | | Tommasi Family Estates is the Winery of the Year; Antinori is the 40-Year Winery; Josko Gravner is the 40-Year Winemaker. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Marina Cvetic S. Martino Rosso Riserva 2022 by Masciarelli is Red Wine of the Year; Etna Bianco Arrigo 2023 by Alta Mora is White Wine of the Year; Franciacorta Non Dosato 33 Riserva 2018 by Ferghettina wins the Sparkling Wine of the Year award. Here are the awards from Gambero Rosso’s “Vini d’Italia” 2027 guide, 40th edition, which awarded 540 “Tre Bicchieri” ratings. Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida was also honored. | |
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| | Not only is it the leading variety in terms of acreage and production in the Collio region, but this grape variety also exhibits a wide range of expressions in the crescent-shaped area between the Judrio Creek and the Isonzo River. “Collio Evolution”, an event organized by the Consorzio Vini Collio focusing on the appellation and its grape varieties, was dedicated to Pinot Grigio (read more about the best tastings by WineNews). Among these, said Director Lavinia Zamaro, “in the medium and long term, I don’t expect major changes, both because Collio is a small DOC with no possibility of expansion, and because it has always been focused on quality rather than chasing trends, even if it isn’t detached from the market”. And “older vintages confirm that our Pinot Grigio ages very well over time. This is an important message for the market”, explained President Luca Raccaro. | |
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| | At 1.14 million euros, “Barolo en primeur” No. 6 set a new record in recent days at Grinzane Cavour Castle during the charity auction organized by Fondazione CRC Donare Ets and Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo, in collaboration with the Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe Dogliani Consortium, featuring 14 barriques of “Barolo Gustava” 2025, 7 municipal lots of Barolo and Barbaresco donated by wineries, and 31 historic bottles, with bids still pending for barrique No. 15 on November 8 at the World Alba White Truffle Auction. Since 2021, the project has donated €5,674,800. | |
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