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Issue 808 - October 19th - 23rd 2026 - Expressly created for 3711 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world | |
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| | | In 1881, the great composer Richard Wagner arrived in Sicily, where, as a guest of the Tasca family, one of the historic families behind the “renaissance” of Sicilian wine under the Tasca d’Almerita label, he completed his masterpiece “Parsifal” at Villa Tasca in Palermo and also composed his final piece, “Tempo di Porazzi”, presenting the score to Countess Tasca d’Almerita. Today, 140 years later, musicians Boris Steffen and Gregor Schönborn have reinterpreted it for “The Wagner Gift”, a short film featuring a new composition and a performance at Tenuta Regaleali, to accompany “Lucio Pensiero”, the new Terre Siciliane IGT 2022 red wine dedicated to Lucio Tasca. | |
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| | Italy’s “wine business” is moving in unison to revive business in its most important market (997 million euros in the first 7 months of 2026, down 11% from the same period in 2025, the U.S. market. There, wine companies and consortia (300 exhibitors), ICE (Ita-Italian Trade Agency, which has brought together over 1,000 high-level buyers), and Veronafiere will take center stage at Vinitaly. In the U.S., on October 26-27 in New York (which WineNews will cover live from the Big Apple with two correspondents), following the famous “New York Wine Experience” by “Wine Spectator” (October 23-24), which, at Vinitaly. USA, will announce, among other things, the wineries featured in “OperaWine” 2027. At the heart of Vinitaly.Usa, then, at Pier 36 in Manhattan, the focus will be on business - with 300 leading exhibitors, including Feudi di San Gregorio, San Salvatore 1988, Medici Ermete, Cantina Rauscedo, Famiglia Cotarella, Cantine Lunae Bosoni, Bellavista, and Damilano, from La Scolca (which, with Chiara Soldati, will also stage “The Mario Soldati Experience”) to Varvaglione 1921, from Antichi Poderi Jerzu to Mesa, from Cusumano to Donnafugata, from Collemassari to Donatella Cinelli Colombini, from Frescobaldi to Geografico (Piccini Group), from Marilisa Allegrini to Nardi Viticoltori, from Prosit Group to Tenuta Sette Ponti, from Mezzacorona to Scacciadiavoli, from Angelini Wines & Estates to Farina, from Marilisa Allegrini to Nino Franco, from Pasqua to Ponte 1948, from Serena Wines 188 to Villa Sandi, from Ferrari to Mack & Schule Italia, from Oniwines owned by the Veronesi family to Nonino, to business groups such as Consorzio Italia del Vino, as well as consortia such as those for Prosecco DOC, Lugana, Asti DOCG, Brunello di Montalcino, and DOC Sicilia, among others, as well as importers and distributors focused on Italian wines, such as Banville Wine Merchants, led by Lisa Tolaini, Edoardo Freddi International, and Terlano, just to name a few among the many possible examples. At the same time, the “wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum” will also take center stage, with a particular focus on the U.S. market, as well as American wine tourism in Italy, the sensitive topic of “wine and health”, and more. The event aims to celebrate and support wine, which “serves as an economic and cultural catalyst for relations between Italy and the United States”, emphasizes Federico Bricolo, president of Veronafiere.
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| | 79% of US respondents view Italy as a destination capable of offering authentic food and wine experiences, and 47% would like to take a trip to our country that includes at least one wine-tasting experience in the next 24 months. Certain regions stand out, first and foremost Sicily (82%) and Tuscany (81%), followed by Piedmont (56%), where wine serves as a gateway to the region, its culture, landscape, and local identities; however, the pitfall to avoid is treating the winery experience as an end in itself. This is according to the report “The U.S. Market and Wine Tourism”, produced by the Italian Association for Food and Wine Tourism (AITE), chaired by Roberta Garibaldi, a professor at the University of Bergamo and one of the sector’s leading experts, for Vinitaly Tourism and Vinitaly. USA 2026, in New York (October 26-27). | |
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| | | For a wine appellation, stepping outside the realm of wine enthusiasts and associating itself with high-profile events in other sectors, from fashion to entertainment, sports to gastronomy and culture, is a significant investment, but one that pays off in the long run. This is the case, as we have often reported, with the Franciacorta Consortium, which, over the years, has forged and strengthened partnerships with the Emmy Awards, the Michelin Guide, the Mille Miglia, the Milan Chamber of Fashion (for Milan Fashion Week and beyond), and so on. It also organizes one of the most successful wine tourism events of all time, the Franciacorta Festival. And now it turns out that Franciacorta is known, at least by name, to 94% of Italians. 75% say they have tasted it at least once, and 50% say they drink it with varying frequency. These findings come from the Ipsos Doxa survey, commissioned by the Consortium led by Emanuele Rabotti. Franciacorta is a wine that 86% associate with special occasions, and 85% recognize as capable of expressing and highlighting the region and Italian identity. Awareness of the production method, however, is less widespread, standing at 42%, while 32% of Italians have already visited Franciacorta and 48% can correctly place it between the provinces of Bergamo and Brescia. | |
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| | | Ontario is Canada’s largest provincial market for alcoholic beverages by volume and is the country’s second-largest market for Italian wines, which saw their market share rise from 21% to 25% in 2025. And where Canadian consumers are seeking fresher styles, such as lighter, sparkling, dry, and sweet reds: a niche where Lambrusco fits in naturally. In fact, the Consortium is set to fly to Toronto, the capital of Ontario, on October 28 and 29 to promote the wine alongside 10 local wineries. | |
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| | “I remember my first Amarone. I must have been about 28 years old, a young resident, exhausted after a night shift. A friend poured me a glass and said, “Taste it, and don’t speak for 30 seconds”. Thirty seconds. In an oncology ward, 30 seconds of silence is a luxury! And in that glass, I understood what patience was”, and “ever since then, wine has been my companion,” such as “in happy moments, to celebrate a remission”, and this “Italian culture teaches us that the table is also a place of healing”. These are the words of French oncologist David Khayat, who, along with entrepreneur Luigi Carlon, scientist Nello Cristianini, Adele Re Rebaudengo of the Venice Gardens Foundation, and Thibaut Bruttin of Reporters Sans Frontières, winners of the Masi Foundation’s 2026 “Masi Prize”, signed the historic Amarone barrel at the Masi cellars in Valpolicella in recent days. | |
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| | Fostering networks and alliances among businesses, promoting wine as cultural heritage and a symbol of identity, accelerating innovation and digitalization, and strengthening international standing: these are the recommendations of The European House Ambrosetti’s “Community Visione Vino”. Through its “Visione Vino 2026” report, it outlined the sector’s future beyond current challenges, highlighting its value. In 2025, Italy’s wine sector generated €16.5 billion in revenue and €4.7 billion in value added, rising to €40.7 billion for the extended supply chain. | |
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