The 58th Vinitaly closed with 90,000 visitors from 135 nations, 4000 exhibiting wineries and a fairground sold out across every pavilion. The numbers are there, and they are solid; yet what struck me most this year is not something that can be measured. It is a feeling that ran through tastings, conversations at stands and masterclasses alike.
Italian wine still knows who it is! But I am less certain it knows who it is talking to.
The Fair – Attendance and Markets
Vinitaly 2026 confirmed its position as an international platform. 26% of visitors came from abroad, 5 more nations than the previous year, with over 1,000 top buyers in attendance. A result that, as Veronafiere president Federico Bricolo noted, is far from guaranteed in a geopolitical climate that makes it increasingly difficult for operators to travel to the major European trade fairs.
Among the established markets, Germany, North America, Switzerland and the United Kingdom remain the pillars. On the higher-potential front, China, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and Thailand are all gaining ground, and a notable new presence came from sub-Saharan Africa, with South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria and Angola all represented by qualified buyers. These are not just statistics: they tell us where Italian wine can still grow, and where it needs to start from scratch. An ambitious challenge, but a necessary one.
What I saw in the Pavilions
Beyond press releases and official statements, a wine fair tells its story through tastings. This year, among the producers I follow most closely, there was a tendency that was clearly distinguishable and, in many ways, cross-cutting. It might be summed up in a single word: subtraction. Less extraction, greater precision, a deliberate reassessment of alcohol levels, not as a technical compromise, but as a declared and pursued stylistic objective.
This is not a passing trend. Instead, it is a response (still partial, still highly uneven) to the demands of a market in constant flux. Fuller-bodied wines with high extraction are showing signs of strain; fresh whites, sparkling wines and lighter-bodied reds are holding their ground, and in some cases gaining. Preserving territorial identity and stylistic coherence with less “matter” to work with is one of the most technically demanding challenges a winery can take on. Some producers have already found interesting answers, while many are still in a phase of experimentation.
The No-Alcohol Question – Genuine Innovation or Defensive Adaptation?
Dealcoholised wines, and even more so those with a low alcohol content, were a significant presence, no longer confined to a niche audience and to be handled with caution. There is demand for these styles, and it comes from markets and consumers the industry cannot allow itself to underestimate, or even worse, ignore.
The technical debate is open – reducing alcohol is achievable through several methods, but maintaining complexity, balance and a sense of place is quite another matter. Some results are already convincing and show real potential; others are still searching for their own identity. This is entirely normal at a transitional stage. What I find myself questioning is not the current quality of the products, but the underlying dynamic – is the sector building a genuine response to new consumption habits, or is it chasing a defensive trend in a context of structural decline and oversupply?
I have no clear answer and In truth, I am not certain a clear answer exists.
Wine and Dining – 12 Billion Euros and a Knowledge Gap that Needs Addressing
The starting figures are significant – wine consumption in restaurants, trattorias, pizzerias and wine bars is worth 12 billion euros a year, with an average incidence on the bill of over 21%. For 22% of the establishments surveyed, that share exceeds 30%.
On the consumption side, more than half of restaurateurs report orders as “unchanged” compared to 2021–22, but those reporting declines paint a picture that is, in certain respects, a cause for concern. Restaurants and trattorias are recording the most significant falls, with a drop of 17% in value and as much as 28% in volume. The primary difficulty cited by those who acknowledge problems with wine management is, predictably, falling demand.
There is, however, a structural issue that sales figures alone do not fully capture – training. In one third of establishments, there is no form of wine education whatsoever (a figure that rises to 50% in cocktail bars and reaches 61% in pizzerias). Half of those who do receive some training do so through word of mouth from agents and distributors, rather than through associations or wine educators. Wine lists, meanwhile, are updated less than once a year in the majority of cases.
This data supports a conclusion that is uncomfortable but important – part of the decline in wine consumption may not be a product problem. Wine arrives at the table without the person serving it knowing, or being able, to explain it. At a time when consumers are better informed and more selective than ever, that gap shows. The missing piece may simply be the story.
What is needed is concrete training for front-of-house staff, better-curated wine lists, and a deeper dialogue between producers and the restaurant trade, not only as a commercial channel, but as a vehicle for spreading wine culture.
Wine Tourism – A 3 Billion Euro Asset Still Finding its Feet
The figures on Italian wine tourism are already substantial: 15 million winery visitors a year, 3 billion euros in spending, and the most established wineries recording visitor growth of +16.8% and post-visit direct sales up +21%.
The average experience price sits at €39.40 per person, with an average booking value of €136.60; figures that confirm how a well-constructed winery visit generates real economic value, rather than simply serving as a secondary activity alongside production.
Some 43.3% of visitors come from abroad; a sign of growing international demand, but one that requires more clearly defined standards to be properly captured.
The gap between the sector’s potential and its capacity to meet that demand remains wide. Italian wine tourism has everything it needs to compete at a global level: landscape, varietal biodiversity, cultural identity, and a story no other country can replicate. But for as long as the majority of wineries are not equipped to receive visitors professionally (with language skills, booking systems, structured packages and transparent trade pricing), that demand will, regrettably, go elsewhere.
The Global Market – Where Italian Wine is Growing (and Where it could Grow)
The UIV-Vinitaly Observatory presented an analysis of premium markets that deserves attention. Among the destinations identified as most promising: Japan (opportunity index 91.4), South Korea (85.1), Mexico (86.3), Brazil (78.1), and China (72.4). Next-generation markets such as Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and India, are still modest in absolute value, but with expected premium growth rates of between +25 and +76%, they represent a medium-term opportunity that requires presence and brand-building work today, before these markets reach maturity.
The Question No Trade Fair can Resolve
Vinitaly 2026 confirmed both the strength of the event and Italian wine’s ability to attract attention, investment and interest on a global scale. But the fair was also a mirror, and what it reflected, looked at honestly, is a sector navigating a profound transition.
The structural decline in consumption is not a passing phase. The disengagement of younger generations is not a temporary anomaly. The growing focus on health and more moderate lifestyles is not a fleeting trend. These are forces reshaping the market permanently, and they call for structural responses – not just new products, but new languages, new channels, new alliances between production, hospitality, tourism and communication.
Italian wine has the tools to meet this transformation. It has biodiversity, history, landscape and culture. What may still be missing, in certain parts of the supply chain, is the awareness that change cannot simply be waited out.
The 59th Vinitaly will be held at Veronafiere from 11 to 14 April 2027. I will be there.