Vernaccia di San Gimignano celebrates sixty years of DOC status and seven hundred and fifty years of history.

On March 3, 1966, Vernaccia di San Gimignano became Italy's first controlled designation of origin. Sixty years later, on that exact date, the Sala Dante of San Gimignano's Town Hall hosted the conference " Vernaccia di San Gimignano: The Roots of the Future ," a moment of collective reflection that brought together key figures from the institutional, academic, and communication worlds of wine to chart the course for the coming decades.

A doubly symbolic event: 2026 also marks the 750th anniversary of the first documented mention of Vernaccia di San Gimignano, making this wine one of the oldest testaments to Italian winemaking history. A longevity that is not only preserved in the archives, but continues to express itself vividly in glasses around the world.

The conference, opened with greetings from Mayor Andrea Marrucci and the President of the Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Consortium, Manrico Biagini , offered a multi-voiced reflection on the past, present, and future of the denomination.

The debate was opened by Filippo Mobrici , Vice President of Federdoc, who offered a systemic perspective, concretely addressing the most pressing challenges facing Italian denominations: competitiveness in global markets, sustainability as a strategic lever, digitalization as a tool for visibility and storytelling, and the generational issue—namely, how to introduce young consumers to a responsible and informed wine culture. These reflections were complemented by a contribution from Michele A. Fino , Professor of Fundamentals of European Law at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, who offered a cross-sectional analysis of the sixty years of the wine market, retracing the transformations that have marked the sector from the birth of DOCs to today—a journey that intertwines social changes, economic dynamics, and new consumer sensibilities.

Closing the panel was Angelo Peretti , journalist and wine industry strategist, who presented the first insights from the Doxa analysis commissioned by the Consortium: an updated snapshot of consumer perception of Vernaccia di San Gimignano, with data that opens important reflections on the wine's positioning, its perceived identity, and the opportunities yet to be seized, both in Italy and abroad. A common thread ran through all the speakers: the shared desire to combine identity and innovation, preserving the denomination's historic value while strengthening its ability to engage with international markets and new generations.

Moderating the proceedings was Lisanna Boschini , Vice President of the Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Consortium, who emphasized that this anniversary represents not only a milestone, but above all a starting point for the future of the denomination: “ Sixty years of DOC is not just an anniversary: it is an invitation to look to the future with the same courage and vision that in 1966 led to the official recognition of what the area had known for centuries. Vernaccia di San Gimignano is a story that spans time, that endures, evolves, and continues to assert itself: a living tradition that, yesterday as today, confirms Vernaccia as the true queen of white wines. ”

A message that sums up the spirit of the meeting and reaffirms the Consortium's commitment to guiding Vernaccia di San Gimignano towards the challenges of the coming years, building on a seven-and-a-half-century history and a clear vision for the future.