Maculan Award 2026: Registration is now open for the competition for the best pairings of sweet wines and savory dishes.

Registration is officially open for the 2026 Maculan Award , a competition created by the historic Breganze (Vicenza) agricultural company with the aim of highlighting the best pairing of a sweet wine with a savoury dish .

The challenge is open to both professional chefs and food and wine enthusiasts , aged 18 and over. Candidates can submit their original savory recipe , paired with a dessert wine from Maculan, by Sunday, February 22, 2026 .

"Since the relaunch of the Maculan Prize in 2025, the debate surrounding sweet wine and its gastronomic potential has intensified," explains Fausto Maculan , owner of the company. "Contributing to fueling and reinvigorating interest in the topic is a source of pride for us. We firmly believe in the intrinsic nobility of fine sweet wines and their ability to uniquely stimulate gastronomic creativity, stimulating the senses, reawakening memories, and bringing expertise into play."

As for the pairing wines, participants will be able to choose from Maculan's rich sweet selection: the Torcolato , the first ambassador, unmistakable for the drying technique of the Vespaiola bunches twisted and hung in the fruit cellar; the refined Acininobili , produced from the same native variety affected by noble rot; the Dindarello based on Moscato Giallo; Madoro , a red passito wine produced with Marzemino and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Recipe and pairing suggestions must be submitted by completing the form on the dedicated page on the company website . The initial evaluation will be carried out by a technical committee that will select the four finalists . On Monday, March 16, 2026 , at the company headquarters in Breganze, the protagonists of the final evening will prepare their dish and illustrate the pairing to a panel of expert judges who will select the winner. The winner will replicate the recipe at an event at the Maculan stand at Vinitaly 2026 , scheduled for April 12-15.

For more information, visit: www.maculan.net

To apply, please fill out the form at the following link: forms.gle/u84FnL8y73WQxSZM9