MERANO WINE FESTIVAL 2026, ITALY'S WINE FROM NORTH TO SOUTH WITH AWARDS, VERTICALS, AND MASTERCLASSES

A journey through Italy's wine world, from Trentino to Calabria, through wineries, consortia, grape varieties, and territories. At the Merano WineFestival 2026 , scheduled for November 6th to 10th , the diverse spirit of Italian winemaking will converge in the Kurhaus, the Pavillon des Fleurs, the Gourmet Arena, the Gallery, and the Hotel Therme. The program features tastings, masterclasses, vertical tastings, presentations of new vintages, and wines awarded by The WineHunter.

Starting from Trentino , where Gaierhof will be present in the Pavillon des Fleurs, at table 220 , thanks to several awards. The Maso Poli Trento Metodo Classico Riserva Brut DOC 2020 is a candidate for Platinum, while the Marmoram Trentino Sorni Rosso DOC 2021 has obtained the WineHunter Award Gold. The Maso Poli Trentino Nosiola DOC 2024 also received recognition.

In Veneto , several wineries will be present. Tommasi , along with Casisano and Ammura , will occupy three adjacent tables, 144, 145, and 145B , respectively. Among the highlights is the Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2022 , a Platinum candidate, which will be accompanied by a vertical tasting of the 2022, 2017, and 2012 Amarone Classico vintages and the presentation of the project dedicated to the 2017 vintage.

Also from Veneto comes Tenuta Santa Maria , at table 65 , with a selection that also focuses on the wines' ability to evolve over time: Amarone Riserva Brolo dei Poeti 2010, Amarone Riserva 2020, Recioto 2022 and the historic vintage Amarone Riserva Brolo dei Poeti 2007. To these is added a mini vertical of Decima Aurea Verona IGT , in the 2009, 2010, 2018 and 2020 vintages.

Andreola , at table 179 , will instead bring 26° Primo, Col del Forno, Fondatore and Cartizze to the table, alongside a mini vertical tasting of Col del Forno 2019, 2021 and 2023. An event is also planned for Sunday 8 November in a structure adjacent to the event, with tastings and other initiatives. Conte Collalto , in the Lentner Room, table 176 , will instead present Vinciguerra 2020, Torrai 2020, Gaio 2025, S. Salvatore 2025 and Ponte Rosso 2025 .

From the Lombardy shore of Lake Garda, Costaripa will be offering tastings of its RosaMara 2025 and Mattia Vezzola Brut Rosé in the Kursaal Hall, table 20. In the Gourmet Arena, table 11 , there will also be space for the Consorzio Valtènesi and the Consorzio Garda DOC , present to showcase the diverse expressions of Garda viticulture.

The journey continues in Piedmont with the Barbera d'Asti and Monferrato Wines Consortium , present at Hotel Therme and Bistro Festival . Among the scheduled events, on November 8th at 1 pm at Hotel Therme, is the masterclass " Barbera d'Asti DOCG: lightness and drinkability of the Italian POP grape ," dedicated to one of the region's most representative varieties.

Also from Piedmont, Poderi Luigi Einaudi will be at table 39 of the Kursaal with a selection that includes Barolo DOCG Cannubi 2022 , awarded the WineHunter Award, Barolo DOCG Ludo 2022, Dogliani Superiore Madonna delle Grazie Vigna Tecc 2023, Barbaresco DOCG Bric Micca 2023 and, as a historic vintage, Barolo DOCG Cannubi 2014 .

Tuscany will also be represented. At Gallery B, table 128, Alejandro Bulgheroni Family Estates will be present with two of its Italian wineries, choosing to focus on two of the Siena area's finest wines: Chianti Classico (with Dievole) and Brunello di Montalcino (with Podere Brizio). It will also be the protagonist of a story that transcends regional and national boundaries with " Geography of a Vision – Alejandro Bulgheroni Family Estates ," on November 8th at 5 pm at the Hotel Therme Merano. The masterclass will cross three continents with eight wines (Dievole – Novecento 2021, Poggio Landi – Chiuso del Lupo 2020, Podere Brizio – Bosco Alto 2019, Tenuta Meraviglia – Maestro di Cava 2020, Tenuta Le Colonne – Bolgheri Rosso 2023, Bodega Garzon – Balasto 2020, Alkina – Polygon 3 Grenache 2024, Otronia – Otronia Chardonnay 2022), starting from the Italian estates between Montalcino, Bolgheri and Chianti Classico and arriving in Uruguay, Patagonia and Australia.

At Gallery B, table 120, Caiarossa will present the 2022 vintage of its reds , accompanied by a mini-vertical of Caiarossa that will go up to the 2006 vintage. Among the new wines at the counter is also Pergolaia Bianco 2025 , based on Vermentino, the latest label born in the range of the Riparbella estate.

Still in Tuscany, at Galleria A, table 100, Vecchie Terre di Montefili will have among its flagship labels Vinea Vecchia 2021 , awarded Platinum, together with Vinea nel Bosco, Bruno di Rocca and Anfiteatro , all from the 2021 vintage.

The journey continues in Umbria , where the Umbrian Wine Quality District will be the protagonist of the Fuori Salone with a regional space opposite the entrance to the Kurhaus . This area is dedicated to the public, professionals, and content creators, with a social media lounge and a wine shop showcasing over 45 labels from the District's 21 wineries . Throughout the days, tasting sessions coordinated by Luca Della Regina will alternate, divided into five itineraries— Umbria in White, Sweet Umbria, Contemporary Reds, Time in the Glass, and Outside the Box —to showcase diverse and less usual expressions of regional production. Completing the program, on Sunday, November 8th at 3:00 pm , is the masterclass " Unexpected Umbria. Great Vintages to Remember ," dedicated to the evolution of Umbrian wines over time and the interpretation of different vintages.

Librandi 's Calabria ideally closes the journey south, present at table 250 with a series of WineHunter awards: Gravello won the Rosso, while Megonio and Duca Sanfelice took home Gold. Finally, Efeso won Gold and is also a candidate for Platinum.