Vajra at Vinitaly: Can a stand become a space for discussion?

For the recently concluded Vinitaly 2026 , GD Vajra has chosen to offer a space not only for the presentation of the company's wines but also for a program open to other entities . With the Via dei Sogni format, the Vaira family leaves a concrete question to the wine world: can a stand also become a space serving the wine community? For four days, seminars, verticals, press conferences, and conversations alternated, proposing a rarely seen format at the fair: using a private stand as a shared space for in-depth study . The guests were DISAFA - Department of Agricultural, Forestry, and Food Sciences of the University of Turin ; Officina del Vento , a project born in 2022 from the collaboration between Masters of Wine Gabriele Gorelli, Andrea Lonardi, and Pietro Russo; The Old Vine Conference , an organization founded in 2021 to protect historic vineyards and create a global category for wines from old vines; and Union des Gens de Métier , an association that brings together 23 producers linked to the world of fermentation. From April 12th to 15th, Via dei Sogni hosted 29 events, including training sessions, tastings, and discussion opportunities. Alongside GD Vajra's vertical tastings of Barolo Ravera , Bricco delle Viole , Baudana , and Coste di Rose , the program also featured the presentation of the University of Turin's degree program in Viticulture and Oenology, a focus on the contribution of university research to understanding the effects of climate change on wines, meetings with The Old Vine Conference on historic vineyards, events dedicated to the Union des Gens de Métier , and the presentation of Officina del Vento and the book Italianity . The project's distinctive element , therefore, lies not only in the program, but in the way it was constructed . In a context like Vinitaly, where the stand is normally a space for representation and commercial relations for the company that presides over it, GD Vajra chose to share it, making it available to diverse yet similarly minded individuals in terms of vision, research, and sensibility. The result was a program that brought back to the center some of the structural themes of contemporary wine. ​“ Beauty feeds on of encounters, discoveries, taste, and sharing,” emphasizes Giuseppe Vaira, who, together with his siblings Francesca and Isidoro, represents the second generation of the winery. “ Via dei Sogni was a place offered by our family so that anyone could discover (and rediscover) the beauty that comes from the civilization and culture of wine .” The value of the project was also confirmed by the feedback from the guests involved: “Being here alongside the Vaira family, who understood our principles and supported us, was a source of great satisfaction for us. In a challenging moment like the current one, sharing a path that goes beyond personal interests and promotes values ​​such as unity, transparency, sincerity, and attachment to the territory is a far-sighted choice . I believe that Via dei Sogni is a truly rare format, which it would be wonderful to be able to spread” – comments Pietro Russo MW . More than a simple calendar of events, Via dei Sogni thus offered a reflection on the role that a winery can assume at the fair . Not only to present labels and meet operators, but also to create context , host content and encourage an exchange that can broaden the discussion on wine beyond the commercial dimension.