Vinitaly 2026: award winners spotlight Italian wine culture

Vinitaly 2026: award winners spotlight Italian wine culture

Vinitaly returns to Veronafiere from April 12 to 15. The fair’s awards highlight individuals and organisations that have promoted Italy’s wine culture, with new prizes reinforcing links between territory, research and dining.

This year’s honourees include historic producers, territorial consortia, academic figures and culinary projects that balance tradition and innovation to strengthen the reputation of Italian wine at home and abroad.

• Vinitaly International Award – Italy: Lamberto Frescobaldi (Marchesi Frescobaldi) — a historic brand combining production, cultural projects and social initiatives rooted in the territory.
• Vinitaly International Award – Abroad: Antonio Stopper (Stoppervini, Lugano) — recognised for promoting and distributing Italian wine across key European markets.
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Attilio Scienza — a scholar who has helped define concepts such as terroir and the identity of Italian grape varieties.
• 100 Years of Excellence Award: Valdo Spumanti Srl and the Consorzio di Tutela del vino Bardolino — two century-long stories of territorial roots and international development.
• New 2026 – Best Restaurant Format Award: "Osteria Gucci by Massimo Bottura" — recognised for a project that merges fashion, aesthetics and haute cuisine to promote contemporary Italian culinary thought.
• New 2026 – Taste Of Italy – Wine List Excellent: a new accolade for restaurants, wine bars and venues that highlight outstanding Italian labels on their wine lists.

Award ceremonies are scheduled during the opening and closing days of Vinitaly, with official events at the Palaexpo. The recognitions reaffirm wine’s role as a cultural, economic and social asset for Italian territories and the importance of dialogue among producers, researchers and the hospitality sector.