Verona, 10 April 2026 – The spotlight is on the preview of Vinitaly, which will officially open tomorrow, 11 April, at the Gallerie Mercatali in Verona with the 15th edition of OperaWine. The event will be attended by Francesco Lollobrigida, Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry; Adolfo Urso, Minister for Enterprises and Made in Italy; Gianmarco Mazzi, Minister of Tourism; Matteo Zoppas, President of ITA – Italian Trade Agency; Damiano Tommasi, Mayor of Verona; and Flavio Massimo Pasini, President of the Province of Verona. Representing Veronafiere will be Federico Bricolo (President), Barbara Ferro (Chief Executive Officer), and Gianni Bruno (Deputy General Manager).
In the glasses at this prologue event to the 58th International Wine and Spirits Exhibition (12–15 April), reserved for national and international trade professionals and media, will be 150 labels from 150 wineries—including historic icons and emerging producers, with 45 debut participants—selected by Wine Spectator, Veronafiere/Vinitaly’s partner in the magazine’s only event held outside the United States.
The selection curated by Wine Spectator for this edition reflects the qualitative evolution of the Italian wine landscape, represented at OperaWine through three categories:
Among the wines chosen for Vinitaly OperaWine 2026, selected by Jeffery Lindenmuth, Executive Editor, Alison Napjus, Senior Editor and Tasting Director, and Bruce Sanderson, Senior Editor—who will all be present in Verona—red wines dominate with 114 labels, alongside 28 still white wines, 7 sparkling wines, and 1 sweet wine.
From a geographical perspective, the selection confirms Tuscany in first place with 48 wines, followed by Piedmont (24), Sicily (15), and Veneto (12), outlining a production map strongly rooted in Italy’s most renowned wine regions.
Full list of wineries and wines: www.vinitaly.com/eventi/operawine/operawine-2026/
OperaWine 2026 – Press Programme
Saturday, 11 April – Gallerie Mercatali, Verona