The doomsayers who predicted that Vinitaly would be scaled back have been proven wrong by the facts. Fewer visitors, it’s true, but a more professional audience. For those who knew how to prepare for the fair, the results were positive. We at DoctorWine are happy as well: masterclasses that drew crowds, plenty of visitors at the wine dispensers area, and our team running around the various booths gathering the latest news and sampling new vintages.
Many thought that the Vinitaly of 2026 Would have been disastrous. Because the international situation is what it is, and the wine world is not a world apart. Because Vinitaly was coming after Wine Paris and after Prowein in Düsseldorf. Therefore, a lot of public professional had gone elsewhere and previously.
It didn’t. Vinitaly went quite well for many producers. A sign that still represents the benchmark for Italian wines, which, let’s remember, are the world’s most exported in quantity, something that is sometimes forgotten.
The presence at the fair must be prepared
Speaking with many exhibitors, it came out that this year’s Vinitaly had slightly fewer visitors, 90 thousand instead of 97 thousand, but more professional. Those who were able to prepare their presence had many customers, representatives and importers and less general public.
A sign of the times, of course. But also a result of the Verona Fair policy which raised ticket prices, this year to 125 euros, and limited attendance for those who were not part of “trade” and press. Less Oktoberfest and more specific and professional event, in short. Then, it would be interesting to understand how many of those seven thousand fewer guests were part of those categories.
The DoctorWine Selection
We, in our small way, had more attendance than last year, both among those who participated in the eleven masterclasses organized in our booth and those who came to taste the more than seventy wines available in the dispensers.
We are happy, of course, partly because all of this partly disproves the negative predictions That did not occur for us. Nor did they, in the end, occur for those who were able to organize their presence at the fair. That’s good enough for now.
A world still alive
Vinitaly unfortunately does not have the power to end wars, eliminate tariffs, or even oppose a negative vulgate about moderate wine consumption. It did, however, demonstrate that the world of wine is still alive. This is no small thing.
