From October 17 to 25, Milano Wine Week animates the city with curated tastings, masterclasses, and the debut Wine Hospitality Awards, uniting trade professionals and enthusiasts ahead of its 2027 decennial.
Approaching a landmark ten-year milestone, the festival opens a ninth edition dedicated to wine culture evolution, progressive narratives, and shared discovery. Across nine intensive days, the Milan Marriott Hotel anchors trade programming, while the flagship MWW Enoteca at the Arco della Pace tollgates serves as the primary gathering point for consumers, alongside an urban circuit of over 100 activations weaving wine culture into design, art, academia, and contemporary lifestyle.
At a press briefing staged at Dazio di Levante in Piazza Sempione, Milano Wine Week President Federico Gordini detailed the 2026 programme alongside institutional delegates, consortium leadership, and corporate partners: Lorenzo Cafissi (Beverage, Home Care & Personal Care Director at GS S.p.A. / Carrefour Italia), Giacomo Bullo (Communication Manager at ALMA), Pippo Russotti (Managing Director of Russotti Gestioni Hotels), Ciro Fontanesi (Coordinator of ALMA Wine Academy and the ALMA-AIS Master), Alberto Tasinato (Curator of the Wine List Italia Guide), Francesca Seralvo (President of Consorzio Oltrepò Pavese), Prof. Lorenzo Livi (Director of FRO – Fondazione Radioterapia Oncologica), Matteo Fortarezza (Senior Consultant at NielsenIQ), and Giulio Somma (Project Manager for the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the University of Milan).
“Reaching our ninth edition places us on the threshold of a landmark anniversary, presenting an opportunity to project forward,” remarked Federico Gordini. “Milano Wine Week has mirrored the evolution of the wine industry, pioneering novel lexicons and entry points to engage an ever-shifting public.”
Quality Over Volume: Italian Market Trends and the CityLife Launch
Recent NielsenIQ data presented during the launch outlines substantial market weight: across the first ten months of the year, wine—purchased by 84% of Italian households—generated volumes topping 600 million liters, sustaining an industry workforce of approximately 500,000 professionals. Consumer habits reflect an ongoing flight to quality, marked by increases in average basket spend and higher prices per liter. Value and product integrity remain decisive purchase drivers nationwide.
Experiential engagement anchors the nine-day schedule, opening Saturday, October 17, with the signature inaugural toast at CityLife. Backed by Carrefour Italia and Terre d’Italia, the open gathering pairs live performances with curated wine selections.
Hospitality, Sommellerie, and Trade: Elevating Front-of-House and Wine Tourism
Recognizing enotourism as an engine reshaping relationships between wine, territories, and discerning travelers, the 2026 edition introduces a dedicated hospitality fixture launching October 17. The program encompasses the Wine Hospitality Forum, an analytical conference addressing sector trends; the inaugural Wine Hospitality Awards, featuring the Wine Destination of the Year prize; and the Wine Hospitality Showcase, an open walk-around format presenting the offerings and luxury accommodations of 50 award-winning Italian wine estates.
Front-of-house professionals assume central importance as the bridge connecting producers to the table. Wine List Italia returns October 18, highlighting modern sommellerie through the perspectives, philosophies, and curated selections of 100 featured sommeliers. On October 19, the MWW Awards celebrate their sixth edition by honoring over one hundred exemplary restaurant and retail wine lists across Italy. Concurrently, the Monday Business Day introduces the Stati Generali della Sala Italiana, an executive symposium establishing an ongoing platform for dining room innovation.
Targeted commerce unfolds throughout the week at the Milan Marriott Hotel via executive B2B sessions, technical masterclasses, trade tastings, and business panels alongside key institutional partners. Professional education receives significant reinforcement from ALMA – The International School of Culinary Arts, serving as Educational Partner with specialized modules designed to advance hospitality standards.
Packaging Innovation and Citywide Urban Interventions
The consumer focal point remains the MWW Enoteca at Arco della Pace, operating continuously to showcase hundreds of labels, direct producer exchanges, and sommelier-led flights, alongside evening gatherings including the One Wine Night organized in collaboration with Carrefour and Terre d’Italia.
“Renewing our partnership with Milano Wine Week reinforces our commitment to championing excellence across the wine sector,” stated Lorenzo Cafissi. “Such collaboration bolsters the entire supply chain while fostering direct, transparent engagement with the public, advancing informed appreciation, and highlighting outstanding Italian production.”
The Arco della Pace pavilion also houses Il Vino cambia Forma (Wine Changes Shape), a cultural project curated alongside Spazio Di Paolo exploring packaging aesthetics, bottle architecture, and visual identities via a nine-day design exhibition and public discussions aimed at engaging younger demographics, notably Generation Z.
Urban activations extend throughout Milan, engaging boutique hotels, fine dining venues, and cultural hubs including Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro, BASE Milano, and the Savona-Tortona District. Academic conferences round out the program: the University of Milan hosts Cultivating Equity and Innovation in the Italian Wine System: Identities, Roles, and Perspectives of Women Across Universities, Research, and Enterprise, analyzing female leadership across viticulture, while the European School of Economics (ESE Milan) presents an executive panel exploring the Longevity Economy, mindful beverage consumption, and longevity-focused hospitality concepts.
Conceived by MWW Group in 2017, Milano Wine Week runs through Sunday, October 25, concluding with an official Closing Party at the MWW Enoteca.