The United States is Italian wine’s single largest market outside the EU — and this October, the industry is planting its flag on a Manhattan pier to defend and grow that position. Vinitaly.USA brings its third edition, and its first in New York City, to Pier 36 on October 26–27, gathering 300 Italian exhibitors and wine professionals from 35 countries under one roof.
For importers, distributors, retailers and restaurant beverage directors, this isn’t just another tasting. It’s a concentrated, two-day shot at face time with producers — backed by a joint international buyer recruitment initiative led by Veronafiere and the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), and more than 1,000 pre-registered buyers.
Who’s in the Room
The event is built around decision-makers from key wine purchasing and distribution channels, plus tour operators who specialize in wine tourism. The top ten countries represented by registered attendees are the United States, Canada, Italy, Mexico, Colombia, the United Kingdom, Spain, Israel, Laos and Morocco — a reminder that New York functions as a global crossroads, not just a domestic one.
“Wine is an important economic and cultural driver of relations between Italy and the United States,” said Federico Bricolo, President of Veronafiere. “Through Vinitaly.USA, companies and institutions share a common goal: to strengthen the position of Italian wine in the American market. We are committed to enhancing the competitiveness of Italian producers and translating the strong reputation of Italian wine into tangible business opportunities.”
Giovanni Sacripante, General Manager of Veronafiere, framed the New York edition as part of a longer play to turn Veronafiere’s Vinitaly into a year-round business platform rather than a once-a-year show.
“The strength of a trade show brand lies in its ability to create new business opportunities and help companies expand their presence in international markets through initiatives that extend beyond the event itself,” Sacripante said. “With more than 1,000 pre-registered buyers, our goal is to connect Italian producers with key players across the American wine industry, from importers and distributors to retailers and restaurants. We aim to foster lasting business relationships that extend well beyond these two days, both in Verona and internationally, turning each meeting into a potential opportunity for growth.”
An Opening Ceremony With Diplomatic Weight
The opening ceremony officially launches the event and underscores the U.S. as the leading non-EU export market for Italian wine. Scheduled speakers include Federico Bricolo, President of Veronafiere; Matteo Zoppas, President of the Italian Trade Agency; Riccardo Guariglia, Secretary General of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Marco Peronaci, Ambassador of Italy to the United States; Gianluca Caramanna, Advisor to Minister of Tourism Gianmarco Mazzi for Institutional Relations; and Marco Rago, Legal Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Economic Diplomacy and Development. Francesco Lollobrigida, Italy’s Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, will deliver a video message.
Panels That Speak to the Trade
Two ITA-organized panels dig into the commercial realities of selling Italian wine in America. The first session, “Prospects and Building a New Chapter in Italian-U.S. Wine Relations,” will be moderated by journalist Maria Luisa Rossi Hawkins and features a heavyweight lineup:
Matteo Zoppas, President of the Italian Trade Agency
Giovanni Sacripante, General Manager of Veronafiere
Bill Terlato, President and CEO of Terlato Wine Group
Matteo Lunelli, CEO of the Lunelli Group
Alison Napjus, Senior Editor and Tasting Director at Wine Spectator
Tim Marson MW, Category Management Director at Wine.com
Bobby Stuckey, Master Sommelier and Founder of Frasca Hospitality Group
A second panel, “Italian Producers and American Master Sommeliers: The Questions That Matter,” puts producers across the table from the professionals shaping purchasing decisions. It features Master Sommeliers Laura DePasquale, Senior Vice President at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits; Julie M. Dalton of The Post Oak Hotel in Houston; Jonathan Eichholz, GuildSomm lecturer with experience in New York’s Michelin-starred restaurants; and Jim Bube, National Wine Director at Hogsalt. The discussion will be led by Stevie Kim, Vinitaly Managing Partner, and Jenny Hemmer, DipWSET, Executive Director of GuildSomm International.
Awards Honoring U.S. Hospitality
During the event, Bobby Stuckey will receive the inaugural Gianfranco Sorrentino Award for Italian Excellence, established this year by Vinitaly.USA to recognize individuals in the U.S. restaurant and hospitality industry who have made outstanding contributions to promoting Italian wine, cuisine, culture and hospitality.
Day one also brings the presentation of the Taste of Italy – Wine List Excellence Awards, announced in Verona last April, recognizing Babbo Restaurant in New York and Felix Trattoria in Los Angeles — a nod to the on-premise programs doing the heavy lifting for Italian wine at the table.
Business Matchmaking, Masterclasses and Wine Tourism
Alongside the matchmaking floor, the wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum offers more than 20 sessions, including masterclasses and discussions focused on market trends and industry developments. Sessions coordinated by Vinitaly Tourism — organized by the Italian Trade Agency and the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with ENIT — put wine tourism front and center, exploring American travelers’ preferences and strategies for promoting and selling experiences across Italy’s wine regions.
On Monday, October 26, one session examines the professionals and experiences that introduce American travelers to Italy, with speakers including Susan Kostrzewa, former Executive Editor of Wine Enthusiast and current columnist for Resplendent Ink; Riley Pearce, Director of Trip Development at tour operator Backroads; and Cristina Mariani, Owner and CEO of her company.
Why It Matters
For U.S. buyers, the value of Vinitaly.USA is efficiency: 300 vetted Italian producers in one room over two days is a procurement opportunity that would otherwise take months of travel and cold outreach to replicate. Importers and distributors can source new labels and fill portfolio gaps; retailers and restaurant beverage directors can taste widely and lock in relationships before the shelf and list decisions of the coming year.
The strategic signal is just as important. By choosing New York and pairing the trade floor with wine-tourism programming, Veronafiere is treating the U.S. not as a transactional export destination but as a long-term relationship — one where the glass on the restaurant table and the trip to a Tuscan vineyard reinforce each other. Operators who build Italian depth into their lists and experiences are positioning themselves on the right side of that momentum.
The practical takeaway for hospitality pros: if Italian wine is a meaningful part of your program, events like this are where supplier relationships, allocation and storytelling get built. Showing up — or sending your beverage lead — is how you turn a category you already sell into a point of differentiation.
Planning your Italian wine strategy for the year ahead? See our coverage of Prosecco DOC’s chef residency and its 2027 U.S. edition, and for the award-chasers, our guide to turning a medal into sales: 9 ways to turn a competition win into revenue. Heading to Pier 36 — or stocking more Italian wine this year? Tell us in the comments.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
Dining and Cooking