Italian wine's foothold in the U.S. market — the world's largest — faces a pivotal stress test in 2026, and the wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum is bringing the industry's biggest decision-makers to New York to work through it. Organized by Veronafiere in collaboration with the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), the two-day B2B forum runs October 26–27 at Pier 36 in Manhattan, convening Italian producers alongside North American importers, distributors, buyers, and foodservice professionals.
Stevie Kim, Managing Partner of Vinitaly, framed the stakes plainly: the sessions are designed to help Italian producers address "some of the biggest threats and greatest opportunities currently facing the sector," with tariffs, generational consumption shifts, and distribution access all on the table.
Three Masterclasses, Three Pain Points
The ITA is anchoring the forum around three structured masterclasses, each targeting a distinct operational challenge. The opening session — "Italian Wine and America: What Comes Next?" — brings together ITA President Matteo Zoppas, Veronafiere General Manager Giovanni Sacripante, Wine Spectator Senior Editor and Tasting Director Alison Napjus, Wine.com Category Management Director Tim Marson MW, Bobby Stuckey MS of Frasca Hospitality Group, Terlato Wine Group CEO Bill Terlato, and Ferrari Trento President Matteo Lunelli. The conversation will link trade policy dynamics to brand building, restaurant placement, and the preferences of younger wine consumers.
The second session cuts directly to the on-premise challenge that Italian producers rarely discuss openly: a wine can be imported and distributed in the U.S. and still never appear on a wine list or reach a consumer's glass. Master Sommeliers Laura DePasquale, Julie M. Dalton, Jonathan Eichholz, and Jim Bube will sit across from Italian producers including Enrica Cotarella, Marilisa Allegrini, Diva Moretti Polegato, and Gabriella Favara to surface what actually drives a sommelier's decision to taste, list, or pour a wine — price, margin, appellation recognition, and distributor support all among the variables. For operators and beverage directors tracking Italian wine trends in the on-premise channel, this session offers a rare, candid format.
Wine Tourism as a Sales Channel
The third masterclass broadens the lens to wine tourism, examining how cruise lines, hotel groups, and international tour operators decide which Italian wine regions and estates make it into a sellable itinerary. Moderated by Sara Magro, the panel includes representatives from the cruise, luxury travel, and hospitality sectors, with a practical focus on logistics, service standards, and the commercial partnerships producers must build to convert promotional interest into bookings. The session is particularly relevant for hospitality professionals managing destination and culinary travel programs, as well as wine regions seeking to grow inbound visitor revenue.
The forum's B2B matching component runs alongside the masterclasses, giving Italian wineries — from established estates to newer startups — direct access to North American importers and Ho.Re.Ca. buyers in structured meetings. The full preliminary program is published on the Vinitaly website. The event has run annually since 2014 and has established itself as a central reference point for Italian wine's commercial strategy in export markets.
For U.S. operators navigating an evolving import landscape amid ongoing tariff uncertainty, the forum's emphasis on practical distribution intelligence and on-premise placement strategy makes it one of the more actionable events on the fall calendar. Food & Beverage Magazine has covered the broader shifts in imported wine positioning as tariff pressures reshape sourcing decisions across the industry.
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 Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
