American wine magazine Wine Spectator revealed its selection of 150 Italian wine producers for OperaWine 2026, Vinitaly's grand opening event, during the wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum in Verona, Italy, on October 5, 2025. OperaWine 2026 is scheduled to take place on April 11, in Verona. Wine Spectator senior editor Alison Napjus unveiled the lineup of the selected producers in the presence of President of ITA – Italian Trade Agency Matteo Zoppas, President of Veronafiere Federico Bricolo, General Director of Veronafiere Adolfo Rebughini, and Vinitaly Managing Partner Stevie Kim.
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During Veronafiere and Vinitaly.USA's wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum (October 5-6 2025), Wine Spectator senior editor Alison Napjus announced the OperaWine 2026 lineup of Italian wine producers chosen by the American wine magazine. OperaWine, which is the only tasting event that Wine Spectator organizes outside the United States, has been an important collaboration between Wine Spectator and Veronafiere, and has become a signature event for Vinitaly each year since 2012. In 2026, OperaWine producers and guests will gather on Saturday, April 11th, the day before Vinitaly starts, highlighting Italy's most outstanding wineries and showcasing some truly exceptional wines.
At the end of the first day of wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum 2025, attendees gathered in the main stage area for the official announcement of the OperaWine 2026 selected producers. Stevie Kim opened proceedings with Matteo Zoppas, Federico Bricolo, Adolfo Rebughini and Wine Spectator's senior editor Alison Napjus, then called on stage the selected producers. There are 150 wineries for the 2026 edition, 20 more than in 2025 and including 25 wineries participating in OperaWine for the very first time.
Starting in 2026, Wine Spectator has refreshed the way it curates the OperaWine list, embracing the motto “something old, something new.” The lineup of 150 wineries is now organized into three distinct groups:
— 31 Legacy Icon wineries – historically significant wineries offering consistent qualitative excellence that have been part of OperaWine since the inaugural 2012 edition.
— 69 Classic wineries -leaders with a strong qualitative track record.
— The last 50 wineries will be highlighted each year according to a changing theme. For 2026, the spotlight is on New Voices, featuring estates founded from 1990 onward that stand out for their capacity for quality, innovation and the ongoing expansion of the Italian wine category.
“The decision-making process around OperaWine invitations each year is not easy. There are far too many exceptional Italian wineries deserving recognition, and it's simply impossible to include them all within the event space,” Napjus explained. “That's why for 2026, we worked with Veronafiere to expand participation, increasing from 130 to 150 wineries.”
She continued, “With this expansion, we also wanted to introduce something new. 'New Voices' is the theme we've chosen for the 2026 edition, and our plan is to select a different theme each year, spotlighting 50 wineries that best embody it. This new structure reflects the ever-evolving nature of Italian wine, bringing renewed vitality to OperaWine each year. For instance, OperaWine 2026 features 25 wineries making their debut and another 20 returning after a break.”
The full list of Italian wine producers selected by Wine Spectator is available below and at the following link: https://www.vinitaly.com/eventi/operawine/operawine-2026/.
OperaWine 2026 | Finest Italian Wines: Great Producers Selected by Wine Spectator
About Vinitaly:Vinitaly 2025 was held from April 6th to the 9th. This 57th edition counted 97,000 visitors of which 30,070 were top international buyers from 140 different countries. The première event to Vinitaly, OperaWine “Finest Italian Wines: Great Producers Selected by Wine Spectator” which was held on the 5th of April, one day prior to Vinitaly, unites international wine professionals, offering them the unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 131 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly travels to several countries thanks to its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly with Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. VIA this year launched the 33rd edition of its Certification Course. To date, there are 458 Certified Italian Wine Ambassadors of which 22 are also Italian Wine Experts.
About Wine Spectator:Wine Spectator is the world's leading authority on wine. Anchored by Wine Spectator magazine, a print publication that reaches around 3.5 million readers worldwide, the brand also encompasses the Web's most comprehensive wine site (WineSpectator.com), mobile platforms and a series of signature tasting events. Wine Spectator examines the world of wine from the vineyard to the table, exploring wine's role in contemporary culture and delivering expert, blind tasting reviews of more than 10,000 wines each year. Parent company M. Shanken Communications, Inc., also publishes Cigar Aficionado, Whisky Advocate, Market Watch, Shanken News Daily and Shanken's Impact Newsletter.
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