“Merano WineFestival” 2025, focus on “creators of food and wine world”

“Never before this year, the Merano WineFestival aimed to be a stage dedicated to the creators of the food and wine world, to those who, with passion and daily commitment, give life to unique products and wines, true expressions of culture and territory. In ancient times, wine was considered a bridge between man and the divine, a symbol of communion, art, and philosophy: the oldest form of Mediterranean culture. Today, as then, it continues to tell our story, preserve our identity, and unite people through a universal language”: Helmuth Köcher says that, founder of the historic event, which returns to Merano from November 7th to 11th, featuring over 1,300 companies, more than 2,000 wines for tasting, 250 labels in the WineHunter Area, 31 masterclasses, 12 show cookings, and 9 talks, the awards for the “WineHunter Platinum Awards”, of “WineHunter Stars” - eight prominent figures in the food and wine world: Franco Bernabei as Best Winemaker; Sebastien Ferrara, director and head sommelier of the Enrico Bartolini restaurant at Mudec in Milan (three-Michelin-starred restaurant), as Best Wine Manager; Andrea Bocelli with Bocelli 1831 as Wine Producer; and, still, as Best Online Wine & Food Journalist, for online, Alessandro Regoli, director of WineNews, and, for printed paper, to editor-in-chief of “Il Gusto” Eleonora Cozzella; the best Best Wine Artist is a homage to Riccardo Schweizer, sign of his iconic labels for Franz Haas; the Food Star is Antonino Cannavacciuolo, one of Italy’s most beloved chefs (three Michelin stars at Villa Crespi), in Orta San Giulio), and the Communication Star is the internationally renowned critic James Suckling -  and, of the “Honour Awards”, with Calabria and the Abruzzi as Partner Regions, and a new feature for the 2025 edition, the possibility to purchase wines directly at the fair via a dedicated digital platform. At the heart of this edition, with the theme “Vision: Wine & Food Creators”, there is also a reflection on the sector health, among declining consumption, tariffs, restaurant mark-ups, and not only, with a focus on “the future of taste between science, local culture, and expert dialogue on the future of Italian and international food and wine”.
“My vision, and that of the Merano WineFestival - said Köcher during the presentation at Coldiretti in Rome, at the presence of president Ettore Prandini, undersecretary for Agriculture Luigi D’Eramo, Minister Francesco Lollobrigida (via video), and Ice president Matteo Zoppas -  is to look ahead starting from our roots: preserving the quality and uniqueness of Italian wine in a changing climate, and valorizing diversity as strength and opportunity. The future of wine and food lies in awareness, sustainability, and innovation, without ever forgetting the history that made them symbols of our country. Authentic, territory-linked Italian food and wine products become living testimonies of our culture, ambassadors of a tradition which evolves over time. This is the vision that inspires the Merano WineFestival: an Italy that continues to be a “living museum” of biodiversity, taste, and beauty”. “The positive results of this year’s harvest confirm the strength and professionalism of our winemakers, but also raise the issue of ensuring proper market placement for these wines, fully enhancing their identity and excellence - explained Coldiretti president Ettore Prandini - faced with challenges such as the impact of U.S. tariffs on Italian vineyard and changing consumption habits, we need effective promotional and support tools to secure space for our wines both abroad and domestically. Examples include Ice initiatives and Ocm programs for third-country promotion, as well as positive communication efforts like the Merano WineFestival. Our presence and attention to this event reflect how central it is to Coldiretti strategies”. “We are available to help all producers enter foreign markets  - added from his end, Matteo Zoppas, president Ita - Italian Trade Agency -  especially during this uncertain period for the wine world due to tariffs. At Merano WineFestival, we are bringing 24 importers and operators from various countries to meet producers and foster fruitful exchanges”. Also Minister Lollobrigida, Minister of Agriculture, brought his greetings in a video message, who declared: “Merano WineFestival was the first international event I attended as Minister, and I immediately appreciated its ability to promote Italian wines abroad. I wish this edition great success, and I thank Helmuth Köcher for what he has done and will continue to do for the sector in the upcoming years”.
Looking at the Merano WineFestival 2025 program, the opening day, on Friday, November 7th , will be dedicated to the most innovative and sustainable expressions of contemporary winemaking, showcased in the “TasteTerroir - bio&dynamica” format: even 200 producers of organic, biodynamic, natural, Piwi, orange, amphora-aged, underwater-aged wines, and, innovation of this year, no-low alcohol references. At the Kurhaus, the “Cult Oenologist” journey celebrates the 10 best Italian winemakers selected by Helmuth Köcher, while the “ExtraWine” area is dedicated to premium partners and sponsors. Along Corso Libertà, the “FuoriSalone” returns, a widespread stage where regions and consortia present themselves to the public: the regions of Calabria and the Abruzzi, Consorzio del Vulture, the collective space Casa Campania with the territorial consortia of Sannio, Vesuvio, VitiCaserta, and Vita Salernum Vites are present; in the end, “Falstaff Italia” and Banca per il Trentino-Alto Adige, the event’s official sponsor. In Piazza della Rena, on Friday, November 7th and Saturday, November, 8th, the Earth Market curated by Slow Food Alto Adige will take place. From Saturday, November, 8th to Monday, November, 10th, “The Festival” offers a true sensory journey through 300 Italian wineries in the “Wine Italia” section, 50 producers from 9 different countries in “Wine International” with 40% of representatives from Georgia, and 250 labels selected for the “WineHunter Area” curated by Fisar Alto Adige sommeliers.
Among the meetings on Saturday, November, 8th, at Teatro Puccini, there is the official presentation of the “ViniBuoni d’Italia 2026” guide by the Touring Club Italiano, and the traditional sabrage ceremony on Ponte Lenoir to open the edition No. 34. On Monday, November, 10th, at Hotel Terme Merano, “Premio Godio” No. 31 will be awarded, honoring gastronomic excellence and visionary chefs. Finally, on Tuesday, November 11th, the festival closes in style with “Catwalk Champagne & More”, a day dedicated to the world of sparkling wines, featuring over 120 top-tier selections, ranging from elegant Champagnes to the finest Italian Metodo Classico expressions. At the Kursaal, the Northern Selection awards of “EmergenteSala” will be presented, a competition curated by Luigi Cremona and Lorenza Vitali that spotlights emerging talents in restoration. But, as mentioned, many official competitions and awards will also take place. On Friday, November, 7th, at the newly renovated Teatro Puccini, the “WineHunter Award Platinum” diplomas will be awarded to the best in “Wine, Food, Spirits, and Beer” from the 2025 “The WineHunter” Guide, the proclamation of the 10 “Cult Oenologists”, and 6 prestigious “Honour Awards” will also be announced, recognizing Conquest, Territory, Family, Innovation, Genius, and Creativity, presented by journalist Andrea Radic and awarded respectively to Braida, the Vulture Consortium, the Ceraudo family, Vivai Rauscedo, Hans Terzer, and Antichi Poderi Jerzu. To follow, the gala dinner celebrating the “WineHunter Stars”, honoring eight outstanding personalities in the food and wine world for their passion, dedication, and extraordinary contributions: the award as Best Winemaker to enologist Franco Bernabei; in the category Best Wine Manager, Sebastien Ferrara, director and chief sommelier at the Enrico Bartolini restaurant at Mudec, Milan (3 Michelin stars) will be awarded; “WineHunter Star” in the category Best Wine Producer will go to Andrea Bocelli for having transformed family company, Bocelli 1831, into a symbol of Italian excellence. The award to the Best Wine & Food Journalist foresees two categories this year: for printed version, Eleonora Cozzella, director of “Il Gusto” is awarded with “WineHunter Star”, while for online newspapers, the award goes to Alessandro Regoli, founder and director of WineNews). The award as the Best Wine Artist homages Riccardo Schweizer, a multifaceted and visionary artist who masterfully intertwined art and wine in the iconic labels created for Franz Haas, with his daughter Barbara Schweizer, guardian of his extraordinary creative legacy, accepting the award on the Kursaal stage. In the end, the Food Star of Merano WineFestival 2025 is Antonino Cannavacciuolo, one of the most famous and beloved chefs in Italy, 3 Michelin stars with restaurant Villa Crespi, in Orta San Giulio; and Communication Star goes to one of the most authoritative journalists and critics of the sector globally, who contributed to the recognition and success of Italian wines in the world: James Suckling.
As it has long been the case, the Merano WineFestival will also be a place for debate and reflection on the future of the sector. The 2025 edition, in particular, “is inspired by the theme “Vision: Wine & Food Creators”, a tribute to producers as true architects of the future of taste. In a constantly evolving world, the Festival chooses to celebrate those who, with intuition and courage, look beyond the present to build a new idea of wine and gastronomy based on territorial identity, innovation, and sustainability”. This theme will be explored in depth through various panels forming “Respiro e Grido della Terra” - “Breath and Cry of the Earth” Summit, along with several focused talks. The Summit opens on Friday, November 7th at Teatro Puccini with introductory remarks by Helmuth Köcher and Julien Dumercq, director of the International Viticulture and Enology Society (Ives), followed by four scientific panels on viticulture and enology curated by Ives. Next, the topic of “Evoluzioni digitali in cantina” - “Digital evolutions in the cellar” will be addressed, covering virtual stores and precision agriculture, with insights from Riccardo Valletti of Connected Reality, and Alex Terzariol and Elisabetta Ripamonti of MMDesign. The Summit continues on Saturday, November 8th, with the panel “Dall’Italia al mondo: Merano WineFestival verso i mercati del futuro” - “From Italy to the world: Merano WineFestival towards future markets”, focusing on the ability of Italian producers to expand into strategic international markets such as Brazil, Canada, China, Georgia, and Japan. To follow, the projection of films “Born to Celebrate”, and “Future is Our Heritage”, directed by Carlo Guttadauro, which see respectively Cantina Colterenzio and Cantina Monsupello as protagonists. In the end, space to talks which this year will focus on the connection between wine and territory: on Friday, November, 7th, “Premio Maestri Italiani Ambasciatori del Made in Italy” - “Maestri Italiani - Ambassadors of Made in Italy Award” will be presented, followed by “Dal vigneto al territorio: strategie per un enoturismo di qualità” - “From vineyard to territory: strategies for quality wine tourism” with Enrica Cotarella, promoted by newspaper “Wine Life & Travel”, and, on Saturday, November, 8th, the “WineToStay” wine tourism project will be presented by German journalist Susanne Wess. Of course, there will be many masterclasses, headquartered at Hotel Terme Merano. On Friday, November 7th, four sessions will take place: vintage white wines from Campania, the vertical tasting of Trebbiano Spoletino Pre-Phylloxera, a focus on Tuscan Coast wines by Master of Wine Andrea Lonardi, and that of wines from Kvarner Gulf, from Croatia, the 2026 “European Region of Gastronomy”. The ten tastings of Saturday, November 8th will span from South Tyrol to Franciacorta, from Oltrepò Pavese to Sardinia, with the intrusion in Georgia to the origins of wine, a focus on the importance of wine glasses with Italesse, the masterclass “Struttura sì … ma con ingegno” - “Structure Yes… But with Ingenuity” by Luca D’Attoma, and, in the end, a special tasting of the timeless Solaria Ionica 1959. On Sunday, November 9th, the vertical tasting dedicated to Ampelio Bucci, Verdicchio di Jesi legend, who recently passed away; the focus about wines aged underwater; a comparison between Georgia and Rauscedo; a journey into Greek enology with “I Vini del Cuore”. Space to Veneto with a comparison between Valpolicella and Soave, and the focus about Valdobbiadene by Adami, to, then, arrive in the islands with Carignano del Sulcis and Amalfi Coast wines. On Monday, November, 10th, in the end, the celebrations of 25 years of Domaines Paul Mas and 50 years of the Anfiteatro vineyard by Vecchie Terre di Montefili; alpine elegance of Pinot Noir between Austria, Switzerland, and South Tyrol, and, then, Collio, Moldova, and “Vini d’Abbazia” - “Abbey Wines”, featuring wineries and abbeys that have preserved ancient grape varieties since the Middle Ages, which would have disappeared; in the end, a tasting dedicated to the “Award Dolcissimo”, curated by Angelo Carrillo.
But, space also to business, with the “WineHunter Buyers’ Club”, hosted at Forsterbräu, and the “Ice Buyers Area” at Hotel Terme Merano, in collaboration with Ice Agency: dedicated spaces for meetings between producers and global market operators, bridging elegance, culture, and business, in addition to the deepening dedicated to future markets within the Summit. Among these, Georgia, the cradle of wine, which in summer 2026 will be protagonist of the Merano WineFestival Georgia 2026, can’t miss, curated by WineHunter Ambassador for Georgia, Tamar Tchitchiboshvili. Still, also “GourmetArena”, the “Culinaria” section representing the gastronomic soul of the Merano WineFestival are back, a universe where wine excellence meets culinary artistry. From November 7th to 10th, the creativity of 130 artisanal producers will be celebrated alongside the most innovative voices in contemporary Italian cuisine. Throughout the exhibition, aromas and flavors tell stories of territory, sustainability, and passion, in constant dialogue with wines selected by The WineHunter. At the center, there is the “CampaniaFelix” area, with a show cooking program curated by MisteryApple, featuring a lineup of exceptional guests: Antonio Tubelli, Tiziano Palatucci, Alberto Toè, Carlo Scutiero, Nina Gabuldani, Lino Scarallo, Peppe Aversa, Angelo D’Amico, Umberto De Martino, and students from the “G. Marconi” Hospitality Institute of Vairano Scalo. And, among the innovations, for the first time, visitors can purchase wines directly during tastings, thanks to a partnership with the digital platform “Most’”: visitors can add products to the cart simply by scanning the Qr code at each producer booth via the app. And, at the end of the day, wines can be purchased with only an order, and only one expedition.