Wine Paris, ProWein, and Vinitaly: the “triangle” of major international trade fairs

Paris with Wine Paris (February 9-11), Düsseldorf with ProWein Dusseldorf (March 15-17), and Verona with Vinitaly (April 12-15). One event per month for three consecutive months for companies, buyers, distributors, and professionals in the wine world, but also for many wine enthusiasts, in a triangle that touches France, Italy, and Germany, the top three countries that consume the most wine in Europe (according to data from the OIV-International Organization of Vine and Wine 2025).
And so we set off with 6,000 exhibitors from 60 different countries ready to head to Paris: on February 9, the Porte de Versailles exhibition center opens its doors to the sixth edition of Wine Paris 2026, the first major international trade fair of 2026, with France as the host country. But there will also be a strong Italian presence, even more so than in the 2025 edition, according to the figures: the area dedicated to Italian wine in Paris has increased by 25% (and since 2019, the year of the first edition, it has now practically quintupled, ed.), confirming Italy as the leading exhibiting country after France, spread over two pavilions, one of which is dedicated to Italy (we are the only ones to have this, apart from the French). “Italy stands out as the star of the 2026 edition”, confirms Vinexposium, which organizes and signs Wine Paris, “bringing together both iconic wineries such as Masi, Tua Rita, Tenuta San Guido, Gaja, Allegrini, and Piccini, as well as new names such as Ethica Wines, Sacchetto, Fratelli Martini, Secondo Luigi, and Istituto Grandi Marchi, offering a comprehensive overview of the Italian wine scene”. The fair in the French capital “incorporates” three events in one: Wine Paris, the international meeting for wine professionals; Be Spirits, dedicated to premium spirits, craft beverages, beer, cider, and mixology (again with Italy on the rise, with the collectives of ICE and IDM Südtirol, brands such as Bottega, Nonino Distillatori, Mazzetti d’Altavilla, and Antica Distilleria Quaglia, as well as the Alto Adige Spirits collective) and Be No, a new format focusing on non-alcoholic alternatives, which is making its debut at the French fair with over 250 exhibitors (including Italian companies Bella Drinks, Feral, Franc Lizer, and Marcati).
But before flying to Germany, good, clean, and fair wine will stop off in Bologna for the Slow Wine Fair 2026, held at BolognaFiere from February 22 to 24, once again with the synergy between Slow Food and Sana Food 2026. This fifth edition, with over 1,000 winegrowers and winemakers, will focus on “the positive impact that wine can have on territories and communities, as a driver of development and social inclusion” and will consolidate the role of the Bologna fair as a wine hub (together with events such as the “Champagne Experience” by Excellence Sidi, which will bring together the leading distributors of fine wines in Italy on October 4 and 5, and Fivi’s “Mercato dei Vini dei Vignaioli Indipendenti” (Independent Winegrower Wine Market) from November 21 to 23, ed.). And with Bolognafiere, which, in December 2025, launched with Fiere Italiane Sea a new international platform dedicated to promoting Italian wine: Wines Experience, a project developed by United Experience and designed to accompany producers, consortia, and operators on a structured and coherent journey in key markets for the wine & food sector, and a way to oversee different areas with continuity and coordinated positioning. And with the implementation, in 2026, of a calendar that includes three events in three strategic hubs for the global wine trade. The first is in London on April 26 and 27 with the new edition of the Real Italian Wine & Food Experience, followed by Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam on June 25 and 26, the gateway to Southeast Asia, and finally, Mexico City on November 10 and 11 in a country like Mexico that is experiencing significant growth.
Not growth, but rather a more or less marked decline, especially in 2025, was experienced by ProWein 2026 in Düsseldorf, for years the leading international trade fair, but which, in addition to the difficult dynamics of a slowing market, is increasingly having to contend with competition from Wine Paris on the one hand and Vinitaly on the other, although Germany remains, in any case, the second largest market in terms of value and the largest in terms of volume for Italian wine. Therefore, the German fair has undergone a small “facelift”, changing its name from ProWein to ProWein Düsseldorf and strengthening its ties to the city, with a new director, Frank Schindler, leading the event from March 15 to 17, including ProSpirits and ProWein World, and with 4,000 exhibitors from 60 countries expected to be concentrated in fewer pavilions, which will reduce the distances to be covered on foot by 30%. Italy will be represented by all its wine-producing regions, from Puglia to Tuscany, from Valpolicella to Piedmont, passing through the hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene and Franciacorta, and many others. Among the new features is the new Buyer Concierge, with the stated aim of attracting the world's elite global buyers to Düsseldorf. For those within a 350-kilometer radius of the German city, the organization will offer daily visits for the entire duration of the fair, with free bus transfers thanks to the ProWein Düsseldorf Express, aided by its central location for those arriving from Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. In addition, the Fair Match matchmaking tool has been improved, the conference section of ProWein Agora has been enhanced, and the space dedicated to the world of No-Lo has been confirmed with ProWein Zero, but there will also be a focus on sparkling wines with ProWein Sparkling.
And finally, the most important event for Italian wine, the leading international trade fair: Vinitaly 2026, at Veronafiere in Verona from April 12 to 15, with its 58th edition, a sure sign of Italy’s presence and a privileged showcase for the wineries of a beautiful country that is increasingly at the forefront of the global wine business. It is investing and further accelerating its incoming plan, which targets over 70 countries in collaboration with ITA-Italian Trade Agency, expanding its offering to new market segments, from No-Lo to spirits, structuring the Vinitaly Tourism project to promote wine tourism in Italian wine regions, and increasing dialogue with the restaurant world. And with the traditional prologue, on April 11 with OperaWine at Gallerie Mercatali, the tasting that tells the story of Italian wine according to the US magazine Wine Spectator through 150 wineries selected from among “Legacy Icon”, “Classic”, and a third category reserved for 2026 for “New Voices”. Michelangelo Pistoletto, a “giant” of contemporary art, will therefore be the honorary president - truly exceptional - of the jury of the “Vinitaly Design Award” (of which WineNews is also a member, with its editor Alessandro Regoli, ed.), the award dedicated to excellence in packaging for wine, spirits, beer, and oil, which will take place on April 11 at the Teatro Ristori. And for wine lovers, “Vinitaly and the City” 2026 (April 10-12) is back, the pop-up event in the heart of Verona which, this year, in collaboration with the Valpolicella Wine Route, is opening up to wine tourism: wine enthusiasts’ tasting cards will also include a “Token Experience”, which can be used from April 13 to May 3 for a visit with tasting at the wineries that have joined the project (12 to date), but with the aim of replicating the initiative in other areas as well. Also for the public, there are the “Vinitaly & the Night” evening parties at the Gallerie Mercatali (April 11, 12, and 14).
As always, WineNews will be covering all these moments live with news, interviews, videos, and social media posts. In a 2026 that is still to be written for Italian and global wine.