Giorgia Meloni at Vinitaly 2026: “unique showcase of made in Italy, maximum support to the sector”

“We are in the most extraordinary showcase of one of the most incredible expressions of our made in Italy. A sector which continues to give us enormous satisfaction with its 14 billion euros a year in turnover and which, in a very complex and closely monitored overall situation, needs to be supported”: these are the words by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, today on an official visit to the edition No. 58 of Vinitaly 2026, at Veronafiere in Verona. “In the latest decree in which we renewed the 25 cent discount on diesel fuel excise duties - continued the Prime Minister (on her third official visit to the event, after those in 2023 and 2024) - we also extended a measure to the agricultural sector which allows producers to receive a tax credit equal to the increase they record. At the same time, we have effectively imposed a ban on increasing the cost of agricultural diesel. We are trying to provide answers to a sector that should be thanked for its ability to stay competitive and to continue reacting despite the difficulties. Obviously, the international situation requires constant work to push peace negotiations forward. We must make every possible effort to stabilize the situation and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which is essential for us not only for fuels, but also for fertilizers, another key element of the sector we are talking about today. For this reason  - added Giorgia Meloni - I expect a resilient Vinitaly, a world that knows its value and is clearly concerned. And I understand that. But I also expect a world that is aware that the extraordinary nature of what it represents is stronger than all the difficulties we are facing. I am here to send the message that the Government recognizes the strength, value and commitment of the sector and stands by it with all the tools at its disposal”.
In an interview with WineNews, the Prime Minister stated that “wine is a fundamental part of Italian cuisine, and no one has worked more than we have to ensure that it was recognized as such, as you know, because it is an extraordinary piece of our deepest identity and deserved to be enhanced. The extraordinary thing is that we already knew this, but today the entire world formally recognizes it too”. But what is the Prime Minister message to the wine world? “It is a sector that is fundamental for us, which has given an enormous and extraordinary demonstration of its strength even at a time of great difficulty. We understand this moment; the Government is providing responses, as you have seen: the latest decree concerned excise duties, but of course it also concerned the agricultural market, with the issue of rising fuel costs and agricultural diesel. In short, we are trying to give answers, and so my presence here today is both a thank-you and a message of solidarity”. And, pausing in the Marche region, which also hosts WineNews in the heart of the fair, and making a toast with Marche wine, she said that it “is giving us great satisfaction”.
At Vinitaly, Prime Minister Meloni was welcomed by Federico Bricolo, president of Veronafiere; Francesco Lollobrigida, Minister of Agriculture; Gianmarco Mazzi, Minister of Tourism; Alberto Stefani, president of the Veneto Region; Damiano Tommasi, mayor of Verona; Flavio Massimo Pasini, president of the Province of Verona; and Matteo Zoppas, president of Ita - Italian Trade Agency.