United “Italy System” to promote Italian wine with Veronafiere & Italian Trade Agency

The “Italy System” continues to work in synergy to promote Italian wine worldwide during a challenging period and to reinvigorate a supply chain which is fundamental to the prestige, image, and economy of many regions throughout Italy. This was demonstrated in Canada by Veronafiere - Vinitaly and Italian Trade Agency - Ita, which met aboard the Amerigo Vespucci, the jewel of the Italian Navy, in Québec City on July 25th to present Vinitaly.USA 2026, the leading Italian wine event in North America. The event was aimed at key professionals in the Canadian wine sector, including buyers from provincial liquor boards (monopolies responsible for alcohol distribution), importers, wine agents, sommeliers, media representatives, and industry stakeholders. Vinitaly.USA 2026 will take place in New York on October 26th-27th. With a focus on Vinitaly.USA, the presentation marked the first Canadian stop of the “Vespucci - North America Campaign 2026” tour, an initiative of the Italian Ministry of Defence and the Italian Navy, produced by Difesa Servizi S.p.A. (the in-house company of the Ministry of Defence responsible for enhancing the Ministry assets through a dual-use approach). The initiative was developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, the Minister for Sport and Youth, and the Minister for Disabilities, with the support of Ita - Italian Trade Agency, Veronafiere-Vinitaly, and Enel.
Veronafiere new initiative confirms the growing strategic importance of Canada among the leading export destinations for Italian wine, particularly in the premium and super-premium segments:  in the first 5 months of 2026, imports of Italian wine reached 278 million Canadian dollars (+9.3% compared to 2025), accounting for a 27% market share and representing an increase of 50 million Canadian dollars compared to the previous month, according to Italian Trade Agency and VeronaFiere. Vinitaly.USA 2026 will welcome an even larger Canadian delegation than in the previous edition. Since its launch, Vinitaly.USA has become a strategic gateway connecting Italian producers with leading buyers, importers, distributors, and decision-makers in the North American wine industry. Complementing the flagship Vinitaly exhibition in Verona, the New York edition expands Vinitaly international reach, creating year-round business opportunities and reinforcing Italy’s leadership in the North American wine market.
“At a time that requires particular attention for the Italian wine sector - declared Matteo Zoppas, president of Ita - Italian Trade Agency -  it is essential to strengthen international promotional activities in a structured way to support businesses. In this context, the Canadian stop of the Amerigo Vespucci world tour represents an extraordinary opportunity to showcase, together with Vinitaly, one of the most representative symbols of made in Italy in a strategic market such as Canada and, more broadly, North America. Thanks to Ita international network and our well-established collaboration with all stakeholders in the sector, starting with Vinitaly, we bring the culture of Italian wine to the world through business matchmaking and masterclasses, along with storytelling, educational, and promotional activities which engage the entire supply chain, involving importers, restaurateurs, and chefs who become the most dedicated ambassadors of our wine and the full range of Italian agri-food products”. According to Federico Bricolo, president of Veronafiere/Vinitaly, “Canada is a strategic market in the internationalization journey of Italian wine, which is why our commitment in North America has become a continuous one. The participation of more than 300 Canadian operators at Vinitaly 2026 and the record delegation of 50 top buyers from Canada confirm the effectiveness of this strategy of market presence, promotion, and growth aimed at expanding commercial opportunities for Italian businesses. In June, together with Ice Agenzia (Ita - Italian Trade Agency, ed), we organized Vinitaly.USA preview events in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montréal, combining meetings with buyers and provincial monopolies with educational activities from the Vinitaly International Academy. Today, we continue this work by returning aboard the Amerigo Vespucci, following its recent stop in New York. This collaboration brings together two ambassadors of Made in Italy and strengthens the ability of the Italy System to present itself abroad in a coordinated manner. Moreover, at this event in Québec City, we are launching a collaboration with Enit, which will allow us to broaden the storytelling of Italian wine at Vinitaly.USA through wine regions and wine tourism destinations”. Carlo Angelo Bocchi, director of the Ita Office in Canada, added: “Québec, together with Ontario, accounts for 80% of the Canadian wine market and is the province where we are achieving our strongest performance in the premium wine segment. Canadian consumers extraordinary appreciation for the quality, diversity, and heritage of Italian wine continues to strengthen our market presence. The growth of Italian wines in British Columbia and Alberta also confirms an increasing demand for authenticity, excellence, and value. The joint presence of Vinitaly and the Amerigo Vespucci represents the natural evolution of our efforts to create new business opportunities while further strengthening the connection between Canadian professionals and the Italian wine industry. Identifying new business opportunities for our companies is Ita mission, an objective we pursue consistently across all nine Canadian provinces”.