Between food, wine, and UNESCO Italian Cuisine: Italy at the center of Summer Fancy Food in New York

The United States has a historic connection with Italian cuisine and wine. This was initially linked to the large-scale immigration from Italy to America, especially in the second half of the twentieth century, and subsequently to an ongoing exchange of goods, diplomatic and cultural relations that has, in fact, never stopped. And it's no coincidence that, despite the turbulence of recent years related to tariffs and the unpredictability of the Trump administration, the United States remains among the most important markets for Italian agri-food products. For the entire sector in general, with the United States as the third-largest market in 2025, with €7.9 billion in agri-food imports from Italy, and for Italian wine in particular, for which the US has been the largest market for years in terms of value, with €1.8 billion (and with €407 million out of a total of €1.7 billion exported from Italy in the first three months of 2026, according to Istat data, ed.). This is also why Italy was a protagonist at Summer Fancy Food in New York, the most important agri-food fair in the United States, which took place from June 28th to 30th.
Italy was a protagonist, with 300 exhibitors - out of 2,500, from 54 countries with an audience of 70% made up of professionals, buyers, and so on, explain the organizers themselves - with many companies and leading consortia, such as Parmigiano Reggiano (which saw exports grow by 2.6% in the first five months of 2026 compared to 2025 and will double its efforts in the US market), collectives like Coldiretti, which presented, among other things, “The Italian National Wine Team”, to talk about Italian wine using the universal language of football, even during the Fifa World Cup in the US, Italian wine and institutions, such as the Ministry of Agriculture and ITA - Italia Trade Agency.
“Italian Cuisine has been recognized as an Intangible Heritage of Humanity, but we”, said Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, “want this achievement to also become “very tangible”, that is, to generate economic growth and jobs. This is why we must support our extraordinary entrepreneurs, who guarantee quality, well-being, and compliance with regulations throughout the world, to increase sales. And the United States is an extraordinarily important market”.
“The Fancy Food Show represents the ideal context for us: a brand built over the years, capable of attracting operators, professionals, and buyers from around the world: this is precisely why”, added ITA President Matteo Zoppas, “we must continue to stand alongside businesses and entrepreneurs, supporting the growth of Made in Italy. The message is clear: the United States is the third-largest market in the world for Italian agri-food products, and this primacy must be defended and preserved. America is more strategic than ever, in a period marked by tariffs, fluctuations in the euro-dollar exchange rate, and an ever-evolving geopolitical landscape. Numerous companies are requesting to be present here, confirming how central this market remains for our exports. Our task is to continue to showcase Italian agri-food products at their best, as they remain an absolute benchmark worldwide. Its growth in the United States is the result of the joint efforts of businesses and the Italian system, and we must continue to invest in this alliance”.
For a cuisine, the Italian one, that “is unbeatable”, as attested by former Italian national football team striker Christian Vieri, one of Italy’s “testimonials” at Summer Fancy Food 2026, and as also recounted by the Italian National Chefs Team (Nazionale Italiana Cuochi – NIC), who in New York celebrated the world title won in the “Global Chefs Challenge” 2026, one of the most selective cooking competitions of all, which took place a few days ago in Wales.