“OperaWine 2026”, homage to the history and present of great Italian wine by “Wine Spectator”

The quintessential embodiment of the “Italian genius”, Leonardo da Vinci, who was also a wine producer, as well as Camillo Benso di Cavour, the first Prime Minister of a united Italy and one of the great protagonists of both the Risorgimento and Barolo; or Marchesa Giulia Colbert Falletti, the “inventor” of modern Barolo, whose story is preserved by Marchesi di Barolo (headed by the Abbona family); and then two names that have marked the more recent history of Italian wine, i.e. Mario Incisa della Rocchetta and Giacomo Tachis, together the “creators” of one of the great myths of Italian wine, Sassicaia by Tenuta San Guido. Tachis himself later became one of the most acclaimed Italian winemakers of all time, signing many outstanding Italian wines that have made history, such as, to name just a few, Tignanello by Antinori, Terre Brune by Cantina di Santadi, Turriga by Argiolas, Pelago by Umani Ronchi, and San Leonardo by Tenuta San Leonardo. The 2026 edition of “OperaWine” is dedicated to these five great interpreters from different eras, united by their role as guardians and innovators of a timeless excellence. “OperaWine” is the prestigious tasting event which serves as the prologue to Vinitaly, devoted to the flagship wineries of Italian wine in the United States, selected by the renowned U.S. magazine “Wine Spectator” for Veronafiere. The event will take place in Verona on April 11th, at the Gallerie Mercatali, on the eve of Italy most important wine fair (April 12th - 15th). A total of 150 wineries have been selected and divided by “Wine Spectator” into three categories: “Legacy Icons” (31 wineries present in every edition, “producers who, thanks to a constant focus on qualitative excellence, have had a historic impact on Italian wine”), “Classics” (69 producers who are “leaders in their regions, with a strong track record of quality”), and “New Voices” (50 wineries “founded from 1990 onwards, selected for their ability to guarantee quality, innovation, and the continuous evolution of Italian wine”).
The names range from Masciarelli to Feudi di San Gregorio, from Famiglia Cotarella to Ca’ del Bosco, from Nino Negri to Umani Ronchi, from Tormaresca - Tenuta Bocca di Lupo to Donnafugata, from Planeta to Tasca d’Almerita, from Ferrari Trento to Marchesi Antinori, from Castello di Ama to Castello di Volpaia, from Fèlsina to Fontodi, from Marchesi Frescobaldi to Mazzei, from Ornellaia to Tenuta San Guido, from Lungarotti to Allegrini, from Masi Agricola to Zenato among the “Legacy Icons”; from Jermann to Marco Felluga Russiz Superiore, from Lvnae Bosoni to Bellavista, from Guido Berlucchi to Braida di Giacomo Bologna, from Ceretto to Cogno, from G.B. Burlotto to G.D. Vajra, from Giacomo Borgogno & Figli to Oddero Poderi e Cantine, from Pio Cesare to Sandrone, from Argiolas to Tenute Sella & Mosca, from Benanti to Tenuta delle Terre Nere, from Cantina Terlano to Elena Walch, from San Michele Appiano to Tenuta San Leonardo, from Altesino to Argiano, from Biondi-Santi to Boscarelli, from Canalicchio di Sopra to Caprili, from Carpineto to Casanova di Neri, from Castello Banfi to Eredi Fuligni, from Il Poggione to Isole e Olena, from Le Macchiole to Rocca delle Macìe, from Antinori Castello della Sala to Caprai, from Bertani to Nino Franco, from Roberto Anselmi to Romano dal Forno and Tedeschi among the “Classics”; and, among the “New Voices”, names such as Quintodecimo, San Salvatore 1988, Villa Bucci, Gianfranco Fino, Arianna Occhipinti, Feudo Maccari - Famiglia Antonio Moretti, Graci, Pietradolce, Maso Martis, Argentiera, Tenuta di Biserno, Grattamacco, Lamole di Lamole, Le Chiuse, Poggio al Tesoro (Marilisa Allegrini), San Filippo, Tenuta di Arceno, Tenuta di Trinoro, Tolaini, Tenuta Castelbuono (Fratelli Lunelli), Biancavigna, Gerardo Cesari and Zýmē, to name just a few (the complete list is provided in the focus section). Overall, there are 45 new wineries compared to the 2025 edition. In terms of territorial representation, Tuscany leads the ranking with 48 producers, followed by Piedmont (24), Sicily (15), and Veneto (12).
“OperaWine” is a symbolic event and represents our only international tasting  - recalled Alison Napjus, senior editor of “Wine Spectator”, during the presentation of the winery list in Chicago at Vinitaly.USA 2025 last October - for me and for Bruce Sanderson, senior editor, the wineries featured in Verona are always a source of inspiration and discovery of Italian wines, selected through our blind tastings. For next year, we have expanded the representation of Italian wine excellence by introducing, exclusively for 2026, the “New Voices” with the aim of identifying new thematic categories for future editions. We thank Veronafiere-Vinitaly for the trust placed in “Wine Spectator”. On our side, we are delighted to highlight these extraordinary producers during the event in Verona and to present them to the 3.5 million readers of our magazine worldwide”.
Since 2012, “OperaWine”, recalls a note, has been the only tasting event organized by “Wine Spectator” outside the United States, confirming the strength of its collaboration with Veronafiere and the event’s role as a privileged bridge between Italian wine and the American market. This relationship also reflects the constant presence of the Verona trade fair in this key market and will be further strengthened in 2026 with the third edition of Vinitaly.USA, organized by Veronafiere Vinitaly and Ita - Italian Trade Agency in New York City on October 26th and 27th at Pier 36, immediately following the “Wine Spectator New York Wine Experience” (October 22nd - 24th), one of the most prestigious events on the international wine calendar.

Focus - The 150 wineries selected by “Wine Spectator ” for “OperaWine” 2026
Legacy Icons
Masciarelli
Feudi di San Gregorio
Mastroberardino Agricola
Livio Felluga
Famiglia Cotarella
Ca’ del Bosco
Nino Negri
Umani Ronchi
Aldo Conterno
Giuseppe Mascarello & Figlio
Paolo Scavino
Tormaresca Tenuta Bocca di Lupo
Donnafugata
Planeta
Tasca D’almerita
Ferrari Trento
Antinori
Castellare di Castellina
Castello di Ama
Castello di Volpaia
Fèlsina
Fontodi
Marchesi Frescobaldi
Mazzei
Ornellaia
Tenuta San Guido
Lungarotti
Allegrini
Masi Agricola
Pieropan
Zenato

Classics
D’Angelo
Borgo del Tiglio
Jermann
Marco Felluga Russiz Superiore
Vie di Romans
Liguria Lvnae Bosoni
Arpepe
Bellavista
Guido Berlucchi
Marche Bisci
Marche Garofoli
Braida di Giacomo Bologna
Cavallotto
Ceretto
Cogno
Elio Altare
G.B. Burlotto
G.D. Vajra
Giacomo Borgogno & Figli
Marchesi di Gresy
Massolino
Oddero Poderi e Cantine
Pio Cesare
Pira Chiara Boschis
Produttori del Barbaresco
Ratti
Roagna
Sandrone
Vietti
Argiolas
Tenute Sella & Mosca
Benanti
Duca di Salaparuta
Passopisciaro
Tenuta delle Terre Nere
Cantina Terlano
Elena Walch
J. Hofstätter
St. Michael-Eppan Winery
Tenuta San Leonardo
Altesino
Argiano
Biondi-Santi
Boscarelli
Canalicchio di Sopra
Caprili
Carpineto
Casanova di Neri
Castello Banfi
Castello di Albola
Castello di Monsanto
Castello Romitorio
Eredi Fuligni
Fattoria Le Pupille
Il Poggione
Isole E Olena
Le Macchiole
Ricasoli
Rocca delle Macìe
Siro Pacenti
Valdicava
Antinori Castello della Sala
Arnaldo Caprai
Tabarrini
Bertani
Nino Franco
Roberto Anselmi
Romano Dal Forno
Tedeschi

New Voices
La Valentina
Elena Fucci
Colli di Lapio
Galardi
Quintodecimo
San Salvatore 19.88
Terre di Valter
Chiara Condello
Bastianich
Liguria Terenzuola
Liguria Terre Bianche
Villa Bucci
Catabbo
Ca’viola
Mauro Veglio
Trediberri
Felline
Gianfranco Fino
Masseria Li Veli
Agripunica
Ammura (Tommasi Family Estates)
Arianna Occhipinti
F. Tornatore
Feudo Maccari
Feudo Montoni
Giovanni Rosso
Graci
Pietradolce
Maso Martis
Argentiera
Biserno
Grattamacco
Il Molino di Grace
Ipsus
Istine
Lamole di Lamole
Le Chiuse
Podere Salicutti
Poggio al Tesoro
Riecine
Rocca di Frassinello
Rocca di Montegrossi
San Filippo
Tenuta di Arceno
Tenuta di Trinoro
Tolaini
Tenuta Castelbuono
Biancavigna
Gerardo Cesari
Zýmē