The aesthetics of wine protagonist at “Vinitaly Desing Award” with master Michelangelo Pistoletto

The success of a wine is undoubtedly linked to its quality. But also to its identity, and to its ability to communicate that identity and to be chosen among the countless options crowding shelves all over the world. Starting with labels and bottles which are capable, through their appearance and concept, of capturing the attention of consumers. Once again, the task of selecting the best wines and the best wineries in Italy will be entrusted to the “Vinitaly Design Award” 2026, the edition No. 30 of the Veronafiere award which highlights packaging as a strategic tool for conveying identity, quality and brand value in the world of wine & spirits. A total of 284 finalist projects will be evaluated by the jury, whose honorary president is one of the most important names in international contemporary art, Michelangelo Pistoletto, who is also connected to the world of wine and who interprets packaging as a cultural expression and a design responsibility, as well as an aesthetic and functional element. He will preside over the selection of the winners, who will be awarded on April 11th at the Teatro Ristori in Verona, on the eve of Vinitaly 2026 (April 12th - 15th).
The jury of the “Vinitaly Design Award” 2026 is composed of 30 designers, creative directors, journalists, academics and professionals from the wine and food sector, together with representatives from large-scale retail, horeca and online distribution: from Antonella Andriani, vicepresident of Adi - Associazione per il Disegno Industriale - Association for Industrial Design, to Camilla Gatti, Design Director at Cba, from Maricetta Gianfalla, creative director at Alias, to Gianluca Invernizzi, design director at Smith Lumen, from Nicola Mincione, partner at Rba, to Simonetta Doni, founder and ceo of Doni & Associati, from Papi Frigerio, design director at Robilant Associati, to Francesco Voltolina, designer and visual artist, from Juan Mantilla, creative director at Kiko, to Stefano Torregrossa, creative director at O,Nice! Design Studio, from Dario Frattaruolo, creative director at Dario Frattaruolo Design, to Andrea Basile, creative director at Basile Adv, from Michela Pibiri, editor-in-chief of PrintLovers, to Leila Salimbeni, editor of “Spirito DiVino”, from Fabio Piccoli, editor of “WineMeridian”, to Giuseppe Roberto Biagetti, director of Isia - Istituto Superiore per le Industrie Artistiche, from Fulvio Ravagnani, director of the Ied School of Communication - European Institute of Design, to Giulia Corcos, sales director at Tannico, from Alessandro Rossi, category manager wines at Partesa, to Daniele Colombo, category manager W&S at Esselunga, from Erika Mantovan, Marcom & Event Manager at Sagna, to Margaux Gargano, senior brand Manager at Velier, as well as Alessandro Regoli, director of WineNews.
The award - coordinated by a scientific committee made up of Assoenologi director Paolo Brogioni, lawyers Mauro Cobelli and Marco Giuri, and designers Luca Fois and Chiara Tomasi - represents “a platform for visibility  - underlines Veronafiere ceo Gianni Bruno -  and has always been a privileged observatory of the relationship between creativity, industry and the market. The award helps to tell the story of the evolution of made in Italy through packaging design, defining its standards”.