I was reading Aaron Ayscough’s round-up of natural wine fairs when I realised that there were many natural wine fairs in Italy which weren’t getting through to him. Given how many fairs there are in France that he has to keep the pulse of, it can’t be easy. So, with his blessing, I decided to compile my own list of events in Italy.
I quickly realised why many of the Italian fairs don’t reach a wider public. The information available is beyond shoddy.
i.e. I know of this wine fair in Puglia, I go to their website. There’s a flashy banner telling me that the fair kicks off in 45 days and 2 hours. I can’t for the life of me find the actual date or the location of the fair… let alone the winemakers exhibiting in 2026. Would I recommend you attend? Maybe, but strictly at your own risk!
Anyway, here is a (work-in-progress) list of wine fairs in the first half of this coming year:
SUNDAY 11 JANUARY Vino In-dipendente – Calvisano (BS) Lombardia
Organised by Stefano Belli, independent sommelier and winelover, this very unpretentious fair has now reached its 11th edition. 70 small-scale winemakers exhibiting in a very non-descript venue. This fair always gets the year off to a good start.
SUNDAY 25 & MONDAY 26 JANUARY Vini Migranti – Florence (FI)
As of Dec 9th, the list of 2026 exhibitors is not yet available. Approx 100 winemakers (of varying degrees of naturality) participated in 2025.
(IN 45 DAYS FROM 9TH DECEMBER) SUNDAY 25 & MONDAY 26 JANUARY Evoluzione Naturale -Grottaglie (TA) Puglia
With a stereotypical Italian shrug, I declare “I know nothing”… except that this is an annual fixture on the winelovers calendar, kicking off the year for those from the heel of the boot who exhibit. In 2025, I counted approx 50 winemakers.
SUNDAY 8 & MONDAY 9 FEBRUARY VinNatur Genova – Porto Antico, Genova (GE)
I can’t pull off that theatrical shrug anymore as I actually organise this fair, together with my husband, but you can find all the information on the website! 85 winemakers pouring. Two days. VinNatur is a formative association thus not so many big names but lots of emerging winemakers to discover.
SUNDAY 22 – MONDAY 23 – TUESDAY 24 FEBRUARY Slow Wine Fair – Bolognafiera, Bologna (BO)
Over 1000 wineries (yes, one thousand) participate at the Slow Wine Fair making it rather overwhelming if you didn’t come prepared. My experience in 2025 was not overly positive, largely due to the hours spent in traffic jams waiting to get into or out of the Bolognafiera structure… but if you can get there by public transport and you don’t mind large-scale, soulless wine fairs, this fair offers the chance to taste the breadth of Italian artisanal winemaking.
SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY, MAYBE? Vignaioli Naturali a Roma
Tiziana Gallo, distributor of natural wines throughout the capital, has organised this wine fair since 2009. As of Dec 9th, the website has yet to be updated with information about the 2026 edition.
SUNDAY 8 & MONDAY 9 MARCH Vini Selvaggi – San Paolo, Roma (RM)
Solovino, a winebar located two steps away from metro Cipro in Rome, have been organising this wine fair since 2021. Picking up in popularity, if you’re in the capital, this is well worth checking out. 2026 exhibitor list is not yet available.
SATURDAY 21 & SUNDAY 22 MARCH FuoriVinifera – Trento (TN)
The fair that used to be called Vinifera Forum is now going by the name FuoriVinifera and annouces a new location in 2026. I’ve signed up for the newsletter and will update here when I get more information. What is clear from the 2025 list, and it would be a real pity should they lose their USP, is that the lion’s share of exhibitors are from the mountains or hills of Alto-Adige / Trentino, a region which is relatively avantgarde (compared to the rest of Italy) in their winemaking.
SATURDAY 21 – SUNDAY 22 – MONDAY 23 MARCH Vinipendenti – Stazione Leopolda, Pisa (PI)
No information available, just a very colourful landing page. (As of Dec 9th.)
FRIDAY 10 – SATURDAY 11 – SUNDAY 12 ViniVeri – Cerea (VR) Veneto
Long standing appointment for the Vini Veri Consorzio (a group of natural winemakers founded in 2003.) With the Vini Veri fair in Cerea, we kick off the Vinitaly weekend.
SATURDAY 11 – SUNDAY 12 – MONDAY 13 APRIL VinNatur Tasting – Margraf, Gambellara (VI) Veneto
This is another fair that I organise. VinNatur was founded by Angiolino Maule in 2006. It’s a not-for-profit association, because the objective is to invest all proceeds from ticket sales into financing scientific research projects which in turn help the associate winemakers make better natural wine. You’ll find close to 200 winemakers participating… mainly from Italy but not only.
SUNDAY 12 – MONDAY 13 – TUESDAY 14 – WEDNESDAY 15 APRIL Vinitaly – Veronafiera, Verona (VR)
Italy’s largest trade fair, Vinitaly is obviously not a natural wine lover’s natural environment but it does bring in the crowds (and the parasites, *cough* spin-off events.) This year, there are more than ever.
MONDAY 13 APRIL – RAW Verona – Veronafiera, Verona (VR)
The result of a collaboration between Vinitaly and Isabelle Legeron’s RAW group (as a consequence of Vi.Te choosing to branch out, one might speculate), a corner of the vast Vinitaly multiplex will see 35 winemakers pouring at the second edition of RAW Verona.
Full list of events coming soon…
P.S. What information have I forgotten? Would you like me to include ticket prices and opening hours? Do you want me to give you tips on who I’d go to taste in each fair? If so, drop me a comment below.
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