Meran offers a promising setting for a discussion about provenance: winegrowing shapes the surrounding countryside, whose relatively mild climate and sandy soils are highlighted by the local tourist board. But when the wine world gathers for the 35th Merano WineFestival from 6 to 10 November, looking at the vineyard alone will not be enough. Equally important will be who orders the wines in future – and for what occasion.
The dates and main venue have now been confirmed directly: Gourmet’s International is staging the festival at the Kurhaus and other venues around the town. The five-day showcase thus provides a tangible meeting point for an industry whose hopes of recovery sit alongside fundamental questions about its offering.
What Meran brings to the table
The opening day on 6 November is dedicated to “TasteTerroir – bio&dynamica”. The announced line-up includes organic, biodynamic and natural wines, amphora wines and products with little or no alcohol. From 7 to 9 November, “The Festival” follows with Italian and international wines; on 10 November, “Catwalk Champagne &more” puts the focus on sparkling wine. Masterclasses at Hotel Terme complement the programme.
This juxtaposition is interesting in itself: provenance, farming practices, maturation vessel and alcohol content describe different characteristics of a wine. None replaces another. The question for producers is therefore not simply which category they cater for. It is how clearly they can explain what defines their product. Meran is not a preview of a single vintage, but a setting in which to compare different origins and products. This does not, in itself, allow any judgement of the quality of the announced line-up.
Export growth does not yet mean the all-clear
The latest figures from the industry association Unione Italiana Vini show how cautiously reports of success should be read. According to its analysis of provisional EU data, the value of Italian wine shipments to the US rose by almost 17 per cent from July to September 2026 compared with the same quarter a year earlier. Across the first nine months, however, it remained down six per cent.
UIV president Lamberto Frescobaldi sees the replenishment of US inventories, rather than increased consumption alone, as one possible explanation for the quarterly rise. This gives the discussions in Meran a sober guiding question: are new orders driven by lasting interest – or by intermediaries’ need for stock? Both can help wineries, but they require different planning. An export figure alone does not tell us which wines genuinely win people over at the restaurant table or in retail.
Alcohol-free needs an identity of its own
The uncertainty is particularly evident with dealcoholised wines. In April, the UIV-Vinitaly Observatory expected Italian production to rise by 90 per cent in 2026. That was a forecast, not an annual result already achieved. At the same time, the FIPE-UIV study reported that 71 per cent of the restaurants surveyed had no interest in adding dealcoholised wines to their lists.
Expectations of growth and reluctance thus sit side by side. The explicit inclusion of no- and low-alcohol products on Meran’s opening day gives the category visibility; it does not yet establish its place with consumers. What remains to be clarified is the flavour profile, service and clear communication these products need. They deserve to be considered in their own right, rather than treated as mere substitutes.
The most productive expectation of Meran, then, is not a quick answer for the whole of Italy. What will be interesting is whether producers can bring provenance and changing demand together without flattening their differences. Not every wine needs to become lighter, and not every winery needs an alcohol-free range. But every offering needs a credible answer to the question of who it is intended for.
Original reviewed by the editors · 5 November 2026
