Merano WineFestival 2026: elegance as an experience

From 6 to 10 November 2026, the Kurhaus in Merano hosts the 35th edition of the Merano WineFestival. This year's theme is beauty and elegance, in the vineyard, in the glass and on the plate. Organisers expect 810 producers, more than 2,600 products to taste and over 100 producers from 12 countries outside Italy.

Founded in 1992 by Helmuth Köcher and organised by Gourmet's International, the festival is not a fair open to anyone who pays for a stand. Only producers selected by The WineHunter, the guide curated by Köcher's tasting panels, get in. The programme was presented on 7 October at the Italian Senate.

According to the organisers, the theme looks back to the festival's historic heart: the Art Nouveau Kurhaus and the Central European atmosphere of a town that, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was a Grand Tour stop and a favourite of Empress Sissi.

Five days, five moods

The festival keeps its five-day format, each day with its own identity.

• Friday 6 November – TasteTerroir bio&dynamica: organic, biodynamic, natural and PIWI-grape wines, alongside amphora and underwater-aged wines. The opening toast links up with Tokyo, home of the first Merano WineFestival Japan.
• 6–9 November – GourmetArena and Culinaria: around 150 food, beer and spirits producers, with cooking shows, a rosé selection and a no/low-alcohol area.
• 7–9 November – The Festival: over 350 producers in Wine Italia and more than 100 in Wine International at the Kurhaus; the WineHunter Area pours 126 selected labels, served by FISAR Alto Adige sommeliers.
• Tuesday 10 November – Catwalk Champagne&more: Champagne and Italian and international sparkling wines.

Masterclasses take place at the Hotel Terme Merano. On the business side, the WH Buyers' Club and the ICE Buyers Area are the meeting points.

Four perfect scores, a first

For the first time in the history of the WineHunter Awards, Köcher's panel gave a perfect 100 to four wines:

• Ferrari Perlé 2002
• Alto Adige Terlano Rarity 2013, Cantina Terlano
• Vernaccia di Oristano Riserva 1998, Attilio Contini
• Vin Santo di Montepulciano Occhio di Pernice 2012, Avignonesi

The common thread is time: long-lived traditional-method sparkling, a long-aged South Tyrolean white, and two historic long-ageing traditions from Sardinia and Tuscany. All four are among the 101 Platinum awards (over 96 points) given across Wine, Food and Spirits. The ceremony is on Friday 6 November at the Teatro Puccini. Also new this year is Next Platinum, a tasting route for products at the top of their award band.

Beyond November: the Merano Wine Observatory

On Friday 6 November the annual summit "Respiro e Grido della Terra" returns to the Teatro Puccini, presenting five research projects in viticulture and oenology with universities and the International Viticulture & Enology Society.

This is the backdrop to the edition's most strategic announcement. From 2027, the Merano Wine Observatory is set to become a year-round platform studying production, distribution and consumption. Its tools and activities have not been defined yet: we will follow how it develops.

The Gossip Wine take

Editorial analysis, not statements by the organisers.

Merano is an interesting case because it sells a selection before it sells an event. Guests at the Kurhaus don't have to find their way through a thousand stands: The WineHunter filter has already done part of the work. It is a clear Customer Experience principle: reduce choice overload to raise the perceived quality of every tasting.

The second element is how time is directed. Five days with different moods, from the organic opening to the Champagne finale, build a narrative arc rather than a calendar. And the venue works as hard as the wine: an Art Nouveau Kurhaus makes the elegance theme believable without explaining it.

Finally, the Observatory moves the festival from a yearly date to a continuous presence. For the industry, this is the shift to watch: it is where an event becomes a platform.

Practical info

• Dates: 6–10 November 2026
• Main venue: Kurhaus, Corso Libertà 33, Merano (South Tyrol)
• Other venues: Teatro Puccini, Hotel Terme Merano, Passer Promenade
• Tickets and accreditation: meranowinefestival.com

Worth remembering

• A curated selection beats an endless catalogue: the filter is part of the experience.
• The venue tells the theme before any words do.
• The future of wine events is continuity: from a date in the calendar to a platform.

Gossip Wine will be in Merano to cover the festival through the lens of experience. Follow us on @gossip.wine.