17 Nov
The International Fair celebrating excellence in wine and spirits returns to Milan from May 16 to 18, 2026, at Palazzo del Ghiaccio.
Milano, November 17, 2025 – After the great success of the 2025 edition, which welcomed over 6,000 visitors, 200 companies, and more than 1,200 labels from around the world, Best Wine Stars is ready to return with its seventh edition, scheduled from May 16 to 18, 2026 in the striking setting of Palazzo del Ghiaccio.
The event, created and organized by Prodes Italia, is now officially recognized as an International Fair by Regione Lombardia, confirming its role as one of the most authoritative and innovative events in the wine & spirits landscape.
“Best Wine Stars was created to build authentic connections between producers and the public, between territories and professionals.
Every year, we work to expand the project’s vision and give voice to the excellences of our country within an international context.”
states Enzo Carbone, CEO of Prodes Italia e and founder of the event.
Among the most significant updates, Prodes Italia introduces a special incentive for producers who confirm their participation by December 31, 2025: a 25% discount on participation packages (excluding additional services). This initiative reflects the company’s commitment to supporting the sector and encouraging early planning.
Best Wine Stars stands out for its ability to blend business and culture, tradition and innovation, transforming tasting into an immersive and narrative-driven experience.
Each edition showcases the industry as an expression of territory, research, and creativity, engaging an audience of professionals, buyers, specialized press, and enthusiasts.
In 2026 , the event will once again offer three days of meetings, masterclasses, talks, business dinners, awards, and networking opportunities in a refined and contemporary setting, where sensory experiences intertwine with meaningful professional encounters.
The well-established format continues to grow, enriching each edition with new content and tools designed to highlight the work of producers. Alongside the traditional tasting desks, the new edition will include thematic Masterclasses led by Adua Villa, writer, digital storyteller, sommelier, and entrepreneur, joined by some of the most respected experts in the Italian wine scene.
Among the speakers of 2025 were Mattia Asperti, Sommelier and creator of the community “Il Sommelier Divino”, Chiara Giannotti, wine expert and comunicator, creator of Vino.Tv, contributor and taster for the “Guida dei vini essenziali di Doctorwine”, author of the book “La Cantina Perfetta” di Rizzoli, Giambattista Marchetto, Wine journalist and director of Vinonews24, Francesco Quarna, Radio Deejay host and winemaker, Valentina Vercelli, Journalist for La Cucina Italiana and Condé Nast Traveller, Stefania Vinciguerra, professional journalist and editor-in-chief of DoctorWine and the “Guida Essenziale ai Vini d’Italia” and Fabio Bacchi Founder of BarTales and Roma Bar Show.
Their tastings provided a valuable point of reference for contemporary wine education and storytelling, and in 2026 the Masterclasses will continue to be among the most anticipated moments of the event.
The iconic Business Dinners, hosted in 2025 at I Frigoriferi Milanesi, will return as one of the event’s most exclusive highlights, offering companies the opportunity to interact directly with buyers and journalists in a convivial, high-impact setting where wine meets gastronomic culture.
Following the introduction of the platform visit.bestwinestars.com, which facilitated over 18,000 interactions between companies and industry operators in 2025, the next edition will see a further enhancement of digital services dedicated to connecting producers with international buyers. The goal is to create a dynamic, interconnected ecosystem capable of generating valuable relationships and business opportunities beyond the event days.
The Best Wine Stars Awards will also return in 2026, honoring excellence in the world of wine and spirits. The 14 award categories reflect the diversity of a constantly evolving sector, ranging from sparkling wines to structured reds, and including the most innovative projects in sustainability and communication.
The awards include the categories Best Sparkling Wine, Best White Wine, Best Red Wine, Best Rosé Wine, Best Herbal Liqueurs, Best Spirits and Best International Excellence, dedicated to enhancing the best Italian and international productions, together with Best Vinum Innovation, which celebrates research and experimentation in the wine sector.
Special attention is given to the Best Green Project and Best Hospitality Project, which reward companies capable of combining sustainability, hospitality and contemporary vision.
The overview is completed by the Best Deal, warded for the best value for money, and the Best Buyer Selection, which recognizes the synergy between producers and industry operators.
Finally, there will be categories dedicated to visual communication, with the Best Logo and Best Label awards, designed to highlight brand identity, design and narrative strength.
Alongside the awards, Best Wine Stars is strengthened every year by a solid network of strategic partnerships contributing to the success and continuous growth of the event. The project benefits from collaborations with institutions, consortia, associations, and technical partners who share its vision and values, reinforcing the professional and international dimension of the fair.
Institutional and strategic partners from the 2025 edition included Partesa, Assoenologi, Agivi, DANITACOM and the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce, organizations supporting dialogue between producers, professionals, and foreign markets. They were joined by a network of sponsors and technical partners representing the excellence of Made in Italy in the wine & beverage sector: Vetrobalsamo Spa, TELLYWINE Srl, Lc Technologies Srl, Sanden Intercool Italy Srl, Winest, Vinstrip and Non di Solo Legno.
Each year, Prodes Italia carefully selects the most authoritative publications in the food-and-wine and lifestyle sectors to guarantee top-tier media coverage for Best Wine Stars. During the 2025 edition, the event collaborated with key media partners such as BarTales, Wine Meridian, Italia a Tavola, Vino News 24, I Grandi Vini, DoctorWine, Enologo On Line and Eventi Milano, who contributed through features, interviews, and dedicated reports.
This network is enriched by the participation of leading content creators and storytellers, including My Home Bar, Trotterwine, Simonagsommelier, Cantina Social, Fabioelavigna and Denise Oriani, who amplify the event narrative through digital channels, sharing the values, emotions, and experiences of Best Wine Stars with an ever-growing and engaged community.
Best Wine Stars thus reaffirms itself as a privileged stage for the world of wine and spirits, where tradition and innovation meet, blending sensory experiences, in-depth insights, and professional relationships.
Applications to participate in Best Wine Stars 2026 are open until April 20, 2026. For information and submissions: info@bestwinestars.com – www.bestwinestars.com
COMPANY PROFILE: Best Wine Stars is an initiative of the Prodes Italia group, active for years in the fields of fine jewelry, design, and art. The company is the creator of the long-established annual event Artistar Jewels. With Best Wine Stars, Prodes Italia brings the same uniqueness and style into a new project. In 2019, the company launched the first edition of Milano Jewelry Week, the Milanese Week celebrating the history, tradition, and innovation of the fascinating world of international jewelry.
INFO UTILI
Best Wine Stars 2026
Recognized as an International Fair by Regione Lombardia
When: May, 16 – 17 – 18, 2026
Where: Palazzo del Ghiaccio – Via Giovanni Battista Piranesi, 14, 20137 Milan
Press Office
Prodes Italia Press Office
press@prodesitalia.com | +39 02 365 80 208
Instagram: @bestwinestars
Facebook: Best Wine Stars
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