Italy Expands Presence at Wine Paris 2026 With 1,350 Exhibitors and 25% More Space

Wine Paris 2026, one of the most important international wine trade fairs, is set to take place from February 9 to 11 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. The event will bring together more than 6,000 exhibitors from over 60 countries and expects to welcome 60,000 visitors from 155 nations. This year’s edition promises an expanded offering, making it a key meeting point for producers, importers, and distributors in the global wine and spirits industry.

Italy will have a strong presence at the fair, further solidifying its role as a leading player in the sector. Since 2019, the exhibition space dedicated to Italian wineries has quadrupled. For 2026, Italy will be represented by 1,350 exhibitors across a total area of 12,000 square meters, marking a 25% increase compared to last year. This positions Italy as the second most represented country at Wine Paris after France.

The Italian Trade Agency (ICE) is organizing a collective of 130 Italian wine and spirits producers within an exhibition area of about 1,300 square meters. These companies will be located in Hall 5.1 for wines and Hall 2.2 in the Be Spirits area. The Italian Pavilion was inaugurated with the participation of Italy’s Ambassador to France Emanuela D’Alessandro, ICE President Matteo Zoppas, and Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida.

Minister Lollobrigida highlighted that the large participation of Italian companies demonstrates the sector’s commitment to innovation and optimism for the future. He emphasized that Italian wines and spirits are products rooted in tradition but continue to evolve to meet global demand. The Ministry and ICE are working together to support Italian producers in expanding into new markets and strengthening their presence where they already operate.

In 2024, Italian wine exports exceeded €8 billion, showing a growth trend of 4.7% compared to 2023. However, during the first ten months of 2025, exports reached €6.5 billion, reflecting a decrease of 2.7%. Wine accounts for more than 10% of Italy’s total agri-food exports. According to ICE President Zoppas, wine remains a key ambassador for Italian culture worldwide, especially as Italian cuisine was recently recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

ICE supports Italian companies facing global challenges such as tariffs and currency fluctuations by promoting participation in international events like Wine Paris. These efforts are part of broader strategies coordinated with other national agencies and government bodies to identify new opportunities beyond established markets. Emerging priorities include Mercosur countries and India, which could become a key destination if recent EU-India agreements simplify taxes and tariffs that currently raise purchase prices by up to 150%.

At Wine Paris, ICE is supporting 120 Italian wineries in Hall 5.1 with a diverse range of regional products aimed at buyers seeking quality and variety. Alongside ICE’s collective stand, major regions and consortia—including those representing Prosecco—are present with a total of 35 group participations. The event showcases both historic wineries and innovative new producers who are redefining Italian wine.

The Be Spirits area will again feature an “Italian Spirits Lab,” where ten producers will present liquors and spirits. The bar will serve modern takes on traditional Italian cocktails under the guidance of Barbara Migliaccio Spina from Hôtel Barrière Fouquet’s in Paris.

Wine Paris 2026 has also been selected as part of OpportunItaly, a business acceleration program launched by ICE and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to connect foreign buyers with Italian excellence through a dedicated online platform.

Italy’s participation in Wine Paris is seen as crucial for promoting exports of wines and spirits on international markets. France remains a key market for Italian wine exports. In the first ten months of 2025, Italy was the world’s second-largest wine exporter by value after France, maintaining its market share at 23%. During this period, total Italian wine exports reached €6.51 billion despite a slight decline from the previous year.

The United States remains Italy’s top export market for wine (€1.51 billion or 23.1%), followed by Germany (€947 million or 14.5%), the United Kingdom (€687 million or 10.5%), Canada (€360 million or 5.5%), Switzerland (€316 million or 4.9%), and France (€267 million or 4.1%). Exports to France grew by 4.7% compared to the same period in 2024.

Bilateral trade between Italy and France in wine has also been supported by a rise in Italian imports from France (+5.5%). For spirits and liquors, Italy exported €1.42 billion globally in the first ten months of 2025—a decrease of 5% from the previous year—ranking seventh worldwide with a market share of 4.4%. Germany is the main destination for Italian spirits (€294 million or 20.7%), followed by the United States (€167 million or 11.8%), the United Kingdom (€112 million or 7.9%), and France (€78 million or 5.5%). Despite a significant drop of 22.7% in exports to France during this period, it remains Italy’s fourth-largest market for spirits.

Wine Paris continues to serve as an important platform for Italy’s wine and spirits industry to reach new buyers and strengthen existing commercial relationships worldwide amid changing global conditions and growing competition in the sector.