Slow Wine Fair and SANA Food have closed their second year together with very positive results. The two-day event attracted 16,000 visitors, a 6% increase on the previous edition. Many industry professionals and enthusiasts (admission reserved for Sundays only) were able to discover and taste a unique selection of wines, embodying the Manifesto of Good, Clean and Fair Wine, and taking advantage of the synergy between the two events, visiting both with the same ticket.
At the Slow Wine Fair, organised by BolognaFiere based on an idea by Slow Food, numbers were also up in terms of exhibiting wineries: over 1,030, of which 576 were organic, biodynamic or in conversion
All 20 Italian regions were represented.
The number of foreign countries represented is also on the rise: 27 in addition to Italy. Among the exhibitors – more than 1,120 – the supply chain partners are noteworthy, the companies that animated the Fiera dell’Amaro d’Italia (for four years in contemporary with Slow Wine Fair) those of the spirits sector, roasters involved by the Slow Food Coffee Coalition and manufacturers of cider and sake.
With these exhibitors and the 300 companies at SANA Food, 350 international buyers –selected in part through collaboration with the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) – were able to schedule meetings via the B2Match platform, which allowed professionals to profile in detail the companies and labels matching their interests. There were also numerous informal contacts with international buyers from 32 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, the United Kingdom, the People’s Republic of China, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, the United States, Sweden, Switzerland, Hungary and Vietnam.
There was a significant turnout of restaurateurs and wine merchants interested in the Slow Wine Fair’s offerings: 100 of them received awards as part of the Premio Carta Vini Terroir and Spirito Slow, designed to highlight the vital partnership between the restaurant industry and the work of quality winemakers.
Over 100 events on the program were very well attended, ranging from the 14 masterclasses to the conferences and presentations at the Arena Reale Mutua, the event’s main partner, and at Casa Slow Food. There was also an excellent response to the tastings held in the spaces of regional institutions, including Regione Lombardia, Agenzia Laore Sardegna, Regione Calabria - Dipartimento agricoltura e sviluppo rurale, Regione Lazio - Arsial and Regione Campania. There was also space for tastings held in the Annate Storiche Area: six events dedicated to the historic vintages of the wineries participating in the Banca del Vino project - a series of meetings between producers and visitors, designed as opportunities for discussion and tasting. Finally, there were 22 events in the Mixology Lab area in collaboration with Drink Factory, which once again supported exhibitors of bitters and spirits in mixing and presenting their products.
Good, clean and fair wine: the values of the Slow Wine Fair
Environmental sustainability of the vineyard
Protection of the agricultural landscape and wise use of its resources
Slow Wine Fair is an international event that promotes wines produced using sustainable farming methods, with a focus on biodiversity and landscape conservation, its guiding principles.
The theme of the fifth edition was social justice, explored through meetings and discussions featured young winemakers,
Cultural and social growth of farming communities
female winegrowers and guests involved in projects promoting social inclusion and gender equality.
These discussions reaffirmed the need for greater institutional support to safeguard the conditions of workers in the entire agricultural sector.
Figures for the 2026 edition
16,000 visitors at the Slow Wine Fair and SANAFood
7,000 labels available for tasting
2 digital conferences organised in the weeks leading up to the event
14 masterclasses dedicated to Italian and international wines
6 conferences, meetings and in-person presentations
22 tasting sessions for bitters and spirits organised at the Mixology Lab
22 tasting events at institutional venues 6 tasting sessions at the Annate Storiche Area
13 AmarOff events at venues in Bologna participating in the initiative
1,032 exhibiting wineries
908 from Italy and 124 international
576
certified organic and/ or biodynamic or in conversion
311 members of FIVI (Italian Federation of Independent Winegrowers)
18 collectives established by distributors
Allegrini Wine Distribution
Area 6
Castes Feira do viño de Galicia
Ceretto - Terroirs
Classica
DIWINE
Elemento Indigeno
Etica Distribuzione
Gemma
La Part des Hommes
Ordan Wine Selection
PR Comunicare il Vino
Teatro del Vino
Triple “A”
Vignaioli Rock
Vignerons et Terroirs de Lantignié
Vino.3
Wine Soul
27 countries
Countries represented Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, France, Georgia, Germany, Japan, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the Republic of San Marino, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine, Hungary and the USA
12 consortia and associations
Associazione Produttori del Vino Biologico del Piemonte
Chianti Classico
Consorzio Alta Langa
Consorzio Classese e Oltrepò Pavese
Consorzio di Tutela Vino
Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG
Consorzio Tutela Vini d’Abruzzo
Consorzio Tutela Vini Piceni
Custodi del Lambrusco
Enoteca Regionale
Emilia Romagna
Istituto Marchigiano di Tutela Vini
Natural Wine Association of Georgia
Piemonte Land of Wine
Umbria Top Wines
Not just wine
6 roasters from the Slow Food Coffee Coalition 14 food trucks and the restaurant Osteria da Amerigo 1934
23 partner and exhibitor spaces in the supply chain
350 international buyers selected in part thanks to the collaboration of the ICE Agency
7 institutions present
Città Metropolitana di Reggio Calabria
Regione Calabria Agricoltura e Sviluppo Rurale
Enoteca Regionale Emilia Romagna
Regione Campania
Regione Lazio - Arsial
Regione Lombardia
Regione Sardegna - Laore
2,000+ business meetings between industry professionals and producers, facilitated by the B2match platform
A sustainable event for sustainable wine
Actions implemented to achieve comprehensive sustainability: 99.5% of the waste produced over the three days of the event was recovered, sorted by category and finally returned to the market as secondary raw materials.
The pavillon setups carried the “CO₂Neutral” certification from the Ministry of the Environment and produces 87% less CO₂ than traditional setups, thanks in part to the absence of carpet in the more than 34,000 square metres of floor space occupied by the event.
Part of the official exhibition documentation was printed on paper and using a printer certified by the PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes).
Significant investments made by BolognaFiere for modernizing the fairground reduced water leakage by 30%, adopted energy-efficient Building Management Systems (BMS), and implemented widespread LED lighting.
Another sustainable initiative concerns bottle caps: in collaboration with the Artimestieri Social Cooperative, at the end of the Slow Wine Fair the corks from the bottles were collected in special containers, ground up and reused for thermal insulation in green building, to create sound-absorbing panels, sustainable clothing and eco- friendly furniture solutions, thereby reducing waste, consumption and pollution.
The Slow Wine Fair encouraged the use of public transport to reach Bologna and the exhibition centre. In this regard, an agreement with Trenitalia was renewed to encourage train travel and reduce emissions.
The slowinefair.it website
Slow Wine Fair 2026 has consolidated its role as a digital benchmark for the sector.
It is worth highlighting the exceptional organic performance: the search term “slow wine fair” saw a 1,025% increase in the last quarter, confirming that the event has become a recognised fixture in the sector.
Furthermore, the site has become indispensable for those looking for wine events in Bologna and Emilia-Romagna, ranking first even among generic searches.
288,403 Active visitors from 148 countries
321,329 sessions
265,000 active visitors from Italy
from the cities of: Milan, Bologna, Rome, Turin, Florence, Cagliari and Naples
Social media
488,202 page views
1 minute AVERAGE SESSION DURATION
12,000 active visitors from abroad
After the Italians, the most active visitors came from: Germany, the United States, France, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
The 2026 edition marked a turning point for the Slow Wine Fair’s social media communication: the launch of the official Instagram profile @slowinefair, dedicated exclusively to the event, has in fact enabled the creation of a niche and highly targeted community.
The new profile has already reached 4,060 followers (figure updated on 23 March 2026), with an increase of 1,710 new users since 15 January – in just two months. In total, organic engagement generated 3,125,070 views and 19,142 interactions.
90% of the followers are Italian, but there is a growing presence from Germany and the United States, confirming the event’s international appeal on Instagram as well.
Organic
3,125,070 views
19,142 interactions
Advertising campaign
Investment in advertising played a crucial role, generating 31% of total website traffic (+17% compared to the previous year).
In addition to Google and Meta, visibility was boosted by strategic partnerships and online publications. Among those that generated the most traffic and conversions were: Bargiornale (crucial for the professional target audience), Il Gusto (la Repubblica/La Stampa), Citynews and BolognaToday (for local coverage).
A key highlight is the success of the brand awareness social media campaign, which generated over 2 million views and attracted 1,715 new followers to the profile: the campaign contributed not only to ticket sales but also to building the community for Slow Wine Fair 2027.
Newsletter
Since October 2025, newsletters have been sent out at an average rate of two per month, with a higher frequency in the run-up to the event.
Each issue included an average of four pieces of content, designed to inform and update the audience on the main news and opportunities related to the event.
The communications recorded high deliverability (98.8%) and performance exceeding industry benchmarks, with an open rate of 33.5% and a click-through rate of 4.5%, with no spam reports and a minimal number of unsubscribes.
Press releases and invitations
The official launch of Slow Wine Fair 2026 took place on 2 December 2025, with a press conference held at the Signorvino wine shop in Viale Pasubio in Milan. The first press release highlighted the confirmations– starting with the event’s co-location with SANA Food – and the new features of the fifth edition, in particular the central theme of social justice, whilst providing a preview of the overall program.
The second press conference for Slow Wine Fair 2026 was held immediately prior to the event, on 17 February, in Bologna, at Eataly Ambasciatori. The presentation served to outline the event’s official program and to highlight some key institutional partners, starting with the Municipality of Bologna and FIPE Confcommercio, reflecting the growing dialogue between tSlow Wine Fair and the city. Among the confirmed events was Fiera dell’Amaro d’Italia, underlining the continuity of the strategic partnerships established in previous editions. The presentation also featured a leading figure from Bologna’s restaurant scene, who emphasised the central importance for the sector of an event such as Slow Wine Fair, which is increasingly focused on the Horeca sector.
In total, 31 press releases were sent out, broken down as follows:
16 press releases to national and local media, both general and specialist;
12 press releases to local and regional publications;
3 press invitations.
Each of these launches was accompanied by a series of targeted initiatives aimed at the press, such as sharing in-depth articles on the event’s themes, the various sections into which it was divided, the key figures involved, and the scheduled events.
On average, 5,000 recipients received the press releases for each national launch and 750 for local launches
Press review
There were more than 1,000 publications dedicated to Slow Wine Fair as of 20 March, 152 of which appeared in print media.
Among the publications that have carried out the most significant reports, we would highlight:
journalists, bloggers and influencers took part in the event
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We have signed 20 publishing agreements, divided as follows:
• 11 with publishers/distributors of specialist publications;
• 9 with publishers/distributors of general-interest publications.
The agreements were:
• in 11 cases, they involved goods exchanges. For specialist publications, the agreements involved: Editrice Edf Trend with TecnAlimentaria Beverage Industry and tecnalimentaria.it, Edizioni DM with Green Retail and distibuzionemoderna.info, Edizioni Pubblicità Italia with Premiata Salumeria Italiana and its associated website and newsletter, Edizioni Turbo with Luxury Food & Beverage Magazine, luxuryfb.com and alimentando.info, Fabio Russo S.r.l. with horecanews.it and its daily newsletter (plus other portals in the network, such as foodybev.com and canalevino.it) and Il Fuoricasa, Gestione Horeca with bar.it, Gidiemme with italyexport.net, WOM with Grandi Vini and igrandivini.com; for generalist publications: Citynews with BolognaToday, FerraraToday, FirenzeToday, ModenaToday, PadovaOggi, TorinoToday and VeronaSera; GEDI News Network, comprising La Repubblica and several local editions (Bologna, Florence, Milan and Turin); Uomini e Affari with affaritaliani.it;
• in 7 cases, these were paid agreements. For specialist publications: Editrice Zeus with Food&Bev Catalogue, Horeca International and allfoodonline.com, and winenews.it. For generalist publications: A. Manzoni with La Repubblica, G I piaceri del gusto (monthly print and website) and La Stampa, CairoRCS Media with Cook, L’Informazione Nuova with Radio Città Fujiko, Rai Pubblicità with Rai Radio Uno, Unique Strategy with the Calendario Sagre Emilia- Romagna;
• the remaining two cases involved mixed agreements. For specialist publications: Tecniche Nuove with Bargiornale and Ristoranti (and their websites and newsletters); for generalist publications: SpeeD with QN, QN Weekend, QN Itinerari, il Resto del Carlino EmiliaRomagna and Marche, and the SpeeD radio network. As part of the agreement with Bargiornale, sponsorship of the ‘Barawards’ was confirmed, in particular of the ‘Slow Wine Fair Local Green of the Year Award’, which involved the promotion of the Slow Wine Fair across all communication channels of the Tecniche Nuove magazine and during the Barawards ceremony, the “Barawards Gala Night Party” held on 12 January at Alcatraz in Milan.
Goods exchanges
Goods exchanges resulted in publications in:
• 6 print magazines;
• 6 daily newspapers.
Through these channels, Slow Wine Fair gained visibility in the form of:
• 36 advertisements (full-page, quarter-page, etc.) in print publications;
• 16 banners on websites and in newsletters;
• 59 editorial features, articles, listings in calendars and columns in print and online media (websites and newsletters);
• 3 radio adverts;
• timely publication of press releases;
• posts on partner publications’ social media.
International press
On the occasion of Slow Wine Fair 2026, the press release Slow Wine Fair 2026: Wine as a Tool for Social Change, translated into English, was sent to around 800 selected journalists from trade publications. Among the most significant coverage:
● 27/01/2026
VINETOUR.COM International Wine Fairs
● 30/01/2026
WINECOUTURE.IT International Wine Fairs
● 10/02/2026
TECNOVINO.COM Slow Wine Fair 2026: el vino como expresión viva del territorio y de la responsabilidad
● 23/02/2026
DIVINO.BG Slow Wine Fair 2026 and wine as a tool for social change
● 24/02/2026
GEORGIATODAY.GE Qvevri Wine-Producing Wine Cellars Participated in an Exhibition Held in Bologna, Italy
● 24/02/2026
COMMERSANT.GE Qvevri Wine-Producing Wine Cellars Participated in an Exhibition Held in Bologna, Italy
● 25/02/2026
FARODEVIGO.ES The presence of Spain at the SWF
● 27/02/2026
FRESHPLAZA.COM Photo Report: Sana Food 2026 – Slow Food networks as key protagonists
● 01/03/2026
BLICK.CH The organic wine world meets in Bologna
● 04/03/2026
PRIMORSKI DNEVINIK Na mladih svet stoji, tudi vinski
