Merano WineFestival is one of the wine festivals that anchors the Trentino-Alto Adige calendar, drawing both local visitors and international wine travellers each year. It is held at Kurhaus in Corso della Liberta 33, in the heart of one of Italy's most distinctive wine areas. The festival has been running since 1992 and reaches its 34th edition in 2026, giving it one of the longer track records among Italian wine events of its kind.
One of Italy's most respected wine festivals, held in the elegant Kurhaus of Merano in South Tyrol since 1992. The 34th edition runs from 6-10 November under the theme 'Vision: Wine & Food Creators'. The programme includes The Festival (Italian and international producers selected by The WineHunter guide), GourmetArena (food selection), TasteTerroir (organic and biodynamic), Catwalk Champagne&more (sparkling wines), masterclasses, lectures and award ceremonies. Open to the public with day passes. Italian wine festivals typically combine producer tastings with food pairings, live music, and a strong sense of place. Visitors can expect access to wines from a range of producers in the appellation, alongside food stalls offering regional specialities, masterclasses or vineyard walks for those who want to learn more, and an opportunity to buy directly from producers at cellar prices. Many events run across multiple days or weekends, allowing visitors to sample different parts of the programme according to interest, and combine well with the area's wider tourism offer. The event is organised by Gourmet's International (Helmuth Kocher), which sets the tone and direction of the programme each year.
Trentino-Alto Adige is Italy's northernmost wine region, sitting against the Austrian border and producing fresh Alpine wines from a wide grape catalogue: Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Lagrein, Schiava, Teroldego and Pinot Nero. The Trento DOC and Alta Langa DOCG appellations produce traditional-method sparkling wines at high altitudes, with Ferrari, Cesarini Sgombero and Cavit among the largest names. The Merano WineFestival is the region's most internationally visible event.
The 2026 edition is scheduled for 6-10 November 2026. Festival access is ticketed: Paid (day pass ~€100-200). Full programme, ticketing and updated information are published on the official site at https://www.meranowinefestival.com/. Visitors are advised to check directly with the organiser for the latest schedule, as Italian festival programmes are sometimes updated close to the event date.
Trentino-Alto Adige is reached via Verona, Innsbruck or directly to Bolzano via train. Wine tourism here combines naturally with Alpine activities: hiking in the Dolomites, the Lagorai range, vineyard walks along the Strada del Vino, and the spa town of Merano with its turn-of-the-century Kurhaus and Trauttmansdorff botanical gardens. South Tyrolean cuisine combines Italian and Alpine traditions with speck, knodel, schluttkrapfen, strudel and the local Apfelstrudel.
