Masterclasses, tasting tables, and B2B meetings. For the general public: parties, citywide events, and walk-around tastings. Nine days dedicated to placing a new generation of wine enthusiasts at the center, with unique initiatives and an inclusive approach
Milan, October 2, 2024 – In a year of significant changes affecting production, markets, and consumer habits, the wine industry urgently needs to find many answers. With Milano Wine Week 2024 (MWW24) a wind of revolution is sweeping through the wine sector. Now in its seventh edition, MWW 2024 aims to revitalize an industry often confined by tradition with a format full of fresh ideas.
From October 5 to 13, the spotlight will shine on a schedule filled with innovative events and engaging activities, offering an unparalleled immersive experience designed not only for top professionals and dedicated wine lovers but also with a special focus on the new generation of consumers. The event will unfold across various districts and locations in Milan, a key hub for innovation, communication, and hospitality.
The seventh edition of Milano Wine Week 2024 comes at a time of significant transformation for the industry, where younger generations appear to be turning away from wine in favor of more contemporary and accessible drinks. “If the future of wine depends on the industry’s ability to adapt and engage a new generation of enthusiasts, it is time for the wine sector to adopt targeted strategies to spark their interest,” explains Federico Gordini, president of Milano Wine Week and founder of MWW Group.
“The challenges the sector faces are numerous, from responding to climate change—which increasingly impacts the supply chain—to the need to attract new generations of consumers, who are becoming increasingly disconnected from the traditional communication methods of the wine world. There is also the need to invest in the training staff in the catering and hospitality industries,” continues Gordini. “It is within this transformative context that the seventh edition of Milano Wine Week fits. We have focused on these themes with our partners, making them the foundations upon which we have built the key innovations for this year’s event.”
Finally, the Incoming project, supported by ICE – Agenzia and organized by Milano Wine Week, will bring a selection of international professionals – head sommeliers, sommeliers, F&B managers, and professionals responsible for selecting and including wines in wine lists for the international HoReCa sector – to Milan to explore the hundreds of participating wineries. These experts, hailing from 9 key markets such as the USA, South Korea, the UK, Switzerland, France, Germany, Spain, Austria, and Slovenia, work with renowned establishments like wine bars, restaurants, specialized retailers, and online platforms. The initiative aims to facilitate direct connections between Italian wine producers eager to expand internationally and trade professionals looking to enhance their wine portfolios with premium Italian selections, driving tangible business opportunities for both sides.
What’s New
Among the new features announced this year to better connect with Gen Z, the Enoteca Milano Wine Week consumer hub will move to one of the city’s most iconic locations, the Dazi at the Arco della Pace (one of Milan’s famous monuments). Open for nine days, it will host an interactive and technological tasting area with a calendar of initiatives designed to engage even less experienced consumers with the world of wine. In addition, to attract more of tomorrow’s wine lovers, MWW24 will debut One Wine Night, a party created in collaboration with Carrefour Italia, which returns as the general event’s Main Sponsor. Set in the charming location of Dazi at the Arco della Pace, the event aims to combine wine storytelling with the sound of electronic music.
If Milano Wine Week comes at a crucial time for the wine sector, MWW responds by further strengthening its commitment to key figures who play a fundamental role in the promotion and spreading of wine culture. Following the success of last year’s edition, the number of sommeliers from Italian haute cuisine has doubled, increasing from 50 to 100 involved in the Wine List Italia Guide and the Grand Tasting that celebrates it, scheduled on Sunday, October 6. This year, the event will take place in two prestigious venues: Palazzo Bovara and Palazzo Castiglioni, which are iconic symbols of Milanese Art Nouveau.
There will also be a change of location for the MWW Awards, which will take place at the scenic Teatro Manzoni on Monday, October 7. The ceremony will feature a refreshed format, presenting the third edition of the Wine List Italia Awards, Wine Retail Award, and Best Italian Wine Selection Award, all presented by a panel of experts chaired by food and wine critic Andrea Grignaffini. Additionally, for the second year in a row, Freccianera will recognize the restaurant with the most engaging sparkling wine selection, and a number of other sponsors will present special prizes ranging from the Best Wine Communicator to a prize honoring the career of one of the wine industry’s most impactful protagonists. All of the winners will be announced during the ceremony, which will feature a special food and beverage offering as well as live entertainment.
Regarding sustainability, Wine in Action – also debuting this year – is the first acceleration program dedicated to the most innovative wine startups, created in collaboration with LifeGate Way, Italy’s first ecosystem dedicated to sustainable native startups. At Milano Wine Week, these startups will present their most impactful projects – with three being selected to continue in the acceleration program -, introducing a significant new focus on sustainability that will be featured throughout various moments of the event.
Partners
Many important partners have joined Milan Wine Week 2024 – with Carrefour Italia as the Main Sponsor. Like every year, the event involves consortia, organizations, and hundreds of companies from all over Italy, as well as entities from outside the sector, institutions, trade associations, and, most importantly, the general public. This year’s edition is characterized by an increasingly immersive and engaging format, which involves consumers through experiences that include hundreds of venues throughout the Lombard metropolis. Milano Wine Week is organized with the Italian trade ICE-Agenzia, which will bring a selection of high-level professionals to Italy for the incoming activity.
The Exhibition
The Agenda for the Wine Enthusiasts
Following the traditional opening toast, in collaboration with the Asti DOCG Consortium, in Piazza Tre Torri, the wine week kicks off with the exclusive One Wine Night party. The first day, Saturday, October 5, focuses primarily on the consumer universe. In the heart of City Life—symbolic of Milanese modernity and innovation—Milan Wine Week 2024 comes to life, fueled by the energy of thousands of people who gather each year to celebrate the customary “cutting of the ribbon.” Meanwhile, Palazzo Bovara – the MWW HQ – will also kick off its schedule of events with the Wine Market sponsored by Confagricoltura, where visitors will be able to meet, taste, and purchase products from authentic producers of the Lazio region.
In the evening, the celebrations move to a new iconic venue within the Milano Wine Week landscape: the Dazio di Levante, located at the Arco della Pace (Piazza Sempione, 1). Here, on Saturday, October 5, the One Wine Night event, created by MWW and Carrefour, will take place, celebrating the great names in the wine world. But that’s not all: this iconic space, returned to the people of Milan after significant restoration work, will become one of the key hubs of the event throughout Milano Wine Week 2024, hosting one of the festival’s most appreciated formats: the MWW Enoteca.
Designed as an informal, welcoming space for discovery and interaction, the MWW Enoteca provides a spacious experiential and technological tasting area where visitors can enjoy a wide range of wines using automated dispensing devices from Wine Emotion, allowing them to create their own tasting journey. Guests can also sample wines displayed in the bubbles area with the support of certified sommeliers.
This venue is dedicated to bringing people together, enabling producers to engage directly with a large audience of enthusiasts and industry professionals through experiences like the Winemakers’ Tables. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore new tasting routes with Walk-Around Tastings. Tickets can be purchased online through the Vivaticket platform (also accessible from the Milan Wine Week website) or directly at the venue to access the MWW Enoteca.
Great Tasting Experiences
The historic venue of Milano Wine Week at Palazzo Bovara opens its doors to industry professionals and the general public with a program of Walk-Around Tastings—tastings performed at various stands—organized in collaboration with some of the major players of the seventh edition. It begins with wines from the Barbera d’Asti and Vini del Monferrato Consortium, which will be followed by a focus on the Oltrepò Pavese Protection Consortium, featuring 40 companies from the Lombard wine region.
One of the main pillars of MWW is the commitment to increasingly highlight the intersection of wine with other Italian lifestyle excellences, from design and fashion to culture and music, through specially curated events with partners. This year, Milano Wine Week extends beyond its headquarters to embrace the entire city, featuring numerous cross-disciplinary events involving local venues, restaurants, and galleries— all aimed at enhancing the synergy between wine and the Italian lifestyle.
From October 8 to 12, the new format Night Wine Talks – sponsored by Freccianera – will take place at the exclusive location of Il Marchese on Via dei Bossi, transforming into the lounge of Milan Wine Week in the late evening (starting at 10:30 PM). Each night will feature conversations with distinguished guests alongside tastings of exceptional Freccianera Franciacorta wines. Five evenings filled with rare pleasures await visitors: new acquaintances, engaging conversations, tastings of premium Franciacorta, soft music, and encounters with guests with captivating stories to share. Set in the private rooms of Il Marchese, complemented by the flavors of its cuisine, Night Wine Talks promises to be one of the most convivial evenings of Milano Wine Week.
Cantina Urbana, the first wine production winery in Milan, will dedicate three exceptional wine experiences from October 5 to 13 in honor of Milano Wine Week. Among the must-do activities is Make Your Wine, where participants will be able to craft their own signature blend.
The Edicola Civic by La Versa in Brera will offer wine enthusiasts tasting experiences during Milano Wine Week. One of the historic kiosks in Brera will transform for MWW24, providing tasting opportunities in collaboration with La Versa.
At the Winetage showroom (Via dei Bossi, 2, Milan), there will be an installation created using reused barrique barrels, featuring a unique setup focused on sustainability.
At the Art Gallery Ars Antiqua (Via Nino Bixio, 35) visitors can attend the “Degustazione d’Arte” from October 9 to 13. This exhibition will be dedicated to the wine theme and feature artworks from the 16th century to the present. Curated by founders Federico and Francesco Bulgarini, the exhibition offers an original sensory experience: three wines from Cantina Fiamberti will be paired with three selected artworks, creating a blend of flavors and beauty. This provides a new way to savor art while being enveloped by the sensations, aromas, and organoleptic notes of Bacchus’s nectar.
In addition to the exhibition, special tasting sessions and expert talks will be held on October 9 and 11, exploring the relationship between wine, religious painting, myth, genre scenes, and still life. The exhibition will also be available online.
Finally, Palazzo Cordusio Gran Melià will host activities and appointments for the general public, including four evening tasting sessions exploring wines from Southern Italy, in collaboration with Partesa 4 Wine – a must-stop for all wine enthusiasts who enjoy high-level wine-tasting experiences – while Senato Hotel will be offering up a special “Franciacorta Breakfast” Menù every day from 7.30 to 11 am. In-keeping with the culinary theme, Wine Tip will also be hosting four special gourmet dinners where wine meets haute cuisine, in as many Milanese restaurants.
For Professionals
The first guide highlighting the best sommeliers in Italian hospitality, Wine List Italia, will be back on Sunday, October 6, for its second edition. The guide will be presented at MWW24 with a prestigious high-level Walk-Around Tasting event that will bring together all 100 professionals involved. This year, a series of masterclasses will also be introduced featuring prominent names and brands from the wine world.
Monday, October 7, will be dedicated to professionals, starting with the Wine Lab by Partesa, scheduled for the morning at Palazzo Castiglioni. This event will showcase a selection of the best Italian and international wineries distributed by Partesa, reaffirming its partnership with the event and aiming to create new opportunities for interaction between operators in the out-of-home sector and the Italian, European, and American wineries in the group’s extensive portfolio.
In the evening, in the elegant setting of Teatro Manzoni, the MWW Awards will return, honoring the best wine selectors in Italy with prestigious annual awards presented by MWW Group in collaboration with a renowned panel of experts. Award categories include the Premio Carta Vini, Premio Wine Retail, and Premio Best Italian Wine Selection, celebrating the finest wine offerings in dining establishments and retail channels in Italy and abroad. Among the Special Awards, the restaurant with the most engaging sparkling wine selection will also be awarded by Freccianera for the second year in a row.
In addition to these accolades, there will be a spotlight on the selected startups for Wine in Action, the first acceleration program for innovative wine startups, developed in collaboration with LifeGate Way. These startups will present their most innovative projects at Milano Wine Week, introducing a significant focus on sustainability that will feature prominently throughout the event.
Milano Wine Week will also offer traditional masterclasses for industry professionals, providing an unmissable opportunity to discover and taste exceptional wines while connecting with producers and industry opinion leaders. Among the masterclasses will be those associated with the Wine List Italia project, highlighting wineries such as Berlucchi, Cà del Bosco, and San Felice. Additionally, there will be sessions featuring Franciacorta and wines from the Consorzio di Tutela Vini dell’Oltrepò Pavese and the Consorzio Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato. Notable industry figures like Riccardo Cotarella and Luca D’Attoma will also lead masterclasses, expanding the offerings for professionals.
MWW24: How to Participate
For the general public
The seventh edition of Milano Wine Week is easy to navigate: tickets to access the various initiatives are available on the Vivaticket platform: https://milanowineweek.vivaticket.it
For industry operators
MWW24’s activities for professionals can be accessed by booking at www.milanowineweek.com
Milano Wine Week 2024
www.milanowineweek.com
#MWW2024
Tickets: Vivaticket
Main Sponsor: Carrefour Italia
Media Partner: Rai, Vendemmie
The Wine In Action project is in collaboration with: LifeGate Way
Official Water: Acqua Lurisia
Luxury Mobility Partner: LimoLane
Accomodation Partner: Italian Way
A project by: MWW Group
About MWW Group
MWW Group is the first Milanese company specializing in the food and wine sector to create new formats of important events for the city, now a reference point not only for professionals in the wine sector, agribusiness, and food, but also for wine enthusiasts and wine lovers. It began with Milano Food Week and then, in 2018, with Milano Wine Week. This engaging top national event brings the extraordinary world of wine on stage, now in its seventh edition. MWW Group is also the creator of World Aperitivo Day®, the international day dedicated to the iconic ritual of the Aperitivo. Launched in 2022, this day aims to promote, protect, and codify a unique consumption occasion highlighting the culture of pairing excellence in food and beverage. Building on this initiative, the Aperitivo Festival was introduced in 2023— a three-day event featuring tasting, masterclasses, and entertainment. This festival is about boosting and celebrating a key convivial moment, showcasing the creativity of industry professionals and Italy’s agri-food excellence, and raising awareness of responsible alcohol consumption.
