5StarWines - the Book 2026: Registration now open for landmark 10th edition of Vinitaly's prestigious wine selection event

VERONA, Italy, Jan. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Registration is now open for Vinitaly's prestigious wine selection event, "5StarWines – the Book 2026". The influential wine selection is held every year in Verona in the buildup to Vinitaly, the biggest international wine fair in the world. The 10th edition of the annual selection brings together a formidable panel of international judges to evaluate wines from across Italy and beyond, providing a high-profile platform at the very heart of Vinitaly for wine producers to reach a global audience of wine buyers and professionals.

"5StarWines – the Book" is the annual wine selection event organized by Veronafiere and Vinitaly and held in conjunction with Vinitaly, one of the world's leading international wine fairs. Each year, over two thousand wines are tasted by a jury of international experts, who assign a score and prepare a personalised tasting note for each wine. Wines scoring 90 points or more during the rigorous three-day blind tasting process will feature in the official guide to the tasting, "5StarWines – the Book".

Register now for increased visibility on the international market

Registering wines for "5StarWines – the Book" provides producers with an invaluable opportunity to enhance their brand's presence on the market. Participation grants privileged access to exclusive industry tastings and promotion on 5StarWines's influential social media platforms, as well as being listed in the Vinitaly catalogue. Additionally, wines gain visibility on wine-searcher.com, a global platform for discovering wine prices and availability. The Selection supports producers with a comprehensive marketing toolkit, including digital tasting notes, stickers, certificates, and other promotional resources. For top-performing wines, the benefits extend to participation in international tastings with buyers and experts, as well as podcast appearances that reach a global audience. These initiatives offer producers a valuable platform to maximize visibility, credibility, and recognition in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

In addition to being featured in the Guide, outstanding wines receive special trophies awarded by the General Chairs of the event. The awards are presented during Vinitaly at a dedicated presentation ceremony, further enhancing the recognition and visibility for award-winning producers. An exclusive masterclass and tasting of the top scoring wines in each category is held alongside the presentation ceremony.

A panel of internationally renowned judges

Each wine is meticulously evaluated by an international panel of sommeliers, wine writers, enologists, and other industry experts. This diverse group ensures a balanced and insightful assessment, with quality, uniqueness, and marketability among the key criteria. Four General Chairs have been re-confirmed for the 2026 edition, with Spanish Master of Wine Pedro Ballesteros Torres joining Robert Joseph, Bernard Burtschy, and Daniele Cernilli.

Speaking ahead of the launch of the 2026 event, General Chair Robert Joseph said, "Globally, the wine industry is facing tough times, not least in the face of climate change and anti-alcohol lobbying. In the face of these strong global headwinds, 5StarWines – the Book provides producers with an important platform to bring their wines to the attention of an international audience while showcasing the innovation and quality that is synonymous with Italian wine."

For more information and to register visit: https://www.vinitaly.com/en/awards/5starwines-the-book/ .

About: 5StarWines – the Book is the annual wine selection organized by Veronafiere, held in the lead-up to the biggest Italian wine fair in the world. The event is now in its tenth edition. 5StarWines – the Book is a blind tasting aimed at shedding light on wineries investing in the improvement of their products. During the event, a highly qualified panel of wine professionals will taste and score — using a 100-point scale — participating wines. In the 2025 edition, over 2,300 wines took part in the competition. The Guide is a useful tool both on the promotional and commercial side. It introduces international buyers and wine lovers to new wine products of great value. It guarantees wine quality and it maintains and certifies their value at an international level.

SOURCE 5StarWines