5StarWines Goes Digital to Showcase Italy's Best Wines of the Year
VERONA, Italy, Sept. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Vinitaly and Veronafiere are pleased to announce that 5StarWines – the Book 2027, featuring the 636 top-scoring wines from the prestigious 5StarWines selection event, is now available in digital format on the official website and in paperback on Amazon, offering wine lovers and professionals easy access to Italy's best-rated wines of the year as chosen by an international jury during the tenth edition of Vinitaly's prestigious wine competition.
The 10th edition of 5StarWines took place from 7-9 April 2026, in the days preceding Vinitaly 2026, the prominent wine trade fair held every year in Verona, Italy. Following three days of blind tastings, the producers whose wines obtained an evaluation of at least 90/100 were included in 5StarWines – the Book 2027, now available to purchase on Amazon.
This landmark 10th edition brought together a panel of 49 international judges, including 25 recent graduates of the Vinitaly International Academy, for three intensive days of blind tasting. Of the roughly 2,000 wines put to the test, 636 crossed the 90-point threshold to earn their place in this year's guide. Wines that scored between 85 and 89 received an official certificate of participation in digital format.
The digital format of the guide is available online on the official website of the event: https://www.vinitaly.com/en/awards/5starwines-the-book/selected-wines/. A paperback copy of the guidebook is also available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.it/5StarWines-Book-2027-Veronafiere/dp/8894315398/ref=zg_bsnr_g_508822031_d_sccl_18/000-0000000-0000000?psc=1
This year's judging panel included globally respected experts and Masters of Wine, guided by the selection's five General Chairs: Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW, Bernard Burtschy PhD, Daniele Cernilli, Robert Joseph and Andrea Lonardi MW. Their collective expertise, together with the growing presence of judges trained through the Vinitaly International Academy, ensured that the selection maintained its high level of credibility and international relevance.
Federico Bricolo, President of Veronafiere, underlines the significance of the publication: "It is worth emphasizing that 5StarWines is also the world's first wine guide promoted by a trade fair, offering a trusted point of reference for producers, buyers and wine professionals alike. Its pages showcase the very best of Italian winemaking."
In addition to being featured in the printed and digital guide, selected wineries benefit from a comprehensive suite of promotional activities tailored to enhance the visibility of their top-scoring wines. Throughout the year, these wineries receive direct updates and invitations to participate in events such as international roadshows, Vinitaly International Academy courses in Italy and abroad, and the wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum. Wineries are also actively involved in promotional opportunities that include the publication of selected wines across major social media platforms (@5StarWines on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn), official diplomas, digital badges and stickers for bottles and podcast interviews.
Andrea Lonardi, Master of Wine, emphasized the value of the event: "I believe 5StarWines has the potential to evolve even further. Alongside its current structure, new categories could help interpret the changing landscape of Italian wine: sections dedicated to product innovation, emerging styles, new consumption trends, and perhaps a specific focus on a young producers of young talents who are bringing fresh energy and vision to the sector."
A highlight of the 2026 edition was the awarding of seven prestigious Trophies, crowning the very best among the 636 selected wines. Tenuta Gottardi claimed a striking double win, taking home both the 'Winery of the Year – Grand Vinitaly' and 'Best Italian Wine – Banco BPM' trophies for its Trento Doc Extra Brut Riserva POSAD'OR 2017, which scored an impressive 98 points. Category-specific honors were also awarded for Best White Wine (Malavasi – Lugana Doc Camilla 2025, 97 points), Best Rosé Wine (Al-Cantàra Soc. Agr. Srl – Etna Doc Rosato Amuri di Fimmina e Amuri di Matri 2024, 93 points), Best Red Wine (Valle dell'Acate – Vittoria Doc Frappato Vino Biologico 2024, 96 points), Best Charmat Method Sparkling Wine (La Tordera – Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Di Cartizze Docg Spumante Dry 2025, 96 points), Best Traditional Method Sparkling Wine (Tenuta Gottardi – Trento Doc Extra Brut Riserva POSAD'OR 2017, 98 points), and Best Sweet Wine (Possa – Cinque Terre Sciacchetrà Dop Underwater 2019, 96 points).
For additional information regarding the promotion of the selected wines, consult the 5StarWines website: 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 2026 edition, about 2,000 wines took part in the competition and 636 were selected for inclusion in 5StarWines – the Book. 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
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