The Secret to Getting on a New York Wine List? Four Master Sommeliers Come Face to Face with Leading Italian Producers

At wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum New York, America's Master Sommeliers and four leading Italian producers confront the questions nobody asks out loud: why a great wine doesn't get listed, who sets the price, and what it takes to stay on the list..

NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A wine can have a US importer, great reviews and a loyal following back home, and still never reach a New York wine list. What do the people who create those lists actually want? On Monday 26 October, wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum – New York Edition will put the question directly to four Master Sommeliers (MS), live on stage, in front of Italian producers and the American trade.

Hosted by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) as part of the Forum at Pier 36, "Who Really Moves the Bottle? Italian Producers and America's Master Sommeliers Ask Each Other the Questions That Matter" runs from 1:30 PM to 2:15 PM (local time) in the Manhattan Room (Floor 0). The session is designed as a frank two-way exchange: producers interrogate the sommeliers about listings, markups and risk, and the sommeliers turn the tables on producers about pricing, distributor support and what they are really doing to sell their wines.

Four Master Sommeliers, four views from inside American hospitality

In the United States, a Master Sommelier's influence goes well beyond service. MSs shape wine programs, manage large inventories, choose the by-the-glass offering, negotiate with distributors and importers, and train the teams who recommend a bottle at the table. Each of the four on the panel brings a different vantage point:

• Laura DePasquale MS, Senior Vice President Sales Execution Fine Wine at Southern Glazer's Beverage Company
  
  
• Jonathan Eichholz MS, Chief Executive Officer of First Growth Inc., educator and communicator
  
  
• Julie M. Dalton MS, Wine Director at The Post Oak Hotel: luxury hospitality and fine wine
  
  
• Jim Bube MS, Wine Director at Hogsalt Restaurant Group

Four producers, no diplomatic answers

Facing them are four of Italian wine's most recognised voices: Enrica Cotarella (Famiglia Cotarella), Gabriella Favara (Donnafugata), Marilisa Allegrini (Marilisa Allegrini) and Diva Moretti Polegato (Villa Sandi). The session is moderated by Jenny Hemmer DipWSET, Executive Director at GuildSomm and Stevie Kim, Managing Partner of Vinitaly.

The tensions behind the list

The conversation is organised around four tensions that decide whether an Italian wine makes it onto a list, and stays there: price versus value, availability versus demand, storytelling versus selling, and first placements versus lasting relationships. Expect questions such as:

• "We have a great wine, strong reviews and a US importer. Why aren't you listing us?"
  
  
• "There are thousands of Italian wineries trying to enter the US market. Why should I choose yours?"
  
  
• "Can you explain why your wine belongs on my list in 30 seconds, without mentioning terroir, tradition or generations?"
  
  
• "If our wine isn't selling, will you tell us why, or simply stop ordering it?"

The session closes with a rapid-fire round and a final challenge to both sides: if everyone says they want to sell more Italian wine, what is stopping them from helping each other do it?

Session details

Session: Who Really Moves the Bottle? Italian Producers and America's Master Sommeliers Ask Each Other the Questions That Matter
Date and time: Monday 26 October 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM
Venue: Manhattan Room, Floor 0, Pier 36, New York City
Focus: Wine-list decision-making, placement and demand creation for Italian wine

Full program and further information

The preliminary program for wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum – New York Edition is available on the official website: https://www.vinitaly.com/en/events-calendar/wine2wine/wine2wine-vinitaly-business-forum-2026/.

About: wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum is a dynamic international wine industry forum organized by Veronafiere and held annually in Verona, Italy, since 2014. The New York Edition, organized with the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) in conjunction with Vinitaly.USA, takes place at Pier 36 on 26–27 October 2026. The forum features keynote sessions, seminars, B2B matching and interactive workshops that equip participants with practical tools to grow their wine business worldwide. Additional information: https://www.vinitaly.com/en/forum/wine2wine-business-forum/ or [email protected].

SOURCE wine2wine