Merano WineFestival

The Merano WineFestival is a wine fair held each November in Merano, a spa town in South Tyrol, in the Italian Alps. It has run since 1992, under the organiser’s motto “Europe’s wine salon”, and its stated mission is to celebrate food and wine excellence from Italy and abroad. The organiser is the company Gourmet’s International. The fair takes place in the Kurhaus, the town’s Art Nouveau assembly hall on the river promenade.

The 2026 programme

The 2026 edition runs over five days, from Friday 6 to Tuesday 10 November 2026, each day with its own theme:

Masterclasses take place at the Hotel Terme Merano. The 2027 dates had not been published when this page was checked, on 6 October 2026.

Tickets: buy before 20 October

The single ticket price rises as the fair gets closer:

The First Class ticket includes priority entrance, the tasting glass and the cloakroom. The organiser also sells multi-day passes. Buying by 19 October saves 10 euros on either ticket.

What to taste

• Wines from all over Italy and beyond. The three central days bring together 350 exhibitors or more in the Kursaal: go with a short list of regions or grapes, or you will spend the day walking.
• South Tyrol’s own wines. The fair is on home ground for the white Gewürztraminer, named after the nearby village of Tramin, and the red Lagrein and Schiava (Vernatsch). Taste them here, then visit the wine villages south of Merano.
• Organic and biodynamic wines on the Friday, at TasteTerroir, and Champagne on the Tuesday.
• Food. The fair’s mission, in the organiser’s words, celebrates food and wine excellence.

Practical tips for the Merano WineFestival

• Pick your day. Friday suits a visitor interested in organic wine, Saturday to Monday the general fair, Tuesday Champagne lovers.
• Pace yourself. Spit if you wish and drink water: a wine fair means dozens of samples.
• Getting there. Regional trains link Merano with Bolzano, on the Brenner railway between Verona and Innsbruck. The Kurhaus is in the town centre, a walk from the station.
• Leave the car at the hotel. Merano’s centre is small and walkable.

Where to stay and budget

Merano is a spa town with plenty of hotels in the centre and along the promenade, but fair days are busy: book early. Bolzano, a train ride away, is another base. For one day at the fair, budget 64 euros for a single ticket bought by 19 October, or 74 euros from 20 October, plus travel and meals.

Combine with

In Piedmont, the Alba White Truffle Fair runs on Saturdays and Sundays until 6 December 2026: the weekend of 7 and 8 November is open at both.