Italy’s best wines awarded with the Tre Bicchieri 2026 by Gambero Rosso

For the final tastings of the Vini d’Italia 2026 guide by Gambero Rosso, around 2,300 labels were involved this year, of which 508 received the highest recognition — the Tre Bicchieri. A remarkable result. That means around 1,800 wines came just short of the top score, and in many cases (we award only one wine per winery), they are just as valuable. Considering that the selection started from over 40,000 samples across Italy, of which only 12,300 made it into the Guide, it’s clear how meticulous and rigorous our selection process is — free of stylistic or ideological bias. This is why, alongside internationally renowned producers and cooperative structures, we also pay great attention to small winemakers and artisans. The result is a panorama that ranges from baroque to reggaeton, from opera and songwriting to rock’n’roll and metal.

The Italy of wine: a complex and vibrant landscape

What portrait of Italian wine emerges at the end of our journey — which took us from the Alps to the heart of the Mediterranean to produce the Vini d’Italia 2026 guide? There have been excellent vintages, especially in classic zones such as Tuscany and Piedmont (but not only), for example 2019, 2020 and 2021. In our wineries, experimentation and investment in modern technologies continue, while ancient traditions are being revived and reinterpreted with new eyes — such as the use of amphorae, cocciopesto, ceramic vessels, and next-generation concrete vats.

In the vineyard, there is a steady rediscovery of ancient grape varieties, alongside the spread of new resistant varieties. Many producers now use satellite technologies and drones to monitor vineyards and prevent disease, carrying out low-impact treatments: this is Viticulture 4.0, recovering a renewed relationship with the environment, guided by sustainability and harmonious development, with wineries increasingly integrated into and participating in the policies of their territories.

The Tre Bicchieri 2026: confirmations, curiosities, and absolute firsts

Without claiming to review here all the regions and denominations with award-winning wines (for that, we refer you to the detailed regional lists at the end), it is worth highlighting some noteworthy innovations in Italian wine this year.

Starting from Northern Italy, in Piedmont, nebbiolo — still the most awarded grape — is expanding its area eastwards: no longer just Langhe, Roero and Alto Piemonte, but also the Asti and Casale Monferrato areas, and Monferrato Nebbiolo. There is also unprecedented attention on comparing white wines with those from other regions. In Friuli Venezia Giulia, we’re seeing an increasing number of top-quality wines from the plains.

For the first time, we have decided to distinguish Emilia from Romagna, purely from a wine perspective, given their very different territories, grapes and denominations. To simplify, we could speak of Emilia for Pignoletto and Lambrusco, and Romagna for Sangiovese and Albana.

Moving to Central Italy, we reach Tuscany, a great open-air laboratory where — from Bolgheri to Montalcino, from Chianti Classico to the Maremma — innovative techniques are being explored alongside producers who follow and preserve ancestral practices. This has led to excellent vintages of its classic wines as well as the debut of new experimental ones.

In the Marche, which are in excellent form, we focus on a white wine symbol of the Macerata area: Ribona, which has received Tre Bicchieri for the first time thanks to the outstanding work of brothers Andrea and Leonardo Saputi — a subject we had already explored in depth last year.

In Umbria, on the white wine front, Orvieto is experiencing a new season of prosperity, with wineries producing wines of great class, capable of complexity, elegance, and remarkable ageing potential. The Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, still the cornerstone of the region’s tradition, is finding new energy thanks to producers opting for softer fermentations, less intrusive oak, and a focus on cooler terroirs and lighter soils. This approach allows the variety to express a more contemporary style.

Now we arrive in Southern Italy. In Molise, while the name Di Majo Norante is well known, much less so is the wine with which it has achieved the top recognition this year. Unless you are a true wine fanatic, you’ve probably never tasted a Biferno Rosso, a blend of Montepulciano and Aglianico.

In Campania, after many years, a Casavecchia returns to the top of our podium — Nulla è per Caso by the young producer Teresa Mincione — while in Calabria, for the first time ever, a Cirò Bianco receives Tre Bicchieri: Mare Chiaro ’24 by Ippolito, a wine with an exceptional price-quality ratio.

This is the year that definitively consolidates the rebirth of Calabrian winemaking, to which the October 2025 issue of Gambero Rosso magazine dedicates its cover story, featuring Matilde and Nicola Piluso of Tenuta del Travale, producers of an excellent Nerello Mascalese red — whose Special Edition in Amphora can also be found in the Vini Rari section of the Guide.

The great Tre Bicchieri tasting on 12 October in Rome

The wines awarded Tre Bicchieri in the Vini d’Italia 2026 guide by Gambero Rosso — along with the labels and producers receiving Special Awards and the Rare Wines — will once again be the stars of a grand tasting to be held on Sunday 12 October (4–8 pm) at the Roma Convention Center La Nuvola. The event is designed for all wine enthusiasts as well as industry professionals and marks the first stage of a tour that, as usual, will continue with other events across Italy and around the world.

The Tre Bicchieri 2026 from North to South

Tre Bicchieri 2026, the best wines of Piedmont

Tre Bicchieri 2026: the best wines from Tuscany awarded by Gambero Rosso

Tre Bicchieri 2026: the 11 best wines from Lazio awarded by Gambero Rosso

Tre Bicchieri 2026: the 26 best wines of Puglia awarded by Gambero Rosso

Tre Bicchieri 2026, the 20 best wines of Campania awarded by Gambero Rosso

Tre Bicchieri 2026, the best wines of Lombardy awarded by Gambero Rosso

Tre Bicchieri 2026, the 24 best wines from the Marche awarded by Gambero Rosso

Tre Bicchieri 2026, the 16 best wines of Emilia-Romagna awarded by Gambero Rosso

Tre Bicchieri 2026, the 18 best wines of Umbria awarded by Gambero Rosso

Tre Bicchieri 2026, the best wines of Brda in Slovenia awarded by Gambero Rosso

Tre Bicchieri 2026, here is the (little-known) wine from Molise awarded for the first time

Tre Bicchieri 2026, the 13 best wines of Trentino Awarded by Gambero Rosso

Tre Bicchieri 2026, the best wines of Sardinia awarded by Gambero Rosso

Tre Bicchieri 2026, the best wines of Alto Adige awarded by Gambero Rosso

Tre Bicchieri 2026, the best wines of Calabria awarded by Gambero Rosso

Tre Bicchieri 2026, the best wines of Basilicata awarded by Gambero Rosso

Tre Bicchieri 2026, the best wines of Abruzzo awarded by Gambero Rosso

Tre Bicchieri 2026, the best wines of Liguria awarded by Gambero Rosso