The Savor Quality from Europe campaign, co-financed by the European Union, closed its 2026 U.S. spring tour after a two-week program that brought Tuscany's most iconic denominations — Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG and the PDO and PGI extra virgin olive oils represented by APOT – Tuscan Olive Oil Producers Association — to more than 400 American wine and food professionals across three cities.
Between May 4 and May 15, the campaign delivered four invitation-only events built around a shared idea: that European quality schemes are best understood through direct engagement with the producers, terroirs, and experts behind them.
A New York Opening at Ai Fiori
The tour opened on May 4 at Ai Fiori in Manhattan with a press conference moderated by Stephanie Johnson, former Italian Wine Editor of Wine & Spirits Magazine and a WSET Diploma holder recognized for her work across Italy's wine regions. She was joined by Andrea Rossi, President of the Consorzio Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The session gathered more than 30 journalists, editors, podcasters, and content creators, including representatives from Forbes, Fortune, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and CBS, alongside prominent podcast platforms such as The Grape Nation and Stop Wasting Your Wine. Social coverage from attending creators — including Modo di Bere, Diva Gals Daily, and Pop Pairings — began circulating the same day.
Tuscany as Testament to European Quality in Los Angeles
On May 6 at Eataly Los Angeles, the program welcomed more than 160 guests across the day's three sessions. The APOT masterclass was hosted by Patrick Zinelli, Italian olive oil sommelier and CEO of the organic estate Mezzecrete Società Agricola. Guests moved through a blind tasting of five Tuscan DOP and IGP oils, exploring quality principles, cultivar identity, and the distinction between premium and commercial extra virgin olive oils.
The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano masterclass that followed was led by Diego Meraviglia, a sommelier and educator with more than 20 years in the luxury wine industry and a founding member of the North American Sommelier Association. His session guided attendees through nine benchmark wines representing Montepulciano's different subzones, each shaped by distinct soils, elevations, and microclimates that give wines from Montepulciano their diverse expressions of structure, elegance, and identity. The afternoon closed with a walk-around tasting bringing nine Vino Nobile producers and five APOT producers face-to-face with the Los Angeles trade and press.
A West Coast Highlight at the Fairmont San Francisco
May 7 at the Fairmont San Francisco followed a similar day-long structure, welcoming around 150 guests across the day's program. The APOT session was co-led by Amy Sherman, Editor-in-Chief of Olive Oil Professor, and Patrick Zinelli. The Vino Nobile masterclass was led by Deborah Parker Wong, MSc, DipWSET, one of the most respected voices in the U.S. wine industry, Global Wine Editor for the SOMM Journal and The Tasting Panel, and National Co-Editor for the Slow Wine Guide USA. A walk-around tasting followed with the same producer lineup, drawing an engaged group of sommeliers, buyers, educators, and Bay Area press.
A Return to New York with Vinous Icons Italy
The tour closed on May 15 at Hall des Lumières in Lower Manhattan, where Vino Nobile di Montepulciano returned to New York as part of Vinous Icons Italy 2026, the U.S. edition of Vinous founder Antonio Galloni's flagship Italian wine event. Held annually in New York City, Vinous Icons Italy offers U.S. audiences a rare, concentrated look at Italy's leading appellations.
Within this setting, the Consorzio Vino Nobile di Montepulciano hosted an exclusive masterclass led by Eric Guido, Italian Wine Editor and critic at Vinous, widely respected for his in-depth reporting on Italy's historic wine regions. The session welcomed 50 sommeliers, buyers, importers, educators, and journalists for a deep dive into the Pievi, the recently defined system of geographic subzones within the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG that maps the appellation according to its historic parish territories. Guido guided attendees through eight benchmark wines representing several of these Pievi, paired with five APOT extra virgin olive oils — offering a rare comparative view of the appellation's most recent qualitative evolution.
Producers on the Ground
Across the four events, nine Vino Nobile estates and five APOT olive oil producers presented their wines and oils directly to the U.S. trade and media. The lineup — including Carpineto, Il Molinaccio di Montepulciano, Fattoria Svetoni, Le Berne, La Ciarliana, Marchesi Frescobaldi, Podere Tiberini, Tenuta Valdipiatta, and Vecchia Cantina di Montepulciano for wine, and Mezzecrete, Podere Ricavo, Fattoria Le Fonti, Bagno a Sorra, and Fattoria di Busona for olive oil — offered attendees a rare, unified expression of Tuscany's dual excellence.
The 2026 U.S. tour confirmed a growing American appetite for terroir-driven, protected-designation European products, and reinforced Tuscany's leadership within the premium wine and olive oil categories.
Looking Ahead
Journalists interested in learning more about the outcomes of the 2026 tour, arranging interviews with Consorzio Vino Nobile di Montepulciano or APOT representatives, or being included in upcoming editions of the Savor Quality from Europe program are invited to get in touch with the campaign's U.S. press office. Press contact: Eter Gorgiladze, Beviour Marketing.
About the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Founded in 1965, the Consorzio safeguards and promotes Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Rosso di Montepulciano, and Vin Santo. Today, it represents nearly 270 producers and leads initiatives to protect these denominations worldwide while advancing sustainability.
About APOT – Tuscan Olive Oil Producers Association
APOT brings together producers of Tuscany’s PDO and PGI extra virgin olive oils, preserving centuries-old traditions while promoting quality and sustainability. Representing oils such as IGP Toscano, DOP Terre di Siena, DOP Lucca, DOP Seggiano, and Chianti Classico DOP, APOT ensures that Tuscan olive oil remains a symbol of authenticity and excellence.
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