Great Wines Italy New York draws 2,600, Underscoring Italian Wine’s Strength in U.S.

Great Wines Italy New York brought together a record turnout of 2,600 attendees at The Altman Building last week for a two-day celebration of Italian wine culture. The tasting featured 170 producers presenting their wines to a mixed audience of consumers and trade, underscoring the U.S. market’s continued importance for Italian wine.

Attendees traveled from 10 countries, including Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, as well as from 26 U.S. states. Approximately 80 percent came from the East Coast, while the remaining 20 percent represented other regions of the country. The balance between trade and consumers gave producers valuable opportunities to connect directly with buyers, retailers, hospitality leaders and end consumers.

The tasting coincided with the announcement of JamesSuckling.com’s Top 100 Italian Wines of 2025, revealed during an intimate dinner at New York’s iconic Hotel Chelsea. You can read the full report on JamesSuckling.com. Producers of the top five wines were present at the tasting:

• Tenuta delle Terre Nere (No. 1: Etna Rosso San Lorenzo 2023)
• Pieropan (No. 2: Soave Classico La Rocca 2023)
• Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona (No. 3: Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso 2020)
• Marcarini (No. 4: Barolo Brunate 2021)
• Petrolo (No. 5: Trebbiano Toscana Bòggina B 2023)

Guests noted the remarkable diversity of regions and wine styles on offer, spanning nearly all of Italy’s 20 wine regions. Classic wines such as Barolos, Brunellos and Chianti Classico Gran Seleziones were poured alongside elegant, mineral whites and sparkling wines such as Franciacorta from Lombardy, giving participants the chance to experience Italy’s diversity of terroir and expression in one setting. Importantly, all wines at the tasting carried scores of at least 90 points, rated outstanding by JamesSuckling.com, and included a dozen labels featured on the recently published Top 100 Italian Wines of 2025. Among them were the Rosset Valle d’Aosta Sopraquota 900 2022 (98 points), the Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Madonna del Piano Riserva 2019 (100 points), the Renieri Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2019 (98 points), the Bovio Barolo Gattera Riserva 2019 (97 points), the Tassi Brunello di Montalcino Franci Riserva 2019 (98 points), and the Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Poggio All’Oro Riserva 2019 (97 points).

James Suckling, who always attends and hosts these tastings in person, emphasized the importance of looking beyond market challenges:

“We keep hearing how difficult the wine market is and how people are drinking less,” he said. “But events like this tell a different story. The room was full, and people of all ages were enjoying wine together. That should make us optimistic.”

A notable presence at the tasting was a younger audience, which frequently approached James Suckling for his personal recommendations. Their engagement reflects a generational shift in wine appreciation and offers producers direct access to the next wave of consumers.