The News
The Slow Wine US Tour 2026 took place in San Francisco, Austin, and New York, drawing over 750 trade and media professionals. The event promoted wines that support sustainability, biodiversity, and fair practices, featuring wineries from both Italy and the U.S. It included educational seminars with regional wine consortias, reinforcing a growing industry focus on responsible viticulture.
The Takeaway
- Sustainability Spotlight: The tour emphasized how wine producers are increasingly prioritizing environmental responsibility, which is becoming a key differentiator in the market. This reflects a broader trend where consumers and trade professionals are seeking out wines with ethical production practices.
- Educational Value: By hosting seminars with regional wine consortias, the event deepened understanding of sustainable viticulture. This kind of knowledge-sharing helps build a more informed industry that can better serve eco-conscious consumers.
- Regional Diversity: The inclusion of both Italian and U.S.-based wineries shows how sustainability in wine is no longer confined to one region. It signals a global movement toward responsible agriculture, which could influence future production standards.
Original Press Release
The 2026 edition of the Slow Wine US Tour concluded successfully across three major U.S. cities, bringing together wine professionals to discover wines that champion sustainability, biodiversity, and responsible agriculture while meeting the producers behind them. The tour celebrated the Slow Wine philosophy of "Good, Clean & Fair" wine, highlighting wineries committed to protecting the land, supporting rural communities, and crafting wines that authentically reflect their terroir.
The tour visited San Francisco, CA (March 2), Austin, TX (March 4), and New York, NY (March 9), welcoming more than 750 key trade and media professionals. Each stop featured expansive walk-around tastings where attendees had the opportunity to meet producers, taste a wide selection of wines, and engage in conversations about sustainable vineyard practices, biodiversity, and the values that guide the Slow Wine movement.
Participating wineries represented diverse regions across Italy and the United States, offering a broad perspective on sustainable viticulture and the growing global commitment to environmentally responsible wine production. The events also featured a series of educational seminars hosted by leading sponsors, including Consorzio Vini Asolo Montello and Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Abruzzo, providing deeper insights into regional identities and production practices.
Over the years, the Slow Wine US Tour has become one of the most anticipated annual events for the American wine trade, offering a rare opportunity for direct dialogue between producers committed to sustainability and the professionals who champion authentic, terroir-driven wines. The tour continues to strengthen connections between responsible producers and one of the world's most influential wine markets.
The tour followed shortly after the 2026 Slow Wine Fair in Italy, now the country's largest organic wine fair and the second largest overall by number of participating wineries, featuring more than 1,100 producers including 131 international wineries from 28 countries. This timing reinforced the connection between global sustainability initiatives and the American wine market, strengthening Slow Wine's role as a bridge between conscientious producers and international wine professionals.
"The strong response we experienced across all three cities confirms that the American wine community is increasingly interested in wines that reflect a deep connection to place," said Giancarlo Gariglio, Editor-in-Chief of the Slow Wine Guide. "Through the Slow Wine US Tour, we aim to highlight producers who combine quality with respect for the land, biodiversity, and the communities that make wine possible. Sharing these values with the U.S. trade is essential to building a more sustainable future for wine."
The Slow Wine project also includes the publication of the Slow Wine Guide, one of Italy's most widely distributed wine publications. Unique among wine guides, Slow Wine visits every winery included in the guide and evaluates producers according to the values of the Slow Food movement, recognizing not only the famous "snail" awards but also highlighting wineries that best express environmental sustainability, terroir, and responsible farming practices.
Beginning this year, the guide also reports the weight of the bottles used by producers, as part of a broader call to action encouraging wineries, consumers, and professionals to support wines packaged in lighter bottles, helping reduce the environmental impact of wine production and transportation. Alongside the Italian edition, a dedicated U.S. edition continues to expand, with the 2026 guide featuring more than 400 American wineries that share the same commitment to sustainability, authenticity, and respect for local terroirs.
Throughout the tour, attendees had the opportunity to engage directly with winemakers, discover sustainable vineyard practices, and explore wines that reflect the Slow Wine philosophy. From small family-run estates to larger producers committed to responsible agriculture, the events highlighted wines that embody not only quality but also a deep respect for the environment, culture, and community.
The 2026 Slow Wine US Tour once again confirmed the strong interest among American wine professionals in sustainably produced wines and authentic expressions of place, reinforcing Slow Wine's role as a leading voice advocating for Good, Clean & Fair wine.
About Slow WineThe Slow Wine Guide evaluates over 2,000 Italian wineries—including a small selection from Slovenia—and more than 400 American wineries, treating each with the utmost respect and attention. The Slow Wine team prides itself on the human contact it has with all producers, which is essential to the guide's evaluations. While other guides limit their relationship to a blind tasting and brief write-up, Slow Wine takes the time to get personal with each winery in order to create a well-informed, detailed review of the wines themselves and the people behind the production. Slow Wine selects wineries that respect and reflect their local terroir and practice sustainable methods that benefit the environment. For the first time ever, those wineries that receive the snail or the official Slow Wine seal are 100% free of chemical herbicides, a quality that the Slow Wine Guide continues to passionately support.
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Source: PR Newswire