On November 15, Florence will once again be filled with the aroma of wine, encounters, and stories. In the evocative setting of the Stazione Leopolda, a place where industrial architecture meets the soft light of the spotlight, “Vitae in deguSTAZIONE” will come to life, an event organized by the Italian Sommelier Association (AIS) to celebrate the new Guida Vitae 2026. It will be a day of discovery and taste, with over 400 selected labels and the presence of producers from all over Italy. An opportunity to learn about wine culture up close, but also to tell the story of an Italy that, through wine, continues to talk to itself, grow, and make itself known to the world.
Florence, city of wine and hospitality
There is a deep connection between Florence and wine. It can be found in the stones of its historic cellars, in the taverns that dot the alleys, in the glasses that clink on autumn evenings. It is therefore no surprise that the city of the lily is hosting the eleventh edition of the Vitae guide, one of the most authoritative publications in the Italian wine scene. After the official presentation at Palazzo Bastogi, seat of the Regional Council of Tuscany, the Stazione Leopolda is now preparing to welcome sommeliers, buyers, journalists, and enthusiasts for a day of tastings open to the public, where every glass becomes a story and an encounter.
A guide that looks beyond borders
The Guida Vitae 2026 marks a turning point for AIS: for the first time, alongside the Italian edition, there is a digital version in English, designed for an international audience. It is a strategic move that reflects the association’s global vision, ready to engage with foreign buyers and operators through a shared language. The four hundred labels featured do not simply represent the wines with the highest scores, but a precise editorial choice that reflects the diversity and richness of the Italian wine scene.
The new cent-based rating system, adopted for high-end wines, makes the guide more accessible and understandable even in an international context, offering an objective and immediate reference point. However, each wine remains a story in itself: behind each score there are territories, families, working hands, and visions that are transformed into aromas and flavors.
Culture, not just commerce
As AIS National President Sandro Camilli pointed out, the Vitae guide is not just a commercial tool, but a cultural project that aims to promote knowledge of Italian wine in an independent and authoritative way. “AIS,” he explained, “acts as an ambassador for Italian identity, with the power of a language that combines professionalism with passion.”
Editor Gianluca Grimani, who led the selection and editing process, noted how this edition represents an important step towards internationalization: a volume designed as a working tool for the press and foreign professionals, but also as a choral account of Italy’s wine, between tradition and innovation.
Tuscany, land of balance and beauty
In this scenario, Tuscany plays a leading role. It is a region that continues to be a global benchmark for quality and vision. In 2024, as Gennaro Giliberti, director of the Agriculture sector of the Tuscany Region, pointed out, production reached 2.6 million hectoliters, with 95% of wines having a designation of origin, well above the national average, and with a record in organic production, which covers 38% of the vineyard area. “Wine in Tuscany is culture, history, and sociality,” he said, “and events like this represent a moment of growth for the entire sector, because wine, after all, is also a way of telling who we are.”
This view is shared by Giuseppe Salvini, Secretary General of the Florence Chamber of Commerce, who described the guide as a veritable “bible of Italian wine,” a work capable of elevating the quality of national production and providing rigorous guidance to both professionals and enthusiasts.
Experiences to be lived, not just tasted
“Catering and wine are two sides of the same coin,” recalled Aldo Cursano, President of PromoFirenze. In a time when everything moves quickly, tasting returns to being a gesture of awareness. At the Stazione Leopolda on November 15, the public will be able to enjoy an authentic experience, consisting of direct encounters with producers, stories that arise between a sip and a word, and territories that reveal themselves in the glass. It is an invitation to slow down, listen, and rediscover the pleasure of time dedicated to taste and knowledge.
The talent of Italian sommeliers
The day will also be the stage for the final of the “Best Sommelier in Italy – Trentodoc Award” competition, a highly anticipated event that rewards the best professionals in the sector every year. Through service tests and blind tastings, the finalists will demonstrate their expertise and charisma, offering the public a spectacle that is both technical and passionate. It is a moment in which training and sensitivity come together, showcasing everything it means to be a sommelier today.
A toast to Italian culture
The Vitae in deguSTAZIONE event is the result of important teamwork between institutions and local entities: the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, the Region of Tuscany, the Metropolitan City of Florence, the Municipality of Florence, the Chamber of Commerce, PromoFirenze, Toscana Promozione Turistica, and the Fondazione Sistema Toscana, which, through its digital channels, helps to spread the image of an authentic and welcoming Tuscany throughout the world.
With sixty years of history, the Italian Sommelier Association continues to be a point of reference in the training and promotion of wine culture. AIS has always gone beyond simply teaching how to taste wine, inviting people to understand, share, and respect the work and passion that each bottle contains.
On November 15, Florence will once again become the capital of taste and elegance. Between one glass and another, between a word and a smile, “Vitae in deguSTAZIONE” will celebrate what wine represents: time, the earth, memory, and encounter. And perhaps, at that very moment when the light reflects in the glass, we will discover that talking about wine means talking about ourselves.
