At Vinitaly 2026, one of the most significant recognitions in the Italian wine sector, the Angelo Betti Award – “Benemeriti della Vitivinicoltura Italiana” – was assigned, for Calabria, to Tenuta del Travale.
Established by Veronafiere within the framework of Vinitaly, the award represents one of the most authoritative moments of the event. It does not celebrate a single wine or vintage. It recognizes a broader trajectory.
Each Italian region, through its Department of Agriculture, identifies a winery or figure considered particularly relevant for its contribution to the qualitative and cultural development of Italian wine.
The regional nomination
For the 2026 edition, the proposal from the Calabria Region was put forward by the Regional Councillor for Agriculture, Avv. Gianluca Gallo, who identified Tenuta del Travale as a representative expression of a coherent and consistent path developed over time.
The estate is located in Rovito, in the Presila area of Calabria. With this recognition, it joins the list of Italian “benemeriti”, alongside wineries that have contributed to building strong and credible territorial identities across the country.
The value of this award also lies in how it is assigned. There is no application process. No open selection. It is an institutional indication that reflects the maturity of a territory through one of its interpreters.
A signal for Calabria
In Calabria, the recognition of Tenuta del Travale marks an important step. In recent years, the regional wine scene has evolved. Producers have emerged with a clearer focus on quality and a more precise language, moving beyond simplified narratives.
Within this context, Tenuta del Travale has developed a clear approach. It has built a strong relationship between production, landscape and identity. A gradual path, acknowledged over time by critics and wine guides, including Gambero Rosso (notably through the “Vini Rari” selection: https://www.gamberorosso.it/notizie/vino/degustazioni/vini-rari-2026/) and the Associazione Italiana Sommelier (https://www.aisitalia.it).
At the same time, the estate has remained rooted in an agricultural and family dimension.
To explore this vision and its broader context, visit the Tenuta del Travale blog on wine and territory:
https://www.tenutadeltravale.it/blog/
Among the wines that best express this path is Eleuteria, the estate’s signature wine:
https://www.tenutadeltravale.it/eleuteria/
The Angelo Betti Award does not introduce something new. It makes visible a path already in motion. It places this experience within a wider national framework, as part of the contemporary Italian wine narrative.
For Calabria, it is also a signal. It confirms that there is now a recognized space for a wine culture capable of expressing balance, quality and vision.
In Verona, that name was pronounced among many others.
The award ceremony
The moment of the Angelo Betti Award ceremony at Vinitaly 2026:
A formal moment that gives visibility to a path built over time.
As often happens, the value of such recognition lies not in the moment itself, but in the trajectory that made it possible.