Galà delle eccellenze vinicole e degli oli evo di Puglia

One event for two excellences: the conference and the award ceremony for EVO oils in the morning, the celebration of Puglia’s great wines in the afternoon.

Friday, December 12, 2025
Tenuta Moreno – Mesagne (BR)

The most authoritative event in Puglia dedicated to wine and EVO oil is around the corner. It will take place on Friday, December 12, 2025, at the prestigious Tenuta Moreno in Mesagne (BR), the Gala of Wine and Olive Oil Excellences of Puglia, an official celebration of the best producers and excellent labels of our region.

The event is organized by AIS Puglia Sommeliers with the support of the Puglia Region - Department of Agri-food Resources and the collaboration of the most representative Consortia for the Promotion and Protection of regional DOC and DOP wines and EVO oils. A day entirely dedicated to the celebration of the regional olive and wine heritage, to the appreciation of producers, and to the promotion of Apulian food and wine culture in Italy and the world.

One day, two great celebrations: in the morning EVO oil, in the afternoon wine excellences.

The program is developed along a single celebratory platform:

In the morning starting at 10:30 AM: The Conference “The Languages of EVO Oil” in collaboration with the Italian Sommelier Association and the subsequent Award Ceremony for the best EVO Oils of Puglia followed by a light lunch with four great Apulian chefs, creators of dishes designed for an ideal match to as many regional olive cultivars;
In the afternoon starting at 5:30 PM: proclamation of the Regional Wine Excellences 2026, which are the wines that scored over 90 points in the national selection of the AIS Vitae Guide and the subsequent free tasting of the awarded labels in an evening party rich with culinary pairings.
The conference and the award ceremonies for oil excellences in the morning “The languages of EVO oil”

Starting at 10:30 AM, national experts and authoritative figures in the sector will discuss the future of oil narration, new forms of dissemination, tasting techniques, and opportunities for product promotion in restaurants, among consumers, and in international markets.

Speakers will include:

Giacomo D’Ambruoso – President of AIS Puglia
Sandro Camilli – President of AIS Italy
Camillo Privitera – Head of Events and Social AIS Italy
Marco Rezzano – Executive Committee of Education AIS Italy
Giuseppe Baldassarre – Coordinator of the AIS Italy Oil Sub-committee – “Giving Voice to Oil”
Luigi Caricato – Writer, journalist, founder of Olio Officina – “Révolution – A New Language for Oil is Possible”
Enzo Signorelli – President of FIOI
Lello Massa – Vice President of AIS Puglia – “The Teetotaler Sommelier Talks about Oil”
Stefano Semerano – Maître at Hotel Ostuni Palace – Restaurant Oil List
Moderated by RAI journalist Gianluca Semprini and Rocco Caliandro, EVO Oil project manager AIS Puglia.

The award ceremonies for Apulian wine excellences and the grand evening tasting

In the afternoon starting at 5:30 PM, the celebration of Apulian wine will begin with the awarding of the Regional Wine Excellences, recognition reserved for labels that scored over 90 points in the rigorous selection of the brand-new AIS Vitae Guide 2026, a publication considered today the most authoritative in Italy in the wine sector. The results are the fruit of the work by the AIS Puglia Sommeliers’ blind tasting panels.

To testify to the importance and high value attributed to the recognition, all awarded producers will be present, personally called to receive the official certificate on the Gala stage. This scene will bring together the protagonists of Apulian oenology — faces, stories, and territories — in a moment of shared pride for the entire regional wine community.

Tasting experience with signature regional cuisine

At the closure of both moments – morning and afternoon – guests will be able to participate in a tasting journey that will combine oil, wine, and high Apulian cuisine, through four gastronomic interpretations dedicated to four symbolic cultivars of the territory:

Barley risotto with almond buttermilk, artichoke heart, and Leccino EVO Oil — Chef Vincenzo Elia, Terra Madre Slow Food – Tenuta Moreno (BR)
Risotto with broccoli, stale bread, and Coratina EVO Oil — Chef Salvatore Riontino, Riontino Restaurant – Margherita di Savoia (BT)
Calamari tagliatelle, black mayonnaise, sweet and sour vegetables, sea herbs, and Favolosa EVO Oil — Chef Alfredo De Luca, Taverna del Porto – Tricase Porto (LE)
Cavatelli with roasted cherry tomatoes, turnip greens, and beans with Cima di Mola EVO Oil, crispy capocollo grains, and farinella di Putignano — Chef Luciano Campanella, Barsentum – Putignano (BA)
Buy your tickets for the event now, they will be on sale until Wednesday morning December 10 at 1 PM. Cost:
Conference + oil excellence award ceremony + light lunch €25
Wine excellence award ceremony + light dinner €35
Full day with both tastings €50

With this Gala, AIS Puglia Sommeliers renew their mission: to create a bridge between producers and the market, to build an informed community, and to contribute to the construction of a contemporary narrative of Apulian food and wine — made of quality, study, identity, and resilience.

The choice of Tenuta Moreno — a prestigious fortified farmhouse and a facility equipped for high-profile events — lends the appointment a character of representation and prestige, ensuring a fluid and immersive experience for guests, speakers, and media.

For further information
AIS Puglia Secretariat
via Michele Bianchi 38
70015 Noci (Ba)

T. 080 4949189
info@aispuglia.it

Press Accreditation Requests
comunicazione@aispuglia.it
Web: www.sommelierpuglia.it/gala...