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Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC to be official wine of the Giro D’Italia

27 March 2026 By Sarah Neish

Competitors in the Giro D’Italia 2026, a gruelling 3,459km cycling race winding through Italy, will have their sights set on a glass of Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC at the finish line as the appellation is revealed as the event’s official wine sponsor.

Hailing the Giro D’Italia race as a “highly prestigious event that transforms a sporting competition into a powerful celebration of Italian spirit”, the president of Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC explained his strategic thinking behind the partnership.

“By sponsoring the Giro d’Italia, a major cycling event that is the epitome of our country, we will officially bring Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC into a narrative that unites sport, territory, community and lifestyle, consolidating our role as ambassadors of an authentic and contemporary Italian spirit,” said Luca Rigotti.

The collaboration between the race and Italy’s leading still white wine at export is due to be formally unveiled at Vinitaly on 13 April at 12.30 pm in the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (MASAF) area, ahead of Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC wines supporting the following competitions: Giro d’Italia (8–31 May), the Giro d’Italia Women (30 May–7 June), the Giro-E (9–31 May) and the Giro Next Gen (14–21 June).

Vast global audience

The historical race, which begins in Bulgaria before winding through multiple Italian regions, has been staged for 109 years and is expected to draw a global audience of more than 650 million viewers via TV coverage in 200 countries.

For this reason, Rigotti said that the Giro D’Italia provides an unparalleled opportunity to showcase Pinot Grigio DOC Delle Venezie wines “to the entire circuit and in the homes of spectators”, shining a light on the work of the producers, the winegrowing regions and their communities in the Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trento.

With a production chain comprising 6,141 winegrowers, 575 wineries and 371 bottling companies, the Delle Venezie DOC, which tightened its classification rules earlier this year, now accounts for 85% of Italian Pinot Grigio and 43% of global Pinot Grigio production.

“This initiative is driven by vision and a desire to promote our heritage, an opportunity to create and strengthen synergies and dialogue at multiple levels with consumers, the media, institutions and local stakeholders who, during the tour’s stages, will raise a toast with Delle Venezie DOC,” he added.

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Speaking on behalf of the event organiser, Matteo Mursia, chief revenue officer, RCS Sport & Events, referred to the partnership as one that “perfectly highlights the convergence of sport, passion, local heritage and culture. The Giro d’Italia is a unique and exclusive communication platform, capable of magnifying authentic stories and forging deep connections with a vast audience. Together, we will create a narrative that celebrates Italian excellence and lifestyle”.

Challenging mountainous terrain

The 2026 Giro d’Italia, famous for its pink leader’s jersey, will cover a total distance of 3,459km (2,149 miles) over 21 stages. Starting in Bulgaria and finishing in Rome, the race will force participants to confront mountainous terrain with nearly 50,000 metres of elevation gain, covering eight flat, seven medium-mountain, and five high-mountain stages.

Last year, Simon Yates (GBR, Team Visma-Lease a Bike) and Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA, UAE Team ADQ) took home the winning trophies in the men and women’s races respectively.

How politics have helped shape the race through the decades

Inspired by the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia was founded in 1909 by Tullo Morgagni, editor of La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper as a way of boosting its readership circulation. It has been held every year since its first edition, apart from during the two World Wars. In fact, when the race resumed in 1919 after the end of the First World War, racers had to navigate a route through the ruined parts of Northern Italy, which made it a particularly tough year for both the organisers and riders to contend with.

Indeed, international politics have played a key role in the evolution of the race through the decades. In 1936, for instance, no foreign participants were permitted to take part in the race due to the political stance of Mussolini (Il Duce), who was Prime Minister of Italy at the time. However, Mussolini was a firm supporter of the Giro d’Italia and according to reports tried to keep the race going while Italy was involved in the Second World War. However, due to the race consuming so much gasoline, food, and other supplies, it was determined that it would hinder Italy’s war efforts to continue the race in its usual format; instead Mussolini’s government created a new, shorter “point series” Giro d’Italia, where a number of races were held on just one day and competitors accrued points.

The 1943 edition of this “point series” format was interrupted after Allied forces landed in Sicily.

Interestingly, the Giro d’Italia saw exclusively Italian winners from its founding race in 1909 until 1950 when Swiss racer Hugo Koblet took the trophy. Since then there have been winners from Luxembourg, France, Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, the US, Spain, Russia, Canada, Columbia, the Netherlands, Ecuador, Australia, Slovenia and Great Britain. Last year a total of 184 riders (from 23 teams) took part in the start of the Giro d’Italia.

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