IN BRIEF
- From October 10-12, 2026, Belgrade will host the fifth edition of Wine Vision by Open Balkan, an event dedicated to wine, spirits, and gastronomy.
- The event aims to strengthen the presence of international distributors and decision-makers with B2B meetings and a program of specialized masterclasses.
- Wine Vision 2026 will present insights into various wine regions, including the Balkans, Sardinia, and Tokaj, emphasizing the diversity and quality of the wines.
- The goal is to transform interest in southeastern European wine into concrete business relationships for wineries and international markets.
- The fair will take place at Belgrade Fair, demonstrating Belgrade’s importance as a hub for Balkan wine.
From October 10-12, 2026, Belgrade returns as the wine capital of southeastern Europe. At Belgrade Fair, the fifth edition of Wine Vision by Open Balkan (WVOB) gets underway, an event that in terms of size, ambition, and growing commercial weight can now be called the “Vinitaly of the Balkans.” Three days dedicated to wine, spirits, gastronomy, and tourism, with an increasingly strong presence of buyers, importers, and international trade professionals.
The fair, born within the Open Balkan initiative that brings together Serbia, North Macedonia, and Albania, arrives at its 2026 edition after growth that has transformed it into the main professional meeting point for wine from the Western Balkans. This year’s tagline, “One place. The World,” sums up the objective: to use Belgrade as a platform between the region’s productions and international markets.
FROM 2025 SUCCESS TO THE FIFTH EDITION
The numbers from the latest edition provide the measure of what Wine Vision has achieved. In 2025, the event brought together 535 exhibitors from 34 countries, with trade visitors arriving from 68 nations. There were 302 accredited buyers from 41 countries, with a particularly significant presence from China, as well as the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the United States.
Over four days, more than 1,500 B2B meetings were organized, along with over 30 workshops and masterclasses. These numbers were accompanied by recognition as a UFI Approved Event, certification from the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. Wine Vision is currently the only event dedicated to wine, food, and tourism in Serbia and the Western Balkans to hold this qualification.
For 2026, the organizers have decided to emphasize precisely the professional aspect. The stated goal is to further increase the presence of international distributors, importers, and decision-makers, strengthening the matchmaking program and digital tools for trade professionals. The B2B meetings, lasting 20 minutes, are scheduled for Sunday, October 11, and Monday, October 12.
FROM VINEYARD TO CELLAR: THE MASTERCLASS PROGRAM
The masterclass program confirms the event’s step up in level. Among the main sessions is a meeting dedicated to vineyard longevity and pruning techniques, alongside an in-depth look at whole-cluster fermentation, a technique increasingly at the center of international stylistic debate.
The program thus aims to connect vineyard work, cellar choices, and the final positioning of the wine in the market.
Ample space is inevitably reserved for the Balkans and their indigenous varieties, with insights into Vranec and Stanušina, a selection of Serbian wines awarded at major international competitions, a session dedicated to the new Serbian sparkling wine scene, and a vertical tasting of wines from North Macedonia.
FROM TOKAJ TO SARDINIA: WVOB LOOKS BEYOND THE BALKANS
The perspective remains strongly international, however. Wine Vision 2026 offers insights into Tokaj, Georgia, Istria, Spain, South Moravia, and Sardinia, placing historic regions, emerging areas, and new production models on equal footing.
For Italy, the presence of Sardinia is significant, featured in a masterclass dedicated to its most authentic wines and expressions from the island far from the better-known coastal areas.
Other topics include the concept of great wine, the relationship between myth and perception in tasting, Georgia and its ancient winemaking culture, the new Spain beyond Rioja and Ribera del Duero, Malvazija Istarska and Teran, Tokaj, and an in-depth look at Purcari wines.
BELGRADE INCREASINGLY A HUB FOR BALKAN WINE
The central point of the 2026 edition, however, seems to go beyond the tasting calendar. Wine Vision is seeking to transform the growing international interest in Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania, and more generally in wine from Eastern and southeastern Europe, into structured commercial relationships.
This is the main difference from the early editions and, at the same time, the ground on which the future of the “Vinitaly of the Balkans” will be measured: not just a major showcase for regional productions, but a place where wineries can concretely meet distribution and foreign markets.
Wine Vision by Open Balkan 2026 will be open to the public from 12 PM to 8 PM from October 10-12 at Belgrade Fair. Three days during which Belgrade will once again try to demonstrate that the European wine map doesn’t end with the established markets of Western Europe.
