The Winter Fancy Faire 2026 closed today in San Diego, marking the conclusion of the debut of the new winter formula of the historic Winter Fancy Food and its first landing in California. From 11 to 13 January, the San Diego Convention Center hosted one of the most important events in the global agri-food sector, strengthening the link between the Italian food sector and one of the most dynamic markets in the United States.
The change of naming and home accompanies a strategic transformation desired by the Specialty Food Association, a non-profit network founded in 1952 in New York and today a point of reference for over 4,500 international operators. The Winter Fancy Faire was born as a new platform to intercept trends and consumption, alongside the summer edition and confirming the central role of the United States in global agri-food exchanges.
At the heart of the Italian presence there is once again the Italian Pavilion, organized and curated by Universal Marketing, exclusive agent for Italy of the Specialty Food Association. Strategically located at the entrance of the international area, the pavilion occupies more than 800 square meters, it hosts about 80 stands and involves 60 companies. Inside there are also the Lounge ICE and the areas dedicated to cured meats, cheeses, Italian aperitif and coffee.
“With the introduction of the Winter Fancy Faire, the first new trade fair launched over 25 years, it is a great pleasure to collaborate once again with our historic partners from Italy,” said Bill Lynch, president of the Specialty Food Association. “American consumers today are saturated with technology and seek authentic experiences. Italian products perfectly meet this requirement and play a key role in launching the trends of the new year”.
Italy’s weight in the US market is also relevant in numbers. In the first eight months of 2025, despite the introduction of new tariff policies, agri-food exports to the United States reached $5.7 billion, with an increase of 1.8 percent. Water, pasta, vegetable preserves and processed meat remain among the most popular products, while some categories such as wine, oil and cheese have declined over the previous year.
“We are happy to present the Italian agri-food sector in San Diego, the new headquarters of the trade fair for 2026,” explained Erica Di Giovancarlo, director of the ICE Agency in New York and coordinator of the ICE network in the United States. “Despite the difficulties of 2025 and uncertainties related to duties, Italian entrepreneurship once again demonstrated its strength. The Italian cuisine, today an immaterial heritage of humanity, continues to be recognized and appreciated by American visitors and buyers”.
The economic dimension is alongside the institutional dimension. “San Diego is a city with historical and deep ties to Italy,” said Consul General of Italy in Los Angeles, Raffaella Valentini. “It is a territory that offers great opportunities in many sectors, from innovation to biotechnology. The interest towards California and the West Coast is growing, and as institutions we work to accompany companies with concrete tools and targeted information”.
A central role is also played by the Italian regions present at the fair, including Piedmont, Lazio, Calabria and Sicily. “The Calabrian export is growing, especially in the agri-food sector”, explained Giuseppe Iiritano, general manager of the Calabrian Region. “We have many small and medium-sized companies focusing on niche markets, with products symbolizing such as cold meats, chilli, ’nduja and bergamot. The challenge now is to strengthen identity, communication and packaging”.
From Latium comes an equally pragmatic reading of the US market. “The United States remains an extraordinary market,” said Massimiliano Raffa, president of Arsial. “Even in the presence of sectoral difficulties and flexions, we continue to invest with targeted analyses and selective strategies. The goal is not to explore, but to consolidate and increase existing market shares, building trust and a real community around the regional brand”.
For Universal Marketing, which for over thirty years has been coordinating the Italian presence at the fair, the 2026 edition represents a significant step. “San Diego welcomed our companies with great openness,” commented Chiara Cinelli, co-CEO of Universal Marketing. “There is a high attendance of visitors in the Italian pavilion and the companies are enthusiastic about this new event. It is a signal that confirms the solidity of the project and the trust of Italian companies in the American market”.
L’articolo La Winter Fancy Faire debuts in California and relaunches Made in Italy agro-food proviene da IlNewyorkese.
