NAIROBI, 10 November 2026… Italian wine and food took centre stage at Nairobi’s Trademark Hotel as Borsa Vini Kenya 2026 brought together Italian producers, regional buyers and hospitality professionals to explore business opportunities and the cultural traditions behind Italy’s products.
Featuring 26 exhibitors from 10 Italian regions, the event provided a platform for Kenyan industry professionals and visiting buyers from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda to engage with producers through business meetings, tastings and wine education. Speaking at the event, Alessandra Rainaldi, Director of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) in Nairobi, said Borsa Vini formed part of the agency’s work to help Italian Small and medium businesses reach international markets.
“We support small and medium enterprises to export and to invest worldwide,” Rainaldi said.
She described Borsa Vini as a signature event held in Kenya and other countries to promote Italian excellence in wine and food. The Nairobi edition connected that international ambition with opportunities in East Africa’s wine, food and hospitality sectors.
According to figures provided by the Italian Trade Agency, Italy is Kenya’s third-largest wine supplier, with its market share increasing from 11.5 per cent in 2025 to 14.5 per cent in the first half of 2026. The event offered producers and buyers an opportunity to build on this growth through direct commercial engagement.
For Giulia Orlandi, Second Secretary at the Embassy of Italy in Nairobi, the significance of the event extended beyond trade. She highlighted Italian cuisine’s recognition as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage and described wine as an expression of national identity.
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“Wine is much more than a product because for us, for Italians, it reflects our history, our territories and our cultural heritage,” Orlandi said.
She also connected this heritage to the Mediterranean diet and Italian cuisine, placing the wines on display within a broader story of food, place and tradition.
Borsa Vini formed part of the 11th edition of the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, with celebrations in Kenya running from 8 to 14 November. The programme combined trade engagement with opportunities to learn about the origins, character and quality of Italian wines and food.
Wine consultant and sommelier Victoria Mulu-Munywoki led masterclasses that helped participants understand Italian wines and discover their own preferences. Through guided tastings, she taught those present how to recognise different wine styles, explore aromas and flavours, and identify the characteristics they enjoy in a glass. Her approach encouraged participants to taste with curiosity, build confidence in their choices and engage with producers to understand the stories behind the labels.
The event programme also featured regional wine masterclasses and live cooking demonstrations by Michelin-starred Chef Italo Bassi, bringing together product knowledge, culinary skills and commercial exchange.
Borsa Vini reflects a broader trade partnership with opportunities for both countries. As Italian producers explore Kenya’s market, Kenyan exporters are expanding sales to Italy, supplying products including vegetable oils, coffee, flowers and fish. According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Kenya’s export earnings from Italy rose by 50.2 per cent in 2025, reinforcing the potential for deeper commercial collaboration that supports producers, businesses and livelihoods in both economies.
