Volcanic Wines International

What Volcanic Wines International does

Volcanic Wines International (VWI) is a privately held New York-based organization founded in 2018 that convenes and leads the global volcanic wine movement. It operates a recurring conference and awards program — the International Volcanic Wines Conference (IVWC) and the Volcanic Wine Awards — targeting volcanic-soil wine producers, wine trade professionals, and wine media. Events are trade-and-media only and currently span 12+ volcanic wine regions including Armenia, Chile, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Spain, USA, and Hungary, with the 5th edition (IVWC5) scheduled for June 10, 2026 at Manhatta in New York City and expected to gather 50+ wineries and 200+ wines.

VWI's underlying assets are non-technical: its core IP is brand authority in the volcanic wine category, category-defining intellectual capital from co-founder John Szabo MS (author of the André Simon Award-winning book 'Volcanic Wines: Salt, Grit and Power'), and an aggregated ecosystem of 100+ participating wineries. Its core products are the annual conference, the blind-tasted Volcanic Wine Awards competition (held in February 2026 at Colangelo & Partners' NYC offices), structured masterclass programming, and the newly introduced Volcanic Origin certification developed with VINORA. Media reach is delivered through an exclusive partnership with JancisRobinson.com.

Revenue is generated through conference and event programming, awards competition fees, and sponsorship support from regional promoters such as Wines of Hungary, Winebow, GMR Canarias, Maze Row, and Volcanic Xperience. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and VWI operates as a non-profit-style industry movement rather than a traditional commercial enterprise; no venture or institutional funding rounds are disclosed. The organization is co-led with Colangelo & Partners, a premium food and wine PR agency, which provides go-to-market execution.

Name

Volcanic Wines International

Legal name

Volcanic Wines International

Website

https://volcanicwinesinternational.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Volcanic Wines International is a New York-based organization founded in 2018 that leads the global volcanic wine movement through its annual International Volcanic Wines Conference, the Volcanic Wine Awards, and educational programs serving wineries, wine trade professionals, and wine media.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Industry Events and Education

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)

Keywords

• Volcanic wine events
• Wine industry conferences
• Wine awards competition
• Wine trade education
• Volcanic terroir promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Conference and Event Revenue: Revenue is generated through organizing the International Volcanic Wines Conference and Volcanic Wine Awards competition. The organization serves as an educational and promotional platform for volcanic wine producers, with sponsorship support from partners such as Wines of Hungary, Winebow, and others. VWI operates as a non-profit industry movement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Volcanic Wines International organizes the annual International Volcanic Wines Conference and the Volcanic Wine Awards competition, and produces educational content about wines from volcanic soils for wine trade professionals and media. The organization operates as a trade- and media-only educational and promotional platform rather than a direct wine seller, connecting volcanic wine producers with importers, distributors, retailers, sommeliers, and journalists.

Product overview

Volcanic Wines International (VWI) operates as a membership/organizational entity that leads the global Volcanic Wine Movement through three interconnected offerings: the annual International Volcanic Wines Conference (IVWC) as its flagship event bringing together 50+ wineries and 200+ wines from volcanic regions globally; the Volcanic Wine Awards competition for recognizing outstanding volcanic-soil wines; and comprehensive educational content about volcanic wine regions worldwide. The organization positions volcanic wines as a premium category celebrated for exceptional quality and sense of place.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Volcanic Wines Conference (IVWC) Annual full-day educational conference for wine trade professionals and media, featuring participating volcanic wine regions from around the world with presentations, workshop discussions, walk-around tastings, and masterclasses. Trade and media only.
• Volcanic Wine Awards Wine competition celebrating outstanding wines grown in volcanic soils around the world, conducted in collaboration with JancisRobinson.com, with entries evaluated through blind tasting by expert panels.
• Volcanic Origin Certification New certification label introduced at IVWC5 2026 by Volcanic Origin (VINORA) to authenticate and certify wines from volcanic origins, providing provenance verification for volcanic-soil wines.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Wines of HungarymajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 June 2026Sponsor of the 'Hungarian Uprising: Wines of the Carpathian Volcanic Arc' masterclass at IVWC5 2026
• Maze Row Wine MerchantmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 June 2026Sponsor of 'The Long Memory of the Earth: Volcanic Wines That Age' masterclass at IVWC5 2026
• Volcanic Xperience Canary Local ProductmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 June 2026Sponsor of 'Volcanic Canary Whites: A Journey Through Time' masterclass at IVWC5 2026
• Volcanic Origin (VINORA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026Presentation of the Volcanic Origin Label at IVWC5 2026, led by Pierre Desprat (President of Volcanic Origin) and Didier Gaidon (French Sommeliers Association - UDSF). VINORA is introducing a new Volcanic Origin certification.
• JancisRobinson.comcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 May 2026JancisRobinson.com serves as the exclusive media partner for the International Volcanic Wines Conference and Volcanic Wine Awards competition. The platform founded by Master of Wine Jancis Robinson OBE provides global coverage of award-winning wines with tasting notes and scores.
• WinebowmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 18 June 2024Sponsor of the 'Upper Left Rock: Exploring the Volcanic Influence in Columbia and Willamette' masterclass at IVWC4 2024. Winebow imports volcanic wines from the US.
• GMR CanariasmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 18 June 2024Sponsor of 'The Atlantic's Hidden Gems: Unveiling Canarian Wines and their Exclusive Varieties' masterclass at IVWC4 2024. Represents Canary Islands volcanic wine producers.
• Colangelo & PartnerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2018Conference co-organizer specializing in premium food, wine and spirits brands. The agency has established relationships with key press that drive these business categories and help determine industry leaders. Hosted the Volcanic Wine Awards judging at their New York City offices.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• ProWein: World-leading trade fair for wine and spirits, organized by Messe Düsseldorf. Comparable to VWI as a B2B trade event platform serving wineries, importers, and trade press; broader category scope but analogous event-and-education model.
• JancisRobinson.com: Authoritative global wine publication and review platform founded by Jancis Robinson MW. Directly comparable to VWI in the wine-education and awards-coverage space; serves as VWI's exclusive media partner and shares the educational and editorial mission.
• Wine Enthusiast: Major wine media brand that publishes trade content, runs tasting events, and partners with industry organizations. Comparable to VWI's media-and-education positioning (coverage in Wine Enthusiast is cited as a channel) but with much broader editorial and commercial scope.
• Vinitaly: Italy's largest wine trade fair and conference, organizing large-scale producer-trade-media events internationally. Comparable to VWI as a B2B wine event organizer serving producers and trade, though at much greater scale and with regional rather than thematic focus.

Regional players

• Winebow: US-based importer and distributor of fine wines, including volcanic wines (sponsor of IVWC4). Comparable to VWI as a US-based promoter/distributor of volcanic wine regions, though operating through wholesale distribution rather than conferences and education.

Direct peers

• Decanter World Wine Awards: Premier international wine competition and conference platform run by Decanter magazine. Directly comparable to VWI's Volcanic Wine Awards + IVWC combination as a trade-and-media wine competition with associated educational events and global producer participation.
• International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC): Long-running global wine and spirits competition and events organizer. Comparable to VWI in operating awards competitions, masterclasses, and trade education programming for the wine industry, though at significantly larger scale and broader category scope.
• International Sommelier Association (ASI): Global sommelier trade body organizing education, competitions (Best Sommelier of the World), and certification programs. Comparable to VWI in operating sommelier education and competition programming within the wine trade.

Others

• Wine Align: Canadian wine review and critic platform where John Szabo is partner and principal critic. Comparable as a wine content and review platform tied to VWI's leadership; relevant as ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Consorzio Vini Etna / Etna DOC: Regional Italian wine consortium representing Etna volcanic wine producers. Comparable to VWI in promoting a volcanic wine category to trade and media through events and education, but at regional rather than global scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/volcanicwinesintl
• Facebookfacebook.com/Volcanic-Wines-International-106366234406104

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Volcanic Wines International