America's best-selling Italian still wine brand is leaning into the viral 'nonna-maxxing' trend this holiday season. Cavit Wines has partnered with Nonna's Italy, a Rome-based cooking school staffed by real Italian grandmothers, to launch "Celebrate Like an Italian" — a consumer campaign designed to connect wine purchasing with hands-on culinary experiences ahead of the peak holiday entertaining window.
The Partnership Details
The collaboration gives on-premise and off-premise operators a timely hook for Italian wine programming. Cavit is offering a free online cooking class at cavit.com/italianholiday, complete with a shopping list and wine pairing guidance, while U.S. consumers can also access a 15% discount on a live Nonna's Italy cooking experience using the code WELOVECAVIT at checkout. The live sessions are streamed classes led by one of Nonna's Italy's 11 grandmothers, who share traditional Italian recipes from a village outside Rome.
"Our partnership with Nonna's Italy reflects a shared appreciation for the heritage, traditions and rituals that have been passed down through generations and continue to make Italian food culture so special," said Patrick Cappellini, Manager – Americas at Cavit Wines. Chiara Nicolanti, CEO and Founder of Nonna's Italy, framed it through the lens of Italian hospitality: "Good food and good wine are always best enjoyed together around the table."
Wine Pairing Implications
For restaurateurs and beverage directors building Italian-themed holiday menus, the campaign offers a practical framework. Cavit's Pinot Grigio — with green apple, pear, and elderflower notes — is positioned for fresh or creamy pasta dishes. Cavit Sauvignon Blanc, marked by lime and grapefruit, targets herb-forward recipes, while the Pinot Noir is suggested for heartier, earthier fare. The pairings align with the kind of approachable, by-the-glass Italian programming that has driven consistent volume at casual-dining and neighborhood Italian concepts.
Cavit holds the title of America's #1 Italian Still Wine Brand, according to Circana Total US MULO + Liq + Conv. data for the 52 weeks ending June 28, 2026. The brand is distributed in the U.S. through Palm Bay International. Pairing a dominant retail wine brand with an experiential cooking platform is a strategy that mirrors broader beverage industry trends around experiential marketing — brands increasingly using culinary storytelling to reinforce purchase intent both at retail and in foodservice accounts.
Why Operators Should Pay Attention
The 'nonna-maxxing' social media phenomenon — rooted in nostalgia, slow cooking, and the warmth of multigenerational Italian kitchens — has given Italian food and wine a cultural tailwind entering the 2026 holiday season. For operators running Italian concepts or building holiday prix-fixe menus, tying beverage programming to that sentiment is a low-cost way to deepen the guest experience. Wine brands that invest in culinary education and storytelling also tend to generate stronger staff advocacy, which directly influences tableside recommendation rates.
Nonna's Italy, founded eight years ago by Nicolanti and her grandmother Nerina, has grown from a single-nonna operation to a roster of 11 Italian grandmothers and six French grandmothers in Paris, with Greek and Spanish additions planned. That cross-cultural expansion signals a scalable model that could eventually extend branded partnerships into other cuisines and wine categories. For a deeper look at how food-and-beverage collaborations are reshaping restaurant beverage programming, the trend is worth tracking through the full holiday season.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
