One of the deepest, and perhaps least addressed, causes is the way wine continues to tell its story: often distant, complicated, self-referential, incapable of speaking to ordinary people.
Wine, first of all, is pleasure.
It’s about conviviality, memory, emotion, and territory. You don’t need to be a sommelier to understand whether you like a wine or not. Everyone has different taste preferences, just like with music, food, or even people. Expecting consumers to know technical terms, aromatic descriptors, or specialized jargon to feel “up to par” automatically creates a barrier.
And this is precisely where one of the industry’s major problems arises: wine in Italy too often continues to communicate as it did in the 1990s, when the technical and elitist narrative was perceived as modern and aspirational. That model worked, especially abroad, because Italian wine was a symbol of prestige, lifestyle, and Made in Italy. But today the context has changed radically.
Meanwhile, eating habits, relationships with alcohol, leisure time, media language, and, above all, the speed with which younger generations decide what to consume have changed. Today, a young person makes decisions in seconds, through images, short videos, and immediate emotions. Wine, however, often continues to be talked about in interminable press releases, self-referential tastings, and content designed more for industry insiders than for those who should buy it. Added to this is a concrete economic issue. In recent years, purchasing power has declined, while many premium bottles have reached prices that the average consumer perceives as excessive. In the past, a bottle of good wine was a natural part of the daily table; today, in many cases, it is seen as something for special occasions. Meanwhile, cocktails, craft beers, and new consumption formats are more accessible, more immediate, and often even more profitable for those who sell them. The problem isn’t the wine itself. Italy continues to boast extraordinary quality, arguably the best winemaking region in the world in terms of its terroir, price range, and cultural identity. Today, it’s difficult to find truly “bad” wines: the average quality has risen dramatically. But the language used to describe this heritage has lagged behind. Another strategic mistake has been to increasingly link wine to the world of haute cuisine and fine dining. In Italy, wine originated as an element of popular conviviality, linked to the table, family, and the simplicity of being together. When it’s presented only within sophisticated rituals, formal tastings, and exclusive settings, it loses its spontaneity and alienates the public. Many consumers today seek authenticity, immediacy, and simplicity. This is also what has fueled the success of natural wines and craft beers: regardless of ideology, they are perceived as more authentic, less constructed products, closer to people and contemporary lifestyles. The truth is that wine must return to its natural place in everyday Italian culture. It must return to pizzerias, agritourisms, informal occasions, and the simple moments of real life. It’s paradoxical that in Italy there are thousands of pizzerias with hundreds of seats where everything in the glass dominates except wine, when pizza and wine pairing could be one of the most spontaneous and contemporary to promote. A profound shift in mentality is therefore needed. Wine should no longer convey cultural superiority, but rather emotional well-being and social connection. It should not enter the realm of health or ideological opposition. It should remind people of something much simpler: being together. And above all, the industry must understand that communication has changed forever. We have moved from a world dominated by the written word to one driven by images, videos, and visual speed. The new generations live within social media and shape their choices there. Being absent or poorly present digitally today is not elegance or tradition: it is isolation from the market. This is why wineries, consortia, and press offices should have the courage to truly open themselves to young digital professionals, capable of speaking the contemporary language without losing their local authenticity. Press releases or static photographs of bottles are no longer enough. What’s needed are emotions, faces, real stories, immediacy, and the ability to create connections. Even from a commercial perspective, many practices today have lost their communicative power. Participating in a trade fair isn’t automatically news. Presenting a new product is no longer enough. Announcing a brand ambassador or a press tour often only interests industry insiders. Consumers seek something else: authenticity, simplicity, true and recognizable experiences. Italian wine remains one of the country’s strongest cultural assets. But to remain so, it must stop portraying itself as an exclusive club and return to speaking the language of Italian conviviality, of shared dining, and the simple joy of being together. Only in this way can it recapture the younger generations without losing its identity.
