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Wine trends and performance in Italy Week 2–6 February 2026

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In 2026, Italian wine is entering a phase that is no longer cyclical but structural. The key is not the crisis itself, but rather the changing rules of the game.

As observers and leading international players have pointed out, “uncertainty is the new normal”: unstable markets, selective consumption, pressure on margins, and a growing gap between those who govern change and those who endure it.

Exports: record behind us, adjustment underway

2024 closed with an all-time high in Italian exports of €8.1 billion (up 5.5%) . However, 2025 saw a slowdown: -2.2% in value and -1% in volume , with a global scenario in which volume growth no longer guarantees value. Dependence on mature markets, primarily the US, exposes the economy to systemic risks (tariffs, inflation, and declining purchasing power). Hence the growing focus on new geographies: Mercosur and India are no longer theoretical options but mandatory trajectories, even if the implementation timelines remain long.

Prices and margins: the unresolved issue

Wine is suffering from an increasingly evident disconnect between price and perceived value. In key markets, particularly the United Kingdom and the United States, production, logistics, and bureaucratic costs are squeezing the trade’s profitability. The entry-level segment is shrinking, while the compression of margins is leading to reduced product assortments, lower investment, and job losses. Without a rethinking of business models, the “race for volume” risks turning into a systemic devaluation of the product.

US consumption: structural decline, Italy more resilient

In the United States—the world’s largest market by value—wine consumption is declining for the fifth consecutive year ( -8.8% in volume in 2025 ). Italy is holding up better than its competitors ( -5.2% in volume, -3% in value ), thanks primarily to sparkling wines. According to the Italian Wine Union , Prosecco remains the true driver, while denominations like Chianti Classico and Brunello maintain a defensive position. The structural trend is clear: in the US, people are drinking less wine, but they are seeking recognizable, consistent products that can justify their price.

Prosecco vs. Champagne: A Historic Watershed

2025 marks a symbolic and substantial leap forward: the Prosecco system surpasses Champagne in terms of market dynamics. While Champagne production has fallen to 266 million bottles, Prosecco approaches 800 million , embodying a model of “accessible luxury.” It’s not just a question of numbers: it’s a clash between two visions. On the one hand, defensive premiumization; on the other, the ability to interpret consumption, sociality, and immediacy. The market has chosen the latter.

Communication and the consumer: the real enabling factor

Wine isn’t rejected: it’s often poorly communicated. New generations are curious, but demand simpler language, immediate experiences, and authentic stories. The cultural and relational value of wine remains intact, but it needs to be revitalized with less self-referential communication and more connected to real life. In this sense, the new Italian institutional campaign on conscious consumption represents a significant political and cultural signal.

Overproduction and system under stress

The most critical data comes from the wineries: over 8 billion bottles in storage . This surplus fuels dumping, price pressures, and imbalances throughout the supply chain. The selection process has already begun: small, fragile producers, undercapitalized models, and confused positioning are at risk of being forced out of the market. This isn’t a collapse, but a fracture. And like any fracture, it redraws the perimeter of the survivors.

Strategic conclusion

Italian wine is not in decline, but in transformation. Those who manage inventory, margins, and positioning are the winners; those who invest even in difficult times; those who build value before even selling volume. 2026 will not reward inertia or nostalgia. It will reward industrial vision, product line clarity, market presence, and the ability to speak to today’s consumer. In an uncertain world, wine remains a powerful economic and cultural tool. Provided it is used wisely.

Wine press review for Thursday, February 5, 2026

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Wineries, Italian wine producers, and wine news.

Italian wineries

  • Caviro Group relaunches Tavernello. A new national campaign featuring Nino Frassica for the iconic brand of the world’s best-selling Italian wine. Industry-standard numbers: 36,000 hectares, 11,500 winemakers, 150 million liters in 90 markets. This move reaffirms the role of cooperatives as a productive and commercial infrastructure.
  • Edoardo Freddi acquires a majority stake in Agriment. The company specializes in the export of over 60 wineries, closing 2025 with a 6% revenue share. Skepticism about alcohol-free wine as a structural market solution.
  • A collector opens a super wine shop in Milan. Fabio Cagnetti takes years of collecting and trading rare wines offline. A project focused on fine wines, a climate-controlled cellar, and an informal approach: experiential retail evolves.
  • Franchini and Amarone above a Roman villa. In Negrar, archaeology and viticulture intertwine: excavations funded by the company have revealed a 3rd-century Roman cellar. Cultural heritage becomes a lever for wine tourism and identity.
  • Cà du Ferrà, Liguria’s Resistance Heroic viticulture in Bonassola: reclaiming the terraces, slowness as a method, and landscape as an agricultural choice, not just a backdrop.
  • Vogadori Winery opens to bulk wines. A weekend dedicated to direct sales in Valpolicella: authenticity, direct contact with consumers, and a short supply chain as a concrete response to new consumer trends.
  • Cantina Pizzolato at Winter House Milan focuses on organic sparkling wines and non-alcoholic ready-to-drinks. In the US, the brand is #1 in organic sparkling wines, with triple-digit growth: a clear and consistent positioning.
  • Cantina Tollo presents the TO BE line: fresh, low-alcohol wines with a contemporary style to appeal to international markets and younger consumers. Preview at Wine Paris.
  • Ammura (Tommasi Family Estates) at Wine Paris Presentation of the new Etna Rosso and Bianco vintages and of Liuni Etna Rosso DOC: continuity in the valorization of a complex and highly recognizable terroir.

Italian wine and Italian oenology

  • Lollobrigida: “The decline in US exports is not a tragedy.” At the Masaf wine meeting, a joint discussion was held: dealcoholization has been shelved, and now the focus is on the CMO, CAP, and production containment. Caution regarding eradications, and the central role of agriculture in protecting the territory.
  • Valpolicella: not just styles, but identity rituals. From Amarone Opera Prima, a historical-cultural rereading of the denominations: communicating wine beyond technique, basing the story on coherence and historical truth.
  • Marchesini: The future lies between integrated production and the end of widespread drying. The SQNPI protocol is growing (47%), while organic production is declining (-9%) due to climate change. Practical sustainability is replacing ideological sustainability.
  • CMO Wine grants in Lombardy: €3.7 million to 139 companies for investments in wineries, hospitality, e-commerce, and innovation. Only one company in Como received funding: a marginal but confirmed presence.
  • Canned wine is growing (outside Italy). This alternative packaging is driven by convenience, informal consumption, and a lower environmental impact. It remains a niche market, but it appeals to young lifestyles.
  • Health and Red Wine: The debate on the cardiovascular benefits of moderate consumption is returning: a sensitive topic that requires balanced and scientifically responsible communication.

International

  • New resistant grape varieties: Agroscope’s “magnificent 7.” After 15 years of research, seven varieties resistant to downy mildew and powdery mildew have been identified. This is a strong signal for the future of European viticulture, including climate change.
  • Concours Mondial de Bruxelles rethinks communication Medals are no longer enough: we need understandable narratives, capable of speaking to young people and occasional consumers in a shrinking market.

Wine events

  • Milan–Cortina 2026: a global showcase for food and wine. Between the Olympics, fine dining, and luxury hospitality, Italian wine becomes a tool for cultural diplomacy and regional branding.
  • Amarone Opera Prima n.22 Verona at the center of the debate on Valpolicella between identity, communication, and production models.
  • Wine Paris 2026 Strong Italian presence: Brunello di Montalcino with 53 companies and a consortium wine bar, Ammura, Cantina Tollo and many other internationally oriented companies.
  • Wine tourism boom. The AITE–SRM report for FINE Wine Tourism Marketplace Italy confirms: less wine consumed, more value generated in the winery. Hospitality becomes a strategic asset.
  • Best Wine Hospitality Manager 2026 Hospitality professionals rewarded: people are back at the center of brand value.
  • Roero, wine and truffles From the Gathering of the Trifulau emerges a territorial model integrated between viticulture, gastronomy and local identity.
  • Fieragricola Verona Zaia reiterates: Veneto is Italy’s second-largest agricultural region, and first for wine. Agriculture is an identity, even before production.
  • DOC Sicilia: San Valentino and San Faustino Communication that combines ritual, conscious consumption, and the adaptability of wines to different moments in life.
  • UNESCO Prosecco Hills: Nearly €1 million for a visitor center and cultural projects: tourism, youth, and sustainability as long-term strategic axes.

Today’s wine press review was brought to you by WINEIDEA.IT . See you tomorrow.

Wine press review for Wednesday February 4 -2026

with:

Italian wineries and producers, wine news.

Italian wineries

Barbera d’Asti’s resurgence enters the world’s top 10. Wine Spectator has recognized Chiarlo’s “Le Orme” among the great international wines. This recognition completes a journey that began in the 1960s: from a popular wine to a global icon of Monferrato.

Marilina Winery, Val di Noto. The Paternò family focuses on native, organic grape varieties. Limestone soils, Mediterranean winds, and manual farming create a coherent vision of identity and sustainability.

Baglio di Pianetto launches the 2026 Manifesto, “Wine Knows No Bad Intentions”: a campaign manifesto that refocuses wine as a cultural, landscape, and social phenomenon. Six principles for a new narrative of Sicilian wine.

Le Crode, mountain grappa in Belluno Vincenzo Agostini keeps alive the only active distillery in the province of Belluno, restoring the historic building and still: artisan resistance at high altitude.

Bosca presents the Luigi Bosca dealcoholized Rosso. A zero-alcohol red that surprises with its drinkability and identity. Not a sacrifice, but a new way of drinking. Bosca confirms its pioneering vision of no/low alcohol.

Italian wine and Italian oenology

Langhe Nebbiolo in bag-in-box format: an open debate. Young producers are in favor, but small wineries are divided. The format is seen as a solution to unsold stock and a response to Northern Europe, but fears of reputational impact remain.

Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato, a grape variety saved from oblivion. The story of Don Giacomo Cauda and a unique semi-aromatic grape variety, now a DOCG, that tells the story of a less obvious Piedmont.

Mountain wines, the excellence of the Alps. From Valtellina to the Dolomites, 15 labels symbolizing heroic viticulture ready to shine at the Milan-Cortina 2026 race.

Valpolicella: less organic, more integrated pest management. Membership of the SQNPI (Self-Protection System) is growing: pragmatic sustainability, cost control, and greater climate adaptability. Over 53% of the land is already involved.

Amarone 2021: a complex vintage, consistent wines Presented at Amarone Opera Prima 2026: irregular climate, careful management and a return to freshness and acidity as a stylistic feature.

Plant diseases: €2 million to agricultural businesses. Condifesa TVB completes settlements for damage to vineyards and arable land: the first operational case of fully functioning mutual funds in Europe.

International

Northern Sardinia conquers Denmark. Promocamera’s mission to Copenhagen: 15 wineries, over 80 operators met. The Danish market confirms its position as a strategic hub for Scandinavia.

Too much wine, too few sales: the sector under pressure. Over 8 billion bottles remain unsold in Italy. Analyses indicate a structural decline in European volumes by 2035.

Pizzolato Winery partners with Winter House Milano 2026. Focus on the USA and a Zero Alcohol proposal for the Olympic context: sparkling and non-alcoholic RTDs for a contemporary and inclusive toast.

Wine events

Slow Wine Fair 2026: Historic Vintages Take Center Stage. The Wine Bank showcases time as a value: older vintages compared to current ones.

Italian City of Wine 2026–2027. The Castelli Romani region will hand over to Conegliano Valdobbiadene and Vulture. For the first time, two regions will unite.

Pompeii returns to producing organic wine. A unique winery is born in the Archaeological Park, in collaboration with Feudi di San Gregorio: wine as a cultural and scientific project.

Let’s Drink South: Calabria Takes Center Stage. Record results for the seventh edition: nine award-winning labels and two new regional ambassadors.

Vito Oddo won a double award for his Amber “Re Siculo” as Best Orange Wine and Best Label at the Beviamoci Sud Festival.

Vinario4 opens at Rome’s Mercato Centrale: a new space showcasing wine, cuisine, local produce, and sustainability.

WineAI Forum – Alba, May 8, 2026 International conference on artificial intelligence and digital innovation applied to viticulture.

Food and wine events 6–8 February 2026 Festivals, fairs, and tastings throughout Italy, with Milan already in an Olympic mood.

Today’s wine press review is brought to you by WINEIDEA.IT . See you tomorrow.

Wine press review for Tuesday February 3 -2026

with:

Italian wineries and producers, wine news.

Italian wineries

Wine as a choice, not a defense. Martin Foradori Hofstätter ‘s contribution opens a lucid discussion on the future of wine: communication, territory, the consumer crisis, and no/low-alcohol wines as a possible path. This presentation invites the sector to govern change, not endure it.

Cantina Marilina (Val di Noto): identity and native grape varieties. A Sicilian family history founded on organic farming, respect for the soil, and the valorization of local grape varieties in one of the Mediterranean’s most favorable climates.

Nove Lune: PIWI Gold for its passito “Theia.” The Cenate Sopra winery stands out at the 5th National PIWI Wine Show, confirming the qualitative potential of resilient and sustainable viticulture.

Orsogna Winery: wine, biodiversity, and folk culture. From the revival of native grape varieties to the peasant devotion to Saint Anthony the Abbot, wine becomes a vehicle for cultural identity and collective memory.

Nals Margreid: three whites, three vintages. The Alto Adige cooperative presents a vertical tasting of its iconic Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco, exploring terroir, time, and production precision.

Casa Tallone and the Roero challenge. The Sacchetto brothers aim to free Roero from the shadow of the Langhe, with clear technical choices and a contemporary vision of the vineyard.

Cantina Giardino: the Aglianico that demands silence. “Le Fole” comes from historic Montemarano vineyards, cultivated with rigorous organic methods and a simple approach: a story of agriculture even before it becomes a winemaking one.

Terre d’Oltrepò Winery: lease to Collis Veneto Wine. To ensure the 2026 harvest, leasing a business unit is being considered: a bridging solution while awaiting feedback from the local community and its shareholders.

Italian wine and Italian oenology

Certification and governance: the Triveneto Winemaking Hub is born. A new model uniting inspection bodies, consortia, and institutions in an area that accounts for 30% of Italy’s bottled wine. Coordination, sustainability, and market access are at the core.

White and rosé wines: the challenge of stability. Maurizio Ugliano (University of Verona) analyzes thermal and oxidative stresses and packaging choices that impact quality throughout the shelf life of wine, especially on export markets.

Amarone and sustainability: 53% of vineyards are green. Valpolicella is responding to the red wine crisis by focusing on organic production and environmental certifications, meeting demand from the most sensitive markets.

A century since the birth of Luigi Veronelli. A figure who today would denounce the standardization of production and reaffirm the value of craftsmanship, the land, and small producers.

International

Wine Paris 2026: Romagna takes center stage. The Consorzio Vini di Romagna is participating with ten wineries, bringing the biodiversity and richness of the Romagna region to Paris.

Elton John launches a 0% alcohol-free sparkling wine. “Zero Blanc de Blancs” debuts in the UK as a non-wine alternative to Champagne: the ritual of alcohol-free toasts, pop style, and the evolving alcohol-free market.

Spirits crisis in the US: tequila and whiskey prices slow. Social tensions related to immigration are hitting Hispanic consumption. Large multinationals are accumulating record inventories, a sign of a market under pressure.

Wine events and supply chain

Turin Wine Fair 2026 (February 28 – March 2). Over 600 wineries will be at the OGR Turin for the fourth edition of Piedmont’s great “open cellar,” with a national focus and a comprehensive program called “Waiting for the Fair.”

Amarone Opera Prima 2026. The 2021 vintage debuts amidst UNESCO Italian cuisine, sport, and the Olympics: wine, culture, and lifestyle as ambassadors of the country.

Vulture and Conegliano-Valdobbiadene: Italian Cities of Wine 2026–2027. Passing of the flag at Palazzo Giustiniani: two iconic areas for a shared wine tourism and cultural development project.

Milan-Cortina 2026: Umbria at Casa Italia. Cantina Todini’s Rubro IGT has been selected among the 26 Made in Italy ambassador wines for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Policies, promotion and communication

Institutional wine campaign: “We cultivate what unites us.” From February 15th to March 15th, TV, radio, and print ads will reaffirm the cultural and social value of wine and promote informed consumption.

UIV and Masaf: promotion, CAP, and new markets. The supply chain committee relaunches the CMO Wine, investments, and international promotion. Lamberto Frescobaldi emphasizes the change in communication strategy and the importance of post-2027 funding.

Wine is once again taking the public stage. A shared strategy to counter simplification and demonization, strengthening the reputation, oversight, and positioning of Italian wine on global markets.

Today’s wine press review was brought to you by WINEIDEA.IT . See you tomorrow.