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Updated wine report with projections for the period December 1 – 2025 – March 31 – 2026.

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Based on the latest news and data available as of early December 2025 — with projections for the period December 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026.

Current situation: global and Italian context.

Production and global market

  • After the production crisis of recent years, global wine production appears to be recovering slightly: volumes are estimated to increase in 2025 compared to 2024, although remaining below the five-year average.
  • However, global demand continues to show fragility: inflation, economic uncertainty and changes in consumption (greater attention to health and lifestyle) are compressing both volumes and spending on wine.
  • In this context, segments such as premium sparkling wines, organic wines, or products with a strong territorial identity are identified as the main opportunities for maintaining value and margins.

Scenario for Italy

  • Italy confirms its world leadership in export volumes, with estimates of approximately 22 million hectoliters exported by 2025.
  • The value of exports remains high: it is estimated to be around 8.1–8.2 billion euros in 2025.
  • Despite this, exports showed signs of weakness in 2025: data updated in July indicate a decline of -0.9% in value and -3.4% in volume compared to the same period of the previous year.
  • At the same time, domestic consumption continues to be weak and in slow but steady decline compared to previous generations, reflecting a change in consumption styles and a less frequent “everyday” wine consumption.

Trends driving the industry – and strategic “guidelines” for 2026

Based on recent data and market evolution, some structural trends emerge that I expect will characterize the period December 2025 – March 2026, and probably beyond:

  • Premiumization and valorization of territorial identity : wines with a strong identity (DOC/DOCG, sparkling wines, white wines, superior quality) maintain better potential than “commodity wines”. In particular, sparkling wines and white wines seem to better capture new preferences.
  • Diversification of offerings and packaging : alternative formats, organic or sustainable wines, and a greater focus on sustainability and perceived value (not just “quantity,” but experience, quality, and storytelling) as a competitive lever.
  • Market polarization and the need to reduce dependence on a few large buyers/areas : as highlighted by overall agri-food exports, geographic concentration (a few countries absorb the majority of Italian wine) remains a vulnerability.
  • Adapting to changing consumer trends : consumers today increasingly seek authenticity, sustainability, and territorial authenticity; “everyday” wine is losing ground, while demand for wine as an experience, a story, and a lifestyle grows.

Implications for wineries and for those of us who offer strategic consultancy

For a winery or for a valorization / acquisition / sale operation, these dynamics suggest:

  • Focus on premium and identity labels : in a market with abundant supply and selective demand, differential value weighs more than volume.
  • Consider geographical diversification of exports : focus not only on traditional large markets but also explore less saturated countries or niches, reducing the risk of dependence on a few markets.
  • Promote sustainability, transparency, and brand history : the modern consumer seeks authenticity and perceived value, not just low price.
  • Integrate the offering with experience and services : wine tourism, storytelling, direct-to-consumer, packaging and differentiated products can increase perceived value and loyalty.
  • Carefully manage inventory, stock, and cash flow : 2025 has shown that production is okay, but the market is selective — rigorous financial and commercial planning will be a competitive advantage.

Forecast 1 December 2025 – 31 March 2026 (continuity line)

  • Italian exports are expected to remain close to 2025 levels, with potential stabilization or slight growth, especially if wineries successfully position themselves on quality and identity.
  • The “mainstream low-price” segment will come under further pressure — opportunities for consolidation, batch selection, and production rationalization.
  • Premium, organic, territorial/sparkling/labels with strong storytelling niches will likely gain relative weight, both in international markets and in the developed domestic market.
  • For those who own wineries or plan mergers and acquisitions, this will be a critical time to select quality assets, enhance brands and reputations, and prepare the ground for a more robust recovery when (or if) the global economy returns to stimulate consumption.

Wine Trends in Italy – Week 1-5 December 2025

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The Italian wine world enters winter 2025 with a complex picture, one of light and shade, featuring divergent market dynamics, international tensions, and signs of industrial resilience.

The sector is undergoing a profound transformation: consumption is changing, export geographies are reconfiguring, Prosecco continues to drive growth, while companies seek new balances between production, cost management, and strategic repositioning.

The global bubble race: Prosecco remains the driving force of Italian wine.

Del Rey Analysts’ snapshot confirms that sparkling wines remain the most dynamic axis on the global scene, with a turnover of 8.5 billion euros , despite a physiological slowdown in volumes.
Italy dominates in terms of quantity: 519 million liters exported , equal to almost half the world’s volume, and a value of €2.4 billion . The epicenter is Prosecco, which has seen exports grow 276% over the last 16 years, surpassing Champagne and Cava in growth dynamics, thanks to three key elements: taste, image, and distribution capacity.

On the price front, Italy has shown a 64% increase since 2009, higher than France and Spain, although it remains far from the value per litre of Champagne.

This week confirms one fact: Prosecco’s strength comes not from its price, nor from a technological advantage, but from its ability to interpret the desires of the contemporary consumer. It’s a global case study.

Luxury wine and spirits: a contraction in 2025, with few exceptions

The high-end segment is going through a delicate phase.
According to the Altagamma Observatory, luxury wines and spirits are expected to decline by 5% in 2025, penalized by more selective consumption, high prices, a slow pace of growth in the Chinese market, and a lower propensity to spend among those under 40.

Under pressure:

  • premium spirits (-4/-6%)
  • Cognac in decline
  • high-end still wines

Going against the trend:

  • French bubbles , driven by hedonistic consumption
  • Italian reds , which resist thanks to the strength of their identity and origin
  • rosé , increasingly in demand in international fine dining

A timid recovery is expected in 2026 (5%), but it remains a market phase where perceived value, experience and authenticity weigh more than the brand alone.

Italian exports amid global tensions and new growth paths

The Federvini Observatory confirms a phase of “realignment” of global flows, with Italian wine which, although slowing down, is holding up better than its French and Chilean competitors .

The US picture is the most critical part:

  • wine: –4.8%
  • spirits: –5%
  • last quarter: –23% , combined effect of tariffs and drop in purchasing power

To compensate, new trajectories arrive:

  • Germany 8.8%
  • Brazil 8.7%
  • Italian spirits boom in China : 94%

The sector is moving from “habitual” consumption to “choice” consumption: less frequent, more perceived value.

Domestic consumption: few certainties but signs of liveliness

In Italy, demand remains cautious, but the search for quality is growing.
The large-scale retail trade records:

  • DOP IGP wine: 0.9%
  • Total PDO and PGI products: 1.1%

The towing are:

  • bubbles
  • alcoholic aperitifs
  • premium vinegars

No-low and ready-to-drink products continue to expand their reach, especially in urban consumption and among Gen Z and Millennials.

Bulk wine: a surprising segment

The World Bulk Wine Exhibition highlights an unexpected phenomenon:
Loose holds up better than bottled.
Exports fell by only 0.3% in value , while bottled wine recorded a 3.1% decline. Varietals and no/low-alcohol products are growing, driven by technological innovation in dealcoholization and the demand for flexible formats (cans, bag-in-box, RTD).

The bulk wine sector accounts for over a third of global volumes and will become increasingly strategic in the coming years.

Italy: High inventory levels and Prosecco tops the list

As of October 31st, Italian wineries recorded:

  • 73 million hectoliters of total wine products
  • 44.5 million wine
  • 14.3 million musts

Inventories are growing (5.2% over 2024), a signal to monitor in a slow market context.
The most stocked wine in Italy is Prosecco Dop with 4.2 million hl .

Veneto dominates, followed by Emilia Romagna, Tuscany and Puglia.

Wine Companies in the “Perfect Storm”: Who’s Resisting and Why?

The Management DiVino study photographs a sector affected by structural criticalities:

  • drop in consumption
  • demographic changes
  • fragmentation
  • cost pressures

Resilience emerges from those who:

  • innovate in the business model
  • aggregates skills
  • invests in wine tourism
  • diversify products and markets

The “asset strong / asset light” dualism is no longer a dogma.
Hybrid models, capable of commercial flexibility and territorial roots, are winning.

Sparkling wines sold in 2024 surpass 1 billion bottles

Despite a difficult 2023 harvest, Italy surpassed a historic milestone. Prosecco DOC (8%), Asolo (20%), Pignoletto, and Lambrusco rosé all grew. Piedmont, Lombardy, and Trentino suffered.

The country remains a “Charmat republic”: 96% of the sparkling wines are produced in autoclaves.

DOP Economy: A Pillar of Italian Competitiveness

The ISMEA-QUALITY 2025 Report certifies a healthy sector:

  • 20.7 billion production value
  • DOP/IGP wine stable at 11 billion
  • export: 7.19 billion (5.2%)

The Northeast remains the driving force, with Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, and Friuli experiencing strong growth.

Tariffs, the US crisis and the need for extraordinary measures

UIV calls for urgent intervention:
Between July and September, the average price of Italian wine destined for the USA dropped by 15.5% , an unsustainable self-taxation.

The Government is allocating €100 million annually from 2026 to 2028 to promote and internationalize its business.

The US case: an empire in difficulty

Napa and Sonoma are experiencing their toughest crisis since Prohibition:

  • consumption down
  • young people far from wine
  • 30% of the grapes not sold
  • Canada lost due to tariffs

A global warning about the end of the expansion cycle of traditional premium wine.

Conclusion: a sector that is changing its skin

The week of December 1–5, 2025 shows an Italy of wine going through a historic transition:
lower volumes, more competition, unstable markets, new languages of consumption.
But also a supply chain that doesn’t retreat: it innovates, resists, adapts, and finds new ways to create value.

The future will not only be written in the vineyards, but in strategic choices: innovation, positioning, aggregation, global market presence, and the ability to interpret a demand that changes faster than supply.

A continuous movement, like a grape harvest that never stops.

Wine press review for Thursday December 4 – 2025

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News on Italian wine and oenology.

The selection encompasses the entire wine ecosystem: Italian wineries, wine trends, the international market, and events.

ITALIAN WINERIES

Colli Euganei Winery – A Revolution in the Vineyards. Red wine production is at an all-time low: winemakers are weeding out red grapes, while white wines—both still and sparkling—are gaining in demand. The latest harvest marks a definitive turning point.

Bibenda 2026 – Three Pontine wineries awarded the Cinque Grappoli (Five Grapes) award: Casale del Giglio, Marco Carpineti, and Colle di Maggio, among Lazio’s top wines. A gala celebrating 764 Italian wines before 1,250 guests.

Guide to the 2026 Italian Wineries – Sicily Takes Center Stage: Murgo Wins the “Cantine Golose” Special Award: Etna Confirms Its Role as an Elite Destination for Italian Wine Tourism.

Underwater Aging – Cantine Carputo presents its new “sea wines”: Falanghina Metodo Classico aged for 12 months underwater: calmer perlage and a mineral finesse recognized by AIS tasters.

Tenuta Il Plino – Two labels among the AIS Quattro Viti excellences for the Romagna Albana Passito DOCG 2021 and the Sangiovese Riserva 2020: confirmation of Romagna’s qualitative growth.

Borgo del Tiglio Winery – Floods wipe out the vintage. Extreme weather events devastate the Collio area: only the 2025 production remains.

Masseria Celentano – “Alto Confort” Award The Alberto Longo winery (Puglia) awarded by Go Wine for excellence in hospitality.

Vitevis Wineries – Turnover of €69.6 million (-5%). Exports grow (13%), while the domestic market declines (-8%). Packaged wines perform well.

Terre d’Aglianico – Gold at the 2024 EBE Città del Vino Competition , Falanghina del Sannio takes first prize: a victory of style and production rigor.

Bottega del Vino opens in Cortina. This national icon’s first location outside of Verona: 4,100 labels in Verona, 1,500 in the new opening at altitude.

ITALIAN WINE AND OENOLOGY

Piwi – The resilient future of European wine. Grape varieties resistant to powdery mildew and downy mildew: a new sustainable paradigm, the result of a long scientific history from the early twentieth century to today’s frontiers.

Amarone della Valpolicella – Gambero Rosso’s 13 Best Elegance over power: the Corvina wines display an increasingly contemporary style.

Digitalization of Wineries – Digital Taste 2025: LinkedIn dominates, TikTok struggles. Tenute Piccini tops the list for digitalization; Antinori honored for its social media strategy; Herita Marzotto first in the “Carbon Neutral” category.

Previews – How a wine preview works. The dynamics, rituals, and behind-the-scenes behind events like Benvenuto Brunello: an army of tasters taking on a sensory marathon.

Federvini – The supply chain holds up 2025 despite US tariffs: Italy is performing better than its global competitors, with exports more resilient than the international average.

INTERNATIONAL MARKETS AND GLOBAL SCENARIOS

US Tariffs – €110 Million Lost in Three Months. Italian and French producers are cutting prices by 15–26% to remain competitive, but American distributors are raising final prices. Compressed margins and weak orders: the UIV is sounding the alarm.

Leonardo Committee Meeting – Wine as a Strategic Axis of Made in Italy. The sector is worth €16 billion, with €8 billion in exports. Dompé: AI and research are crucial to addressing climate change, globalization, and new supply chains.

WINE EVENTS

Immaculate Conception Long Weekend – A weekend of food and wine festivals, markets, and celebrations. From north to south, Italy lights up the winter with tastings, crafts, Christmas traditions, and new taste experiences.

Svitati 2025 in Saluzzo – The Festival of the Unexpected An event that blends wine, music, and culture: an open book for those who love to explore the new without losing their connection with tradition.

Nebbiolo Prima – Thirty-Year Anniversary in Alba 250 labels, 170 wineries, 40 journalists from around the world: the new Nebbiolo vintages are conquering the international scene.

FIVI Independent Winegrowers’ Market – A success in Bologna with 28,000 visitors in three days: a journey through the Italian artisanal wine world, more coherent and expressive than ever before.

Open Cellars at Christmas 2025 – Veneto in celebration. Tastings, warm atmospheres, guided tours, markets, and tailor-made experiences for families and enthusiasts.

Wine Course for the Blind and Visually Impaired – ONAV and UICI Training, inclusion, and participation: a pioneering project that opens new professional and cultural avenues.

Digital Wineries – The Top 10 for 2025

Piccini, Mezzacorona, Frescobaldi, Villa Sandi, Antinori, Cavit, Zonin1821, La Marca, GIV, and Terre Cevico make up the top ten in digital communication, including social media, e-commerce, and multichannel languages.

Thanks for reading. Today’s press review is brought to you by WINEIDEA.IT .

The world of wine is a vibrant organism: what happens in the vineyards resonates in markets, consumption styles, and narratives. Tomorrow we will discover new trajectories.

Wine press review for Wednesday December 3 – 2025

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News on Italian wine and oenology.

ITALIAN WINERIES

Conte Collalto Winery – Christmas as a Rite of Identity. The historic Conegliano-Valdobbiadene winery offers Manzoni Bianco and Vinciguerra for the holidays, wines that tell a tale of millennia-old roots and conviviality. The hills cultivated for over a thousand years by the Collalto family are once again the focus.

Cantine Ermes – Investments in Oltrepò and new “Oltrepo” line: Eight new tanks (40% capacity), the first line of seven wines dedicated to the region, and a confirmed growth path. President Rosario Di Maria speaks of strong synergies with producers and institutions following the acquisition of the Canneto Pavese winery.

Cantina Belpoggio – Twenty Years Celebrated in Montalcino At Benvenuto Brunello, the winery recounted two decades of history with “Decanting2Decades.” An immersive celebration between Castelnovo dell’Abate and the Abbey of Sant’Antimo, the ideal cradle of Sangiovese.

ERT1050 – The Classic Mountain Method according to Oniwines. A sustainable vertical viticulture project for Trentodoc Classic Method has been launched in Brentonico (Trentino). The winery is a “fortress” nestled in Monte Baldo.

Palazzo Lodron – Day 2 of the Advent Calendar Between Trento and Lake Garda, an elegant, handcrafted production takes shape, with award-winning wines and an underground cellar that showcases a four-century-old heritage.

La Sabbiona – Special Go Wine Award for its Famoso The Faenza winery wins the “Good… I didn’t know it!” award for its “VIP” Ravenna IGP Famoso, the fruit of a journey that began 18 years ago to relaunch this ancient grape variety.

ITALIAN WINE AND ITALIAN OENOLOGY

40 years since the methanol scandal. The scandal that changed Italian wine forever. Since late 1985, over 2.5 tons of methanol were discovered illegally used by multiple wineries: 23 deaths, 150 poisonings, and a turning point for regulations and the perception of quality.

Italian wine: between new frontiers and the sparkling wine boom. The Nomisma study describes a sector with 30,000 processing companies, a €16 billion turnover, and a key role in sparkling wines. Growing importance for exports and perceived quality.

Italy sells more wine to China. According to the Federvini Observatory, despite tariffs and global uncertainty, Italy is holding up better than its competitors. Its ability to adapt to new markets is growing, while France and Chile are experiencing more severe contractions.

Gangmastering in Agriculture – 2,500 “Shadowed” Workers in Friuli Venezia Giulia. The phenomenon of “landless self-employed workers” of Pakistani origin leads to unfair competition and exploitation. The regional observatory reports a 68% increase in two years.

INTERNATIONAL

Libby Brodie – The teetotaler consultant rewriting the rules of wine. An influential figure in the drinks industry, a technical taster and “Wine Translator,” she aims to democratize wine by eliminating snobbery. Seemingly paradoxical: she’s teetotal.

France looks to Italy for promotion Jérôme Bauer (Cnaoc) points to the Italian model as a reference: Italy invests 100 million/year in promotion, France only 40. A unitary “Wine of France” project has been called for.

The wine crisis in France: tariffs, climate, 70-year low harvests, war in Ukraine, and plummeting sales in China. Thousands of winemakers take to the streets demanding a bailout.

The renaissance of natural wines in Turkey. Thanks to the work of Sabiha Apaydin, Turkey (the world’s fifth-largest grape producer) is reshaping its identity with native grape varieties and natural wines. The “Kök, Köken, Toprak” symposium is becoming an international reference.

WINE EVENTS

Open Cellars at Christmas 2025 – Wine tourism celebrates December. A national event of the Wine Tourism Movement: tastings, illuminated villages, and a green approach thanks to the collaboration with Earth Day Italy.

Go Wine – Presentation of “Cantine d’Italia 2026” 911 wineries selected, 270 Impronte d’Eccellenza (Imprints of Excellence), 5,180 wines nominated. Focus on hospitality, wine culture, company museums, and storytelling.

Cantine d’Italia recognizes Brescia’s wine tourism. Franciacorta and Garda confirm their position as cutting-edge hubs. Bellavista is among the 25 wineries awarded the Tre Impronte (Three Fingerprints) award.

Michelin – The “Wine Selection” and “Grappoli” system are launched. “Michelin Grapes” are now available, with scores ranging from 1 to 3 based on agronomic quality, technique, identity, balance, and consistency. France leads the way (Burgundy and Bordeaux), while Italy is expected to join in 2026.

Civitas Vini – Cori celebrates history and cellars A new widespread event is born on December 7th and 8th: museums, cellars and art dialogue in an experiential journey dedicated to the Cori DOC.

The Wine & Spirits Vintage Auction – December 11 in Milan: Wannenes is auctioning 585 lots from three prestigious collections, including Giorgio Manenti’s historic cellar. A tasting of rare labels is also scheduled.

Sicily’s Wine Region – The 2026 Guide Presented. Il Giornale di Sicilia and Slow Wine present a mosaic of excellence, from large wineries to small family-run businesses.

Italian City of Wine 2026–27: Vulture Conegliano-Valdobbiadene doubles its title. For the first time, two regions share the title, uniting Basilicata and Veneto in a two-year program of wine tourism and cultural initiatives.

2025 Rome Wine Award – Calabria on the podium The 2024 Terre di Gerace Bianco (Barone Macrì) takes second place among white wines made from native vines in the national selection.

EXTRA / SOCIETY

Nduja, wine, and lobbying at the Chamber of Deputies – The “Calabrese ceremony” A political tasting featuring Pecorino Reggino and Greco Nero cheeses, organized by MP Domenico Furgiuele. Guests included parliamentarians, managers, and the inevitable presence of the President of the Republic.

Thanks for listening: today’s press review is brought to you by WINEIDEA.IT . Tomorrow, a new look at the wine landscape, always keeping our compass focused on the essential: reading the signs before they become evident.

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