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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 Tuesday December 2 – 2025!

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News on Italian wine and oenology.

ITALIAN WINERIES

Cantina La-Vis – “Portraits”: art, sustainability, and social responsibility in a single project. A new line of six wines illustrates the harmony between humanity and nature through the illustrations of artist Margherita Paoletti. The launch coincides with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, with a charity event in support of Telefono Rosa.

Le Colture – Cartizze: elegance for the holidays Le Colture’s Valdobbiadene DOCG Spumante Superiore di Cartizze confirms its status as a symbol of finesse: an extremely fine perlage, aromas of ripe fruit, and a perfectly recognizable story of the territory.

Torrevilla – AIS Lombardia Winemaker of the Year: Gabriele Picchi For the first time, AIS Lombardia has established the “Winemaker of the Year” award, awarding it to Gabriele Picchi for his work in selection, research, and quality improvement in Oltrepò Pavese.

Colterenzio Winery – New President: Franz Pardatscher. After 18 years as president of Niedermayr, Pardatscher, an oenologist and winemaker from Appiano, takes over the helm. This marks the beginning of a phase of consolidation and responsible renewal for the winery.

Cantina De Vigili – Mountain bubbles at 850 meters A vineyard located between 800 and 850 meters above sea level in the Spormaggiore area promises a sparkling wine with a distinctive “altitude” character, with the Brenta massif acting as a natural sentinel.

Enrico Serafino – Special Visit to the Canale Winery The winery welcomes guests of the “Il Girasole” day center: a simple and authentic experience that brings people closer to the culture of wine through firsthand experience and genuine curiosity.

Surprising Calabria – 56 wineries on display From November 29th to December 2nd, the press tour showcases a rapidly evolving region: Cosenza is the first stop on a journey involving producers, journalists, and international buyers.

Brescia’s Wineries Between Franciacorta and Garda – Top-Rated Wine Tourism. In Go Wine’s “Cantine d’Italia 2026” guide, Brescia takes center stage thanks to its quality hospitality and landscape. Bellavista is among the 25 wineries with “Tre Impronte” (Three Imprints).

La Sabbiona – Special Award for the Famous “VIP” Ravenna PGI The recovery of a historic aromatic grape variety becomes a virtuous case: the “Buono… non lo noto!” award celebrates a journey that began 18 years ago and is now recognized nationally.

MASI – New Wine Bar & Restaurant at Verona Airport The Masi Wine Bar & Restaurant opens in the renovated Catullo Airport, bringing the Veneto food and wine experience to the area’s main tourist hub.

ITALIAN WINE AND ITALIAN OENOLOGY

The Lost Classicism of Brunello: The Debate Continues. Winemaker Filippo Paoletti weighs in on the editorial criticizing the stylistic evolution of some Brunellos from Southern Montalcino. One firm point: going backwards would mean invasive techniques and results that are inconsistent with today’s terroir.

Circular Economy in the Winery – The Caviro Model Recovery, regeneration of by-products, and supply chain integration: Caviro presents an industrial model that transforms sustainability into an economic lever, not a mere slogan.

UIV relaunches “Enotria” – The wine magazine is back. The historic periodical founded in 1921 is relaunching after fourteen years: two annual issues, in print and digital, to give voice to wine culture and the memory of the sector.

The “Clinto” wine is on the way to European rehabilitation. The EU Agriculture Commission is open to the possibility of marketing “Clintòn,” a wine banned for nearly a century. Veneto celebrates, with historic festivals and studies on its oenological potential.

Vinci – Wine as a Territorial Network The Municipality of Vinci presents its agricultural and cultural development projects: a model that links landscape, events, and local products into a single narrative of identity.

Roma Vino 2025 – All the Award Winners Over 230 wines from Lazio compete, with a professional jury rewarding quality, innovation, and a strong connection to the region in the evocative setting of the Temple of Hadrian.

INTERNATIONAL

Romania – A Silent Giant of European Wine With 187,000 hectares and 3.6 million hectoliters (OIV data), Romania remains the world’s eighth-largest vineyard producer. Historical and cultural ties with Italy make this market increasingly attractive.

Italian exports under pressure – Extraordinary measures are needed. UIV raises the alarm: tariffs, an unfavorable exchange rate, and declining purchasing power risk curbing exports. The government is allocating €100 million annually (2026–2028) to promote exports abroad.

WINE EVENTS

Sparkle 2026 – A Roman success with 1,500 visitors. 92 labels awarded the “5 Spheres,” nearly 1,000 wines in the guide, and a growing audience: Italian sparkling wines continue to attract attention and curiosity.

Venicepromex – “Land of Wine Stars” with Chef Chiara Pavan. The initiative highlights wine as the defining language of the Veneto region. Chef Pavan shares her vision of sustainable cuisine and the connections between produce and landscape.

Advent Calendar – Day 1: Praeclarus Metodo Classico Since 1979, a symbol of Alto Adige sparkling wine: hand-picked grapes, rigorous classic method, and three versions available today that tell the story of a terroir that thrives on precision and freshness.

COLUMN – PEOPLE AND IDEAS

Piero Antinori – “I’m still searching for the perfect wine.” At 87, the Marchese recounts his never-ending quest: an ideal wine, capable of embodying an idea rather than a style. Among memories, Tignanello, and an unquenchable thought.

Thanks for listening. Today’s press review is brought to you by WINEIDEA.IT . Let’s follow the thread of these stories: each one reveals how the sector continues to evolve, even when no one notices.

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