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Wine press review for Wednesday March 11 – 2026

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Italian wineries, Italian wine producers, and current wine news.

Italian Wineries

Argea resists tariffs and invests in “non-alcoholic” wines. The Argea group closed 2025 with a turnover of €462 million , essentially stable compared to the previous year despite its strong exposure to the US market. Its future strategy focuses on innovation and research, with investments in the non-alcoholic segment (low- or no-alcohol wines) and ready-to-drink products, categories increasingly in demand by new consumers.

Arunda undergoes a restyling: fewer labels and longer aging. The Alto Adige winery Arunda is launching a strategic review of its range: the number of labels has been reduced from 12 to 7 to focus on greater identity and quality. The Classic Method sparkling wines, aged between 36 and 60 months on the lees , showcase the uniqueness of the high-altitude aging process, among the highest in Europe.

Terre d’Oltrepò Winery: deliveries lower than expected. The industrial project led by Collis Veneto Wine Group has not yet received the expected number of grape deliveries. The final decision will be made by the liquidators. The matter remains central to the Oltrepò Pavese winemaking economy.

Valtidone Winery Wins Award at the 2026 Berliner Wine Trophy. The Piacenza-based winery has won two Gold Medals and two “Category IV” mentions at the international Berliner Wine Trophy competition. The 2020 Arvange Brut and Pas Dosé Metodo Classico sparkling wines, as well as the Colli Piacentini Malvasia DOC and Gutturnio Classico Superiore wines, received awards.

Pasqualino Di Prisco’s Campi Taurasini tells the story of Aglianico. The 2020 vintage of Campi Taurasini stands out for its balance and aromatic precision: spices, crisp fruit, including black cherry and blueberry, and ripe tannins. Only 6,000 bottles produced , this gastronomic wine authentically expresses the Irpinia terroir.

Casato Prime Donne: the vision of Donatella Cinelli Colombini. The Tuscan producer helped transform wine into a tourist experience by founding the Movimento Turismo del Vino (Wine Tourism Movement) and the Cantine Aperte (Open Cellars) initiative in 1993. Her winery, located between Montalcino and Trequanda, is also known for having created a winery with an all-female winemaking team .

Sandre celebrates 100 years of history The Sandre Agricultural Company will celebrate its centenary on May 24th with a day open to the public including tastings, music, and activities in the vineyards.

Italian Wine and Oenology

Historic turning point: Collio and Colli Orientali del Friuli unite. The two consortia have signed an agreement to create a temporary consortium (ATI) with the goal of jointly promoting one of the most prestigious regions for Italian white wines. This historic step ends over twenty years of division.

Italian wineries: stocks still high According to the Icqrf Cantina Italia report, in February 2026 wine stocks reached 58.6 million hectoliters , an increase of 5.8% compared to 2025. The data confirms a market with stable but slow demand.

Wine exports exceed 8 billion, but restaurants are very local. Italian wine is increasingly global in sales, but on restaurant menus the local dimension dominates: 70-75% of the labels come from the same region as the restaurant . The HoReCa channel represents approximately 55-60% of the value of the domestic market .

Asti DOCG: Sales Decline in 2025. The Asti Consortium closed the year with 75 million bottles sold (-9%) . Tariffs in the United States and the collapse of the Russian market are weighing heavily, while positive signs are emerging from growing demand in China .

Wine prices are rising sharply. According to a Go Wine survey, wine prices increased by an average of 32% between 2020 and 2025. Oscar Farinetti urges the industry to reflect on the sustainability of these prices, emphasizing the need to offer excellent yet accessible wines.

The role of consortia according to Alessia Travaglini For the Piedmontese producer, consortia must help companies simplify the communication of denominations , avoiding excessive fragmentation that is difficult to understand in foreign markets.

Aging techniques: wood, steel, cement, and amphora. Wine aging is a fundamental process that determines aromatic evolution and structure. Each material influences the wine differently:

  • wood brings oxygenation and complexity
  • Steel preserves freshness and aromatic purity
  • cement ensures thermal stability
  • the amphora promotes natural micro-oxygenation.

Alpine Nebbiolo and Erbaluce del Canavese Canavese emerges as a wine-growing area to be rediscovered, capable of producing wines with a strong identity linked to the history and culture of northern Piedmont.

Climate and the future of wine according to Cristina Mercuri MW For the new Italian Master of Wine, the main challenge for the sector is not the decline in consumption but climate change , which could redraw the global geography of viticulture.

International

Tensions in the Middle East and risks for Italian exports. The deteriorating geopolitical situation following the February 28 attack on Iran is slowing traffic in Gulf ports. Italian exports to the area are worth over €28 billion , making the region strategic for international trade.

Containers blocked and orders suspended for Prosecco. Sandro Bottega reports 17 containers stuck in Middle Eastern ports , causing logistics costs to skyrocket and orders to be suspended. Geopolitical tensions threaten to impact inflation and trade flows.

Wine Events

Vinitaly and The City 2026 brings Verona to life. From April 10th to 12th, the city will host around 70 events, including tastings, masterclasses, wine talks, and guided tours . This year, Vinitaly’s off-site event is focusing heavily on wine tourism and the involvement of local wineries.

Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Spring From March 13th to June 14th, the Alta Marca Trevigiana will host the 31st food and wine festival dedicated to Prosecco Superiore DOCG, with 15 wine exhibitions and numerous cultural and gastronomic events.

The Great Verticals of the Cities of Wine The 2026 tour continues on March 12 in Cervignano del Friuli , with tastings dedicated to native wines and local food pairings.

Easter in the cellar at Monte del Frà The Veronese winery offers a spring experience that combines wine and chocolate , with a visit to the vineyards and a guided tasting.

The picture that emerges today is that of a sector that must become increasingly flexible and strategic : unstable markets, high inventories and new consumption habits are reshaping the wine landscape.

Those with a deep understanding of territories, denominations, and market dynamics—as is often the case with wine estate development—know that the most exciting opportunities arise precisely in moments of transition.

Wine, after all, works a bit like an ecosystem: it changes slowly, but when it evolves, it does so profoundly. Tomorrow, new news, new signals to decipher.

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.

Bottega (Prosecco): ‘U.S. Blockade Will Cause Zero Alcohol Market Boom’

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“The alcohol-free wine market has grown by 500% in the last 5 years, and the US blockade, which is causing damage of over 300 million euros (UIV estimates) to the export of our wines, is expected to lead to a 400% boom in the alcohol-free wine market in the next 5 years, also thanks to a strong increase in demand from Muslim countries.

Alcohol-free products (500% from 2021) are a new frontier for Muslims and Gen Z.

“Demand for kosher wine will also increase, estimated at 100%,” estimates Prosecco entrepreneur Sandro Bottega, head of the eponymous Veneto winery. “At a time when trade is being impacted by protectionist pressures, I emphasize the need to strengthen our presence in Muslim countries, which contain some of the most interesting alternative markets. Our winery in Bibano di Godega (TV) has also distinguished itself in the production of alcohol-free products, which have grown by approximately 500% over the past five years (2021-2025) and will increase by 400% over the next five years. This is a niche market for which further growth is expected in the near future, which will help offset the potential reduction in turnover caused by US tariffs,” commented Veneto wine entrepreneur Sandro Bottega.

Sandro Bottega, president of Bottega Spa, adds: “Bunches of grapes from the same vineyard can be used to make a kosher sparkling wine or, alternatively, a halal, alcohol-free sparkling drink. My greatest hope is that these two products can convey a message of peace and bring together, with a symbolic toast, two civilizations with thousands of years of history behind them.” Bottega continues: “Finally, for a few years now, we have been producing two wines, a limoncino and an alcohol-free amaro. These products are a different, yet not antithetical, expression of our tradition and are aimed primarily at Generation Z. I would also like to raise a toast to them, to unite, beyond demographics, the different age groups and strengthen a dialogue that has seemed somewhat tarnished for some time.”

“Today more than ever, the word peace is necessary to restore common sense and normality to the consciences of some of the world’s greats. Greed and ego have led us to an unlikely situation where 80 years of civilization, reasonableness and progress have been lost. We can do very little except offer governments around the world our “Wine of Peace” and produce both traditional sparkling wines, sparkling wines with Halal or Kosher certifications, and No/low alcohol versions for Generation Z. In short: technology, passion and a lot of naturalness to bring a toast of peace across the planet. We have always shown a sincere interest in all cultures, fully respecting the religious, ethical and cultural dictates of different peoples. The fruits of the earth, such as grapes, lemons, alpine herbs, are a common heritage, regardless of the latitude of origin, and lend themselves to being processed and transformed in different ways. It should therefore not be surprising that Bottega is able to produce, even in compliance with Kosher parameters and Halal modality, with the achievement of the respective certifications from the competent religious authorities in the matter”, concluded Sandro Bottega, wine entrepreneur at the head of the historic company Bottega SpA of Bibano (TV), among the leaders in Italy for the production of Prosecco

Asolo Prosecco presents the genius of Antonio Canova

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The bubbles of Asolo, with a national communication campaign, are alongside the review “Canova and pain.

Asolo Prosecco presents the genius of Antonio Canova

La stele Mellerio ”, running until 5 November in Possagno (Treviso), in the heart of the production area.

Asolo Prosecco pays homage to the genius of Antonio Canova with a national communication campaign on the bicentenary of the death of the sculptor, the greatest exponent of Italian neoclassicism. The artist was born in Possagno (Treviso), in the heart of the Asolo Prosecco production area, and in the splendid Antonio Canova Gypsotheca Museum, set up in his birthplace, the exhibition “Canova and pain . The Mellerio stele ”. Among the partners of the exhibition, the Asolo Prosecco Consortium, committed to underlining the strong link between the denomination and the artistic and natural beauties of its territory. Precisely for this reason, all the images of the countryside, which portray the splendid sculptures kept inside the Museum, are accompanied by the payoff “Wine is culture”, already used by the Asolo Prosecco Consortium to promote the town of Asolo last winter. , one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
“Possagno, Asolo and all the other localities of our denomination – explains Ugo Zamperoni, president of the Asolo Prosecco Consortium – represent a cultural heritage to be carefully guarded, extraordinary places where art, history, architecture, woods and vineyards are a counterpoint to the slopes of the heroic hills from which Asolo Prosecco is born. Here, the vineyard occupies only 6% of the territory, the olive trees dot the territory and woods and forests still cover 29% of the municipal areas. We are proud of our biodiversity, just as we are of the history and art of our places, which we invite you to visit, perhaps to toast with a glass of Asolo Prosecco to the genius of Antonio Canova “.
The communication campaign will involve national newspapers and local newspapers of the most important Italian cities, as well as some prestigious magazines and consortium social profiles. The shots were made by the photographer Filippo Guerra, the graphics are the work of the Veronese studio Paffi.
The exhibition “Canova and pain. The Mellerio stele “, from an idea by Vittorio Sgarbi, president of the Canova Foundation in Possagno, is curated by Francesco Leone and Stefano Grandesso under the artistic direction of Contemplazioni. The exhibition finds its apex in the recomposition, for the first time since their dismemberment, of the two Mellerio monuments, commissioned by Count Giacomo Mellerio in memory of his uncle Giovanni Battista and his wife Elisabetta Castelbarco, after visiting Canova’s Roman studio.

 
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