Winery, Italian wine producers, and wine news.
Italian wineries
Oltrepò: Losito and Guarini remain in the running.
- The Losito and Guarini company confirms its interest in acquiring the Terre d’Oltrepò cooperative.
- After the complaint of “failure to respond”, a formal communication arrives (29 January 2026) from ministerial commissioner Luigi Zingone.
- Position: “open to any possible formula” → the game is still open, with territorial and socio-economic implications.
Tedeschi (Valpolicella): transition to the new generation
- Enrico Giacomelli Tedeschi (from January), the first of the seven cousins of the new generation, will take over the role.
- Key message: family continuity as a structured project (not just symbolic), with legal and managerial skills.
Tenuta Santa Maria Valverde: Organic certification halted, transition to integrated pest management.
- Producer Nicola Campagnola makes a clear choice: abandoning certified organic production.
- Hot topic: costs/complexity/perceived effectiveness of certification vs. “integrated” agronomic management.
- Market insight: be careful about reputational risk and communication (how you tell it matters as much as what you do).
Lungarotti and “Progetto 1962”: Heritage as a Strategic Lever
- Story of a structured reality (foundation company), with a focus on sustainability, biodiversity, and continuity of vision.
- Reading: the past not as nostalgia, but as a tool for positioning and industrial coherence.
Santa Maria La Palma Winery (Alghero): A cooperative as a “widespread value”
- Declared numbers: over 300 members , 800 hectares , approximately €28 million turnover , 8 million bottles .
- Over €30 million redistributed to members (2021–2025), €8 million in the last year.
- Model: international growth without relocation, with measurable local economic impact.
Italian wine and Italian oenology
Large-scale retail trade: wine closes 2025 in the red (but holds up)
- Large-scale retail trade sales (Circana): €2.3 billion value ( -0.5% ), 618 million liters ( -3.1% ).
- Average price: €3.77/L ( 2.6% ).
- 0.75 bottle: value 0.2% , volume -1.9% ; sparkling: value 3.6% , volume 3.1% .
- Reading: volumes down, price up → promotional pressure and selective “trade-down” remain the themes.
Freisa: “Second Youth” in Piedmont
- Focus on the origins, aromatic identity and contemporary rediscovery of the grape variety.
- Undercurrent: return of natives with “character” when they manage to speak a modern language.
Prosecco “col fondo”: the ancestor that comes back to count
- Cultural difference: “Easy” Prosecco vs. “straight” Prosecco, more gastronomic, less accommodating.
- Market insight: identity niches that become credible (not artificial) storytelling.
Amarone: More elegance and drinkability (concrete signs)
- The Verona preview revealed a stylistic evolution perceived as more realistic and less declarative.
- Direction: “intelligent” lightening without losing identity.
Calabria on the Rise: Gambero Rosso’s Best Ciròs
- Cirò as a symbol of a qualitative leap in the region and the consolidation of the native varieties.
- Note: a new dynamic in events/national attention (festivals and local initiatives) is cited.
Palizzi (IGT): a territorial tale between the Ionian coast and Greek roots
- Emphasis on cultural identity and soil and climate conditions (clay, sea breeze, altitude).
- Theme: Micro-territories that work if they become experiences (not just labels).
Wine and the young: fewer slogans, more culture and people
- Interventions by young winemakers (22–40 years): shifting the focus from technicalities to storytelling, values, and faces.
- Implication: The question isn’t “do they drink,” but “what really hooks them.”
Institutional wine campaign: Coldiretti
- Support for supply chain communication against “demonization”, with reference to the economic value of 14.5 billion .
Observatory: “Uncertainty is the new normal”
- The “Wine Permanent Observer” report was presented in Alba: a complex scenario and declining exports.
- Message: We need governance of change, not defense of vested interests.
International
Low/no alcohol drinks: yes, but maximum caution is required.
- A young and growing market; a “Trojan horse” risk for bringing alcohol consumption back to sensitive targets.
- Alerts and analyses recalled (WHO 2024 and expert summaries in scientific journal).
Dry January loses its grip (USA): fewer mocktails, more spirits
- From American bars: January busier than expected, driven by corporate events.
- Demand composition: fewer non-alcoholic drinks, more spirits → a signal to monitor for those investing in no/low alcohol.
UK: New alcohol excise duties (from February 1) and protests
- Excise duty increase in line with the RPI index (3.66%); wine/beer sector disputes.
- Topic: balance between revenue/health policy and competitiveness of the sector.
Australia: Wine Exports to Decline in 2025
- Wine Australia data: -8% value (2.34 billion AUD), -6% volume (613 million litres).
- Average value per litre decreasing → pressure on positioning and market mix.
Wine events
Wine Paris 2026: Sicily takes center stage with IRVO (41 wineries)
- Project: “Sicily of Wine. Roots of the Future” (February 9–11, 2026, Paris Expo).
- Format: beyond the fair, identity storytelling, training events and food and wine pairing (also in a hotel school context).
Wine Paris 2026: Consortium of Romagna Wines with 10 wineries
- Presence at the fair (Hall 5.2 – Stand B130) and participation in the “Selection by VertdeVin” event (10 February).
- Objective: label selection and international positioning.
Oltrepò Pavese: Buttafuoco Storico turns 30
- Anniversary 1996–2026 with calendar of events: tradition, future, stricter DOC rules to protect identity.
“The Great Verticals of the Cities of Wine” (January–April 2026)
- Format: vertical tastings (young vs. mature wine) and in 2026 a focus on wine and food pairing as a participatory experience.
Winery Event: Bagna Cauda at Francesco Rosso (February 21)
- An experiential evening in Roero: local food and wine as a driver of direct connection.
Cross-cutting focus of the day (strategic reading)
The common thread is crystal clear: the market isn’t collapsing, but its grammar is changing .
- Distribution : volumes down, prices up → margins to be protected with mix and identity.
- Styles and products : drinkability (Amarone), authenticity (with sediment), native wines that “return” (Freisa, Cirò).
- Policy & reputation : organic between new rules (national brand) and unconventional choices (exiting certification).
- International : health, excise duties, and “hybrid” consumption make the picture more unstable but legible for those who govern data and positioning.
See you tomorrow.