Wine news, Italian wineries and wines.
A common thread ties everything together: a sector undergoing a transformation, with new strategies, market pressures, stories of places and people, and a calendar of events that continues to energize the wine community.
Italian wineries
Argea and the Risk Game of Italian Wine. The group led by Massimo Romani continues to expand, even in a year marked by tariffs and volatility. After the acquisition of the American importer WinesU and its nomination as Best Importer 2025 by Wine Enthusiast, Argea confirms its mission: to grow in size, solidity, and ability to seize M&A opportunities. The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) decree on the first dealcoholization plant in Italy is pending.
Moncalisse: the new “mountain” winery for Trentodoc is born. Julia and Karoline Walch are launching their own winemaking project in Civezzano, separate from the Elena Walch brand. Located at 600 meters above sea level, it faces south and has an identity that blends terroir and the elegance of the classic method.
Cantina Terre del Barolo celebrates its vineyard workers. An artistic roundabout, two hands—one white, one black—and a bunch of grapes: a clear message in an increasingly international region. A tribute to the foreign workers who keep the Langhe winemaking tradition alive.
Tenuta Argentiera: a dialogue between wine, art, and the land. On the hills overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, the estate hosts three works by Giuseppe Bergomi as part of the “Arte Diffusa sulla Costa Toscana” (Widespread Art on the Tuscan Coast) project. A virtuous blend of landscape, culture, and hospitality.
Muzic Winery: A Border Tradition That Continues to Grow In San Floriano del Collio, the Muzic family continues a story that began in 1927. Today, two generations collaborate on quality and sustainability, with an eye to the future.
Taste the Territory – Tenuta San Vito Takes Center Stage. Caffè Centofiori in Montelupo Fiorentino hosts the fourth stop of the initiative dedicated to local wineries. San Vito presents five wines paired with five dishes, revealing its identity amidst Chianti Colli Fiorentini and organic olive growing.
Castello di Gussago shines at the Merano WineFestival Four WineHunter Awards for Animapura 2018, Pomaro 2018, Club Cuvée 2019 and Nobleblanc SA A confirmation of the qualitative strength of Franciacorta production.
Cantina Frentana grows despite tariffs and declining consumption. A positive year for the Abruzzo-based cooperative, which consolidates its merger with Cantina San Giacomo and exceeds 650 members. A sign of cooperative resilience in a challenging environment.
Gaierhof, three sisters and a low-alcohol model that sets standards. In Roverè della Luna, the Togn family is spearheading an innovative, all-female project. A product-focused business that combines family history with new insights into moderate drinking.
Cusumano Brut 700 Metodo Classico 2021 From vineyards at 700 meters, an elegant classic method that celebrates Tenuta Ficuzza: free-run must, refermentation in the bottle and 36 months on the lees.
Tenuta Stella – Reserves for an “alto Collio” Christmas Ribolla Gialla, Friulano and Merlot Riserva make up the Luxury Christmas 2026 Collection : organic, artisanal and profoundly territorial wines.
Italian wine and Italian oenology
Prosecco DOC: green light for 6,000 new hectares. Veneto and Friuli have authorized an increase in production potential to meet demand pressure. The total area will reach 30,500 hectares, with growth in two phases.
Kaolin or zeolite? Natural choices for crop health. Both permitted in organic farming, these two minerals offer different functions: kaolin acts as a physical and protective barrier, while zeolite supports moisture management and canopy health.
Grape prices are plummeting: 2025 will be the “year of the collapse.” Prices are down as much as 40% for some appellations. Production is rising, consumption is declining, exports are slowing, and inventories are high: a combination that is crushing winemakers and putting strain on the supply chain.
CMO Wine: EU agreement on simplifications and new labeling. Coldiretti expresses satisfaction: no five-year restrictions for those who uproot vineyards, greater transparency for dealcoholized wines, and more flexibility in support programs.
The taste of moderation: drinking less, drinking better. Stada Health Report and NielsenIQ converge: the majority of Europeans are pursuing a healthier lifestyle. Conscious consumption is gaining ground, and demand for premium wines and guided experiences is growing.
Bringing wine to dinner? A gesture worth rereading. A provocative article overturns a social custom: bringing wine can create unwanted dynamics of reciprocity. If you really want to give something, olive oil is better.
Archè 2020: Francesco Saverio Russo’s glasses are back with free shipping. A collection born during lockdown, now a benchmark for high-end artisanal glassware. A project in collaboration with VDglass.
International
Champagne: Between Perpetual Reserve and Solera, Clarity Is Needed. Alice Paillard clearly distinguishes the two practices: the solera as a closed oxidative system, the perpetual as a continuous evolutionary method. Two different philosophies that are often confused in commercial narratives.
Italy is a superstar in international blind tastings. One in four tastings sees Italian wines win, including in the bulk wine category. This is a sign of widespread quality, not just among the elite.
Denmark: “A Glass of Italy” returns. In January 2026, over 25 Italian wineries will be featured in Copenhagen, with Vermentino masterclasses and tastings open to the public and professionals.
Wine events and local culture
EiM – The Landscapes of Soave: A Hike Through Stone and Vineyards On December 7th, a guided tour of the volcanic hills of Soave, exploring geology, history, and viticulture.
Introductory wine courses in Barberino di Mugello. Starting February 6, 2026, six meetings with tastings will teach you the basics of wine and promote responsible consumption.
Conclusion
Thanks for listening: today’s press review was brought to you by WINEIDEA.IT . The sector continues to move in multiple directions: production complexities, new consumer aesthetics, and industrial strategies that are rewriting the map. Tomorrow brings another chapter to this great story.
Wine news, Italian wineries and wines.
ITALIAN WINERIES
Prosecco System: General Assembly between Distinctiveness and Synergies. Over 700 producers gathered in Cimadolmo to discuss the future of Prosecco. Ettore Prandini (Coldiretti) emphasized Prosecco’s role as the driving force of Italian wine in international markets and emphasized the urgency of US tariffs, which are crucial for the leading market for Italian sparkling wines.
Gianluca Tait is the new president of Cantina Rotaliana. The members’ meeting elected Gianluca Tait with 155 votes, succeeding Luigi Roncador after 15 years in office. The company has 301 members and 480 hectares of vineyards, producing 67,500 quintals of grapes.
Cantina Rotaliana, €11.5 million budget and new direction. Tait’s election was also confirmed in the unanimously approved annual budget. This governance structure is consolidated at a time of strategic rethinking for the Trentino cooperative.
Cantina Frentana: Resilience as a Strategy. Amid declining consumption and the winds of war, the Abruzzo cooperative chooses to produce less but better. Carlo Romanelli, 80, a longtime figure at the winery, has been confirmed as president.
Cantina Frentana: growing numbers despite the market . 2025 closes with strong results for the Rocca San Giovanni cooperative, which reaffirms its founding values: cooperation, sustainability, and local roots.
Oniwines inaugurates “ERT1050,” a new winery for Trentodoc. A center of excellence for the Classic Method is being created in Brentonico, with vineyards reaching 1,050 meters above sea level. This project interprets the terroir in a modern, vertical way.
Pucciarella and Trequanda: Growing Territorial Identities From Lake Trasimeno to the Val d’Orcia, two Cariplo Pension Fund companies are leveraging wine and hospitality as strategic development levers. A powerful demonstration of how local, welcoming, and quality can work together.
Pucciarella and Trequanda: a new image to attract tourism and wine tourism. An ambitious revitalization plan for both estates: Pucciarella is valued at €12 million, Trequanda at €18 million. The goal: to consolidate the hotel and restaurant distribution network and offer integrated, contemporary hospitality.
Celebrations on Etna: Christmas and New Year’s Eve at Cantine Nicosia. The winery’s Osteria kicks off the holidays with events dedicated to volcanic wines and Etna cuisine, transforming winter on Etna into a sensory experience.
ITALIAN WINE AND ITALIAN ENOLOGY
Why do we choose wine based on its label? Neuromarketing and purchasing decisions: labels trigger complex cognitive processes, where graphics, aesthetics, and storytelling guide consumer decisions much more than technical details.
The “Brunello of the Future”: Market, Wine Tourism, and the Revitalization of the Appellation. Historic voices of Montalcino—from Biondi-Santi to Banfi, from Argiano to Poggio Antico—reflect on the challenges of the future. The Consortium led by Giacomo Bartolommei is preparing a new promotion plan.
Go Wine’s 2026 “Cantine d’Italia” Guide features 911 wineries, 270 “Impronte d’eccellenza” (Imprints of Excellence), and 5,180 wines. Seventeen wine museums stand out, along with nine special awards given to leading wineries from North to South.
Italian food a UNESCO World Heritage Site? Exports approaching €70 billion. Made in Italy agri-food continues to grow, supported by ancient traditions and a globally recognized cultural identity. Wine remains among the driving forces.
The world’s most famous Italian wines: the labels that made history. From elegant whites to revolutionary reds, from popular bubbles to the “rebel” Chianti wines: a journey through the bottles that have rebranded Italian winemaking since the post-war period.
Barolo 2022: a challenging vintage that reflects the climate. Producers and experts analyze a vintage that marks a turning point: challenging conditions, but results that could surprise when the wine hits the market on January 1, 2026.
AIS Vinetia Guide 2026: the best wines of Veneto. Awards were given to the Valdobbiadene Extra Brut by Bellenda (Charmat), the Monti Lessini Durello Riserva by Giannitessari (Classic Method), the Soave Classico by La Cappuccina (White) and the Chiaretto by Albino Piona (Rose).
Winery Visit Cost: The New Standard in Wine Tourism. The 2026 Cantine d’Italia Guide analyzes prices, hospitality models, and services offered. Wine tourism is evolving: visiting a winery is now a professional experience, no longer spontaneous or free.
INTERNATIONAL
La Tour d’Argent opens its cellars to the public for the first time. One of the world’s most prestigious collections—300,000 bottles located in the 5th arrondissement—is now open to visitors via guided tours. A temple of world winemaking finally reveals itself.
Young and bubbly: IWSR captures a global phenomenon. Flavored sparkling wines, crémants, and spritzes dominate consumption among new drinkers in France, the UK, and the US. People are drinking less, but more often and in informal settings.
Italian wines to give as Christmas gifts according to the New York Times Eric Asimov selects some of the best Italian labels for end-of-year gifts: a precious showcase in the heart of the US market.
For the Guardian, the perfect gift is extra virgin olive oil (but not Italian). The British newspaper has drawn up a list of the best oils in the world without including Italian labels: a choice that will cause controversy.
Chenin Blanc Trophy 2025: Falstaff’s Top 29 Wines. A new international ranking confirms the growing attention paid to this French grape variety, currently at the center of a global revival.
WINE EVENTS AND WINE TOURISM
The 2026 “Cantine d’Italia” Guide: an invitation to explore Italy’s wine scene. Wine museums, special awards, and a journey through regions, histories, and territories. Italian wine tourism presents itself with strength and identity.
Alto Adige: Ski instructors become wine experts. Wine ski guides and wine bike guides are born: sport, nature, and wine blend together in an immersive experience. An innovative wine tourism model that appeals to the new generations.
Thanks for reading. Today’s review is brought to you by WINEIDEA.IT . See you tomorrow, with another look at the world of wine.
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.
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.