Wine press review for Tuesday December 2 – 2025!

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.

News on Italian wine and oenology.

Italian wineries

• Borgo del Tiglio, a landmark winery hit by landslide and flood (Friuli). In Brazzano, on Mount Quarin, a landslide and flood devastated the historic Borgo del Tiglio winery: 17th-century buildings damaged, historic vineyards compromised, an archive of 10,000 bottles destroyed, and 60,000 bottles from the 2025 vintage trapped underground. The economic damage amounts to several million euros, and recovery times are long, due to the red zone and safety restrictions.
• Oniwines (Oniverse) focuses on Trentodoc “mountain bubbles.” Federico Veronesi (Oniwines, Oniverse group – Calzedonia, Falconeri, Signorvino) describes a counter-current growth strategy in a shrinking market: six wineries in Lazio, Sardinia, Marche, Piedmont, and Veneto, and now the “Ert1050” project in Trentodoc, focusing on territorial identity and wine tourism.
• “Cathedral” Trentodoc Altemasi: Cavit invests €26 million in Ravina. In response to the consumer crisis and competitive pressure, Cavit is investing €26 million in a new winery dedicated to Trentodoc Altemasi . This is a strong signal of the strategic role of mountain sparkling wines in the group’s future growth.
• Rome Wine Award 2025: Lazio takes center stage with Famiglia Cotarella and Cantina Stefanoni. In the Hall of the Temple of Vibia Sabina and Adriano in Rome, the Rome Wine Award 2025 ceremony showcases Lazio’s finest wines. Recognition goes to the Viterbo-based wineries Famiglia Cotarella and Cantina Stefanoni , with the aim of supporting quality, exports, and new entrepreneurship (both young and female).
• The Langhe is firmly established among the world’s elite of “fine wines.” In the 2025 international rankings of top wines and Europe’s best producers, the Langhe has firmly established itself among the world’s elite: among the names cited, Angelo Gaja (Barbaresco) and Giacomo Conterno appear alongside giants such as Egon Müller, Vega Sicilia, Krug, and Château Latour. Italy’s high-end winemaking is consolidating its global status.
• Trevéz, three young people revitalizing old vineyards in Bologna. The Trevéz project was born from the meeting of three young winemakers and agronomists trained in Italy, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, and California. Their strategic choice: to lease very old, often abandoned, vineyards and enhance them with careful management. An example of a new urban entrepreneurship that reinterprets the land with technical expertise.

Italian wine and Italian oenology

• Sondrio: €45 million for heroic agriculture and tourism. The Lombardy Region has approved the 2025 Territorial Development Framework Agreement for the province of Sondrio: over €45 million earmarked for projects that combine heroic agriculture, public water management, and tourism development in an entirely mountainous area. Key resources also for terraced vineyards.
• “Lives of Langa and Roero”: Petrini and Tibaldi recount a peasant civilization. The book “Lives of Langa and Roero – Social Transformations of a Peasant Civilization” by Carlo Petrini and Paolo Tibaldi is being presented at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo. A journey that unites history, culture, wine, and collective identity, including Savoy courts, farms, the dignity of labor, climate change, sustainable tourism, and the future of local communities.
• Budget and wine: between micro-regulations and the Wine Museum proposal. The package of amendments to the budget includes “micro-regulations” that also affect the sector: from strengthening the structure against blue crabs to the Wine Museum , including protection of the buffalo milk supply chain. These are signs of attention, but also regulatory fragmentation.
• Primitivo “di Manduria” from a nonexistent winery: the K-Tipp case. An investigation by the Swiss monthly K-Tipp exposes the Primitivo di Manduria 1488 DOP “Fratelli Leporetti,” sold in Landi supermarkets: the producer in Puglia doesn’t exist. The label, designed to evoke authenticity and territory, is actually a fictitious one. The central theme: protecting denominations, transparency for consumers, and protecting the image of Italian wine abroad.
• The Return of Autumn Wine: New Wine, Mulled Wine, and Rural Memories. Between San Martino and Christmas, the season of new wine , mulled wine , and cellar traditions returns: innkeepers and families once roamed Cellatica, Botticino, Garda, and Franciacorta to select the wine to keep at home year-round. A tale that intertwines rural memory, local tradition, and modern consumption.
• Restaurants overwhelmed by storms: hospitality and resilience. From Tuscan restaurants like Osteria delle Terme in Massacciuccoli to chef Antonia Klugmann’s appeal in Friuli Venezia Giulia, the restaurant industry reports extensive damage but also impressive gestures of solidarity. Customers and communities shovel mud alongside restaurateurs: wine is once again a symbol of sociality, even in climate emergencies.
• 2025 Harvest: Piedmontese Wine Cooperation Between Quality and Low Yields. The cooperative wineries belonging to Confcooperative Piemonte describe a high-quality 2025 vintage, but with low yields and a complex market. The cooperative model emerges as a tool for resilience: sharing expertise, supporting members, and the ability to transform challenges into opportunities for growth.
• Varvaglione (UIV): More resources for promotion, exports must be protected. Marzia Varvaglione, vice president of the Italian Wine Union , welcomes the inclusion of €100 million per year for the three-year period 2026–2028 for promotion and internationalization activities. With tariffs, the falling dollar, and declining purchasing power, a significant portion of these resources is considered vital to protecting Italian wine exports.
• Marsala nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status along with the wines of the “Sun Belt.” Marsala , a historic Sicilian wine, is nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status along with Jerez, Madeira, Porto, and Samos. The goal is to protect the landscapes, production practices, and traditions associated with the great fortified wines of the Mediterranean and Atlantic, strengthening the cultural and tourism positioning of these regions.

International

• Global sparkling wine exports reach €8.5 billion, with Prosecco the global driving force. According to a Del Ray Analysts of Wine Markets analysis, global sparkling wine exports are worth €8.51 billion as of July 2025 (up 0.4% in volume, down 0.6% in value). The average price is €7.83/liter , the highest among all wine types, although slightly declining. Italy, France, and Spain account for 85% of the value and 75% of the volume; Prosecco is the sparkling wine that has grown the most in recent years, confirming its status as an international phenomenon.
• The decline of the “American wine empire” (Napa and Sonoma) California viticulture is experiencing its most serious crisis since Prohibition: tariffs, excess inventory, changing consumer habits, and a recent, very generous harvest have saturated warehouses. Some Napa and Sonoma winemakers are even forced to uproot vineyards, raising profound questions about the business model of high-end American wine.
• Swiss wine at 2.19 francs: the race to the bottom is crushing producers. At the meeting of the Swiss Farmers’ Union, the scandal erupted over bottles of Dôle and Chasselas selling for less than 3 francs (as low as 2.19). With such low margins, someone in the supply chain is footing the bill, and it’s not large-scale retail trade: producers are denouncing an unsustainable model, squeezed between rising costs and price pressure.

Wine events, culture and tourism

• Alba: Presentation of “Vite di Langa e Roero” (December 10) At the Teatro Sociale G. Busca in Alba , on December 10th at 8:45 pm, Carlo Petrini and Paolo Tibaldi will present their book “Vite di Langa e Roero.” Free admission, an evening dedicated to rural memory and the relationship between history, wine, and community, in a region that is a symbol of Italian winemaking.
• Orte in Cantina: a food and wine trail through the historic village. “Orte in Cantina” takes place between the last Sunday in November and the first in December: an itinerary featuring wine tastings, traditional products, and tours of the historic center. The event blends sensory experience and cultural discovery, transforming the village into a small, scattered wine city.
• Christmas in the Cellar 2025 – Tuglie (Salento) In Tuglie , in the heart of the Ionian Salento area of Gallipoli, “Christmas in the Cellar 2025” kicks off at the Peparussu Winery – House of Traditions: music, food, crafts, solidarity, and popular memories until January 6th. On December 1st, the book “Da quando t’ho trovato” by Don Cosimo Schena will be presented, with a public discussion and free admission.
• AIS Piemonte: 60 Years of the Italian Sommelier Association with Conferences and Tastings. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the AIS, the Piedmontese group is organizing four days of events—until December 1st—including conferences, tastings, and training sessions. The key message: sommeliers are not a “caste,” but a cultural bridge between wine, the region, and the consumer.

Thanks for listening. Today’s wine press review was brought to you by WINEIDEA.IT .

See you tomorrow.

Daily wine & cellar briefing.

Key points

• The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) confirms its estimate of world production in 2025 at around 232 Mhl (3% compared to 2024) but still ≈-7% below the five-year average , due to repeated climate shocks.
• Italy emerges as a positive exception: production estimated at around 47.4 Mhl (8% vs 2024), with favorable weather conditions across much of the country.
• Italian exports are still showing signs of slowing: in the first eight months of 2025, value recorded -1.9% and volume around -2.9% , with the US market in free fall (-30% in August).
• The global export wine market is contracting: volumes are falling (-3.7% in 1H 2025 vs 1H 2024) and values are slightly down (-2.3%), a sign of an “era of less but better”.
• Prices and inventories: In Italy, increased production combined with high inventories heralds the risk of margin pressure; the average bulk wine price remains around €0.78/L (2.1% year-on-year), but the market remains relatively inactive.
• Innovation: A recent academic study shows how AI, computer vision, and sensor technologies in the vineyard/wine tourism sector are becoming a competitive factor in mature wineries.
• M&A strategy & positioning: The Italian market is seeing more selective deals (premium, tech, export) and less focus on pure volume. Wineries must focus on quality, brand, and channels rather than quantity. (Multiple sources)

M&A Radar

Prices & Harvest – mini box

Production & Harvest

• Italy 2025: estimate ~47.4 Mhl (8% vs 2024); good/excellent quality.
• Risk: High inventories, stagnant consumption = potential margin compression.

Grape / bulk wine prices (Italy)

• Bulk wine: approximately €0.78/L (2.1% y/y) but the market is not very active.
• Grapes in premium areas are showing signs of holding up or growing, while generics and ingredients are showing weakness (updated agricultural sources record drops of up to -10/-20%).
• Implication: select by range, avoid indiscriminate production in overcapacity conditions.

News on Italian wine and oenology.

Italian Wineries

• Cantina di Venosa is investing in wine tourism. Starting in 2027, a new architectural and functional structure will increase visits, direct sales, and business meetings. A €3.4 million investment, including funding from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
• Cantina Segreta in Eboli (SA), a journey through flavors created by Andrea Nanna. A restaurant created from an ancient cellar, where tradition and creativity blend in the chef’s cuisine.
• Castel de Paolis celebrates 40 years in the Castelli Romani area. Official celebrations with artwork and a calendar of events showcasing the Santarelli family’s winemaking excellence.
• The La Torre winery turns 100. Since 1925, a journey of family and territory, now the fourth generation and certified organic. The heart of the production: the rare Groppello di Mocasina.
• Cantina Valtidone, Tre Bicchieri 2026 for Arvange Metodo Classico Pas Dosé An internationally prestigious recognition for the pure Pinot Noir sparkling wine.
• Celli Winery awarded by Gambero Rosso. The Sangiovese Riserva Bertinoro “Bron&Ruseval” wins the Tre Bicchieri 2026 award: a first for this wine and the only Bertinoro wine on the podium.

Italian Wine

• Prosecco, a superstar in the US, is consolidating its overtaking of Champagne: $531 million, a 178% increase in seven years. It now represents 31% of the value of Italian wine consumption overseas.
• Etna, a region looking to the future. The Etna Wine Consortium and leading companies are focusing on quality, great reds and new whites, with a strong push towards wine tourism.
• Walking among the ungrafted vineyards of Carignano in Sulcis. A slow journey through the sea, mines, and ancestral identities of Sardinia, with Carignano del Sulcis as the protagonist.
• Tre Bicchieri 2026, the best wines of Lombardy. 34 wines awarded by Gambero Rosso, with a section dedicated to rare wines, confirming Lombardy among the leading regions.
• AGIVI’s voices: sustainability and new entrepreneurial visions. Young producers from North to South share an approach to wine that combines environmental and social impact with quality of life.
• Argea: ecodesign and biosymbiosis. The group, founded in 2021, presents its 2024 sustainability report and aims to create a new wine industry model.

Italian Oenology

• The glass makes the difference: Italesse launches the one for Amarone della Valpolicella. The result of the Senses Project, a glass designed with sommeliers, technicians, and oenologists to best enhance the characteristics of the great Veronese red wine.

International

• Spain: Harvest down 10-15% According to the Spanish Wine Federation, 2025 will bring lower quantities but higher quality.
• Giorgio Locatelli’s Locanda collection up for auction (London) Over 400 fine lots up for auction at Bonhams, including vertical tastings of Sassicaia and rare bottles of Barolo Monfortino.

Wine Events

• “Colline ad Arte”: a contemporary art prize in the UNESCO hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. A long-term project that will transform the landscape into an open-air collection.
• “Vini ad Arte” 2025 in Faenza The Romagna wine region has overcome the consequences of the 2023 flood and is restarting with energy.
• “Di…Vino, d’Olio e Dintorni” in Nocera Terinese (CZ) On November 8th, a food and wine trail in the ancient village with wines, oils and typical Calabrian dishes.
• Centenary of the Marino Grape Festival (Rome) A special edition celebrating the 100th anniversary of the historic Castelli Romani festival, famous for its wine fountains.
• “Between Villages and Cellars” in the province of Siena From October 16th to November 27th, six events in Monteriggioni, San Gimignano, Montepulciano, Montalcino and other Tuscan villages.
• “Cantine e Trattorie in Cantina” in Romagna From October 21st to December 2nd, four evenings of local cuisine and wines, in “theatre season ticket” format.
• Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2025 – Sweet and Fortified Wines Session In Catania, Italy shines with 26 medals, dominated by Sicilian wineries: Ben Ryé 2022, Marsala Lombardo 2011, and Single Barrel di Pellegrino.

This was the wine news for October 3, 2025. We’ll talk to you again tomorrow, again with QUIDQUID – powered by WINEIDEA.IT .