Italian wineries, Italian wine producers, and current wine news.
Good morning,
Wine Idea presents the main news from the world of wine, wineries, and Italian and international oenology.
ITALIAN WINERIES
Nunzia De Girolamo invests in wine in Irpinia
Former Agriculture Minister Nunzia De Girolamo enters the world of wine with Passo delle Tortore , a winemaking project dedicated to the production of Greco and Taurasi . The company, led by four women along with the young winemaker Francesco De Pierro, focuses on quality, terroir, and a return to its roots.
Pio Cesare invests 10 million in the historic Alba winery.
After four years of work, Pio Cesare has completed the renovation of its Alba winery, investing approximately €10 million . The space now exceeds 9,000 square meters. The historic core remains dedicated to red wines, while the new spaces house white wines, now accounting for approximately 30% of production , as well as bottling, warehouses, and a new underground logistics facility.
Cusumano: From bulk wine to a group founded on vineyards and territory
The Cusumano family represents an interesting example of corporate transformation: from a production primarily focused on bulk wine to a portfolio of bottled wines built through estate-owned vineyards, production control, and territorial valorization. The Alta Mora project on Mount Etna is one of the most significant examples of this strategy today.
Terradesa: winery, hospitality, and Piwi vineyards near Malpensa
A new winery-hotel dedicated to Piwi grape varieties, resistant to major fungal diseases, is being built in Cassano Magnago. The Terradesa project integrates wine production and hospitality among the vines. The first harvest, 2026, is still experimental, with a potential production of around 800 bottles, but it proposes a model that combines innovation, sustainability, and wine tourism.
Solopaca Winery celebrates 60 years
The Solopaca Winery celebrates sixty years of activity, focusing on the role of its winemaking members and the cooperative model. The anniversary also provides an opportunity to relaunch a strategy based on local area, cooperation, and innovation.
Grosjean: 40 years of Petite Arvine in the Aosta Valley
The Grosjean family celebrates forty years of producing Petite Arvine, one of the iconic varietals of Aosta Valley viticulture. Three generations have supported the company’s evolution, focusing on mountain viticulture, innovation, and the promotion of native varieties.
ITALIAN WINE AND MARKETS
Italian wine exports: first half of 2026 down 6.2%.
Italian wine closed the first half of the year with exports exceeding €3.6 billion , but down 6.2% in value and 4% in volume . According to the UIV Observatory based on Istat data, nine of the top ten markets saw a decline in orders; the only exception was Russia, with a 15.7% decline. Lower consumption, lower purchasing power, and geopolitical tensions are also contributing to the decline.
Veneto: general exports up 3.2%, but wine down 8.4%
In the second quarter of 2026, Veneto’s exports reached €20.9 billion , up 3.2% from the previous year. In the first half of 2026, they reached €41.7 billion, down 4.1%. The wine sector bucked the trend, recording an 8.4% decline , confirming the sector’s difficulties compared to the stronger regional exports.
Italian Wine 2026: Starting Over from Product, Identity, and Communication
Maurizio Zanella, Andrea Farinetti, Beppe Pagano, and Mario Piccini analyze a complex 2026, but see the possibility of stabilization by the end of the year and better prospects for 2027. Future growth depends not only on the bottle, but also on positioning, communication, and entrepreneurial ability .
Orvieto: a return to quality
After decades in which Orvieto’s image had progressively weakened, producers are revitalizing the denomination through quality agronomy and winemaking and the restoration of its territorial identity. Several labels now achieve significant valuations while maintaining prices below €20.
South Tyrol: 86 UGAs arrive
After years of historical, climatic, geological, and agronomic studies, the first bottles of the 2024 vintage are now available, featuring the new 86 Additional Geographical Units of Alto Adige . This system is designed to strengthen the quality pyramid and make the different territorial identities more recognizable.
OENOLOGY, VITICULTURE AND CLIMATE CHANGE
2026 Harvest: Heat and Drought Change Vineyard Work
The 2026 harvest confirms the impact of climate change. In the Imola area, harvest began 7-15 days early , and for some early grapes, a decline in yields of nearly 30% is estimated. Despite the challenges, the health of the bunches is judged to be excellent, and initial quality parameters are positive.
In Franciacorta the grapes must reach the press quickly
High temperatures and early ripening are requiring a new harvest organization. At Ricci Curbastro, the goal is to bring the grapes to pressing in a very short time, adjusting logistics, working hours, containers, gravity-fed vinification, and research into late-ripening varieties.
Vivo Cantine: Drought contained thanks to monitoring and management
According to Franco Passador, president and CEO of Vivo Cantine , the drought hasn’t been defeated, but it has been prevented from becoming a widespread crisis. Continuous monitoring of the vineyards, technical assistance to members, and differentiated management of the plots have been crucial. The cooperative has approximately 2,000 members and 6,000 hectares of vineyards under transfer .
Hailstorms in Tuscany: Grapes hit during harvest
Severe thunderstorms, wind, and hail have hit several Tuscan wine-growing regions, including Chianti, the Florentine plain, and the Maremma . The damage comes after months of record heat and drought, affecting bunches of grapes that were already close to or fully ripe.
Viticulture moves up the mountains
Climate change is favoring the development of vineyards at altitudes once considered difficult. In Carnia , Roberto Baldovin has been pursuing an experimental mountain viticulture project since 2015, which could also become a tool for economic development and to combat the depopulation of Alpine areas.
How long can Alto Adige white wines age?
A masterclass organized by Fisar Palermo explored the evolutionary potential of Alto Adige white wines. The region boasts approximately 5,860 hectares of vineyards , with vineyards ranging from 200 to 1,000 meters above sea level, and production comprises approximately 65% white wines .
INTERNATIONAL AND AWARDS
Trentodoc still a world leader in sparkling wines
For the second consecutive year, Trentodoc is the most awarded classic method at the 2026 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships . It won a total of 79 medals: 35 gold and 44 silver . This result strengthens the international standing of Trentino sparkling wines.
International Wine Challenge: 2 Champions and 25 golds for Italy
Italy won two Champion titles and 25 gold medals at the International Wine Challenge 2026. Among the stars were the Vinsanto Capezzana Riserva 2018 and the Franciacorta Pas Dosé Épique 2016 from Derbusco Cives, along with numerous labels from Italy’s main appellations.
Global spirits: consumption down and major groups under pressure
Spirits sales declined by 2.8% , while several large groups in the sector suffered significant downgrades in their stock market valuations. This phenomenon prompts a reflection on the strategies of large beverage entrepreneurial families and the need to diversify products, markets, and categories.
EVENTS, TERRITORY AND WINE TOURISM
60 Years of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Road
Italy’s first road dedicated to the integrated promotion of wine and its territory turns 60. Established in 1966 between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, it pioneered what we now call wine tourism, bringing together wine, food, hospitality, and regional promotion in the current UNESCO region.
Valdo focuses on hospitality among the UNESCO hills
With Casa Valdo , located on the Pradase Estate, Valdo Spumanti integrates production, Prosecco Superiore culture, and hospitality. This project confirms how the experience in the cellar and the local area is becoming an increasingly important part of wineries’ positioning.
Tenute Rubino: sports, nature, archaeology, and wine
The Crossing Giancòla project transforms the Apulian estate into a place to experience through running, walking, cycling, yoga, and other activities. The experience integrates wine, landscape, archaeology, and conviviality, offering a winery experience that goes beyond traditional tastings.
Euganean Hills: Wine and Signature Cicchetti
On September 18th and 25th, Montegrotto Terme will host two “Sensi in Degustazione” evenings, dedicated to discovering wine through color, aromas, and flavors, with guided tastings and signature cicchetti.
September among the Moscato di Scanzo cellars
Following the Scanzo Moscato Festival, local wineries continue to open their doors to visitors with tastings, aperitifs, picnics, panoramic terraces, and vineyard events. A concrete example of widespread wine tourism built around producers and the local area.
Langhe: Autumn in the Cellar
La Fusina offers tours and tastings directly with the producer, focusing on a family-friendly and informal experience between the cellar and the Langhe landscape, featuring Alta Langa DOCG, Dogliani Superiore, Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Sauvignon.
Bevagna and Montefalco: wine, grape harvest, and cycling
Between Bevagna and Montefalco, September is an opportunity to discover Sagrantino and the Umbrian region through cycling itineraries, secondary roads, villages, and cellars open during the harvest.
SIGNAL OF THE DAY
Today’s news shows an industry that is changing on multiple fronts simultaneously.
Exports are slowing down and international consumption is becoming more difficult, while wineries are increasing their investments in quality, territory, hospitality, sustainability and identity.
Furthermore, the climate is altering harvests, logistics, and production geography. At the same time, international awards like those won by Trentodoc and Italian wines at the International Wine Challenge confirm that the problem for Italian wine isn’t product quality, but increasingly its ability to transform quality and terroir into recognizable value on the market .
The emerging direction is therefore quite clear: less competition based exclusively on volumes and greater attention to brand, positioning, experience, territory and the ability to directly reach the consumer.
Today’s wine press review is brought to you by WINEIDEA.IT.
See you tomorrow.