Italian wineries, Italian wine producers, and current wine news.
Italian wineries
Librandi expands its Critone Summer Edition. The Calabrian winery expands its limited edition dedicated to the beaches of Calabria with two new labels. The project brings Critone, the company’s signature white wine, to eight iconic regional destinations.
Le Manzane donates over €25,000 to a school in Ghana. Vendemmia Solidale achieves its best result in history: €25,030 allocated to the construction of a school in Adanu, thanks in part to the sale of solidarity bottles.
Zorzettig renews Myò and Tenaci. The Friulian company begins the rebranding of its Myò and Tenaci lines and strengthens its wine tourism offering, with new itineraries dedicated to biodiversity, the historic cellar, and tasting areas.
Cantina Valle Isarco celebrates 65 years. The Alto Adige cooperative highlights its Aristos line, an excellent selection born from vineyards above 550 meters, with wines focused on acidity, minerality, and territorial precision.
Vecchie Terre di Montefili presents Biancone Toscana Chardonnay 2024 In the heart of Chianti Classico, the estate introduces a Chardonnay from a historic vineyard planted in 1982, at 500 meters above sea level, conceived as a natural complement to its production identity.
Villa Franciacorta takes center stage in Turin. At the OGR, Villa Franciacorta explained its production strategy: only vintage wines, estate-grown grapes, indigenous yeasts, and a strong connection to the vintage.
Giusti Wine inaugurates the summer season. On May 23rd and 24th, the Abbey of Sant’Eustachio will host music, guided tours, and tastings, confirming the company’s cultural and wine tourism role in the Montello area.
Pietradolce Winery unites Etna, wine, and solidarity. On Saturday, May 16, the winery hosts “Incroci di Vite,” an event featuring 33 Etna wineries, street food, and a fundraiser for WonderLAD.
Italian wine and Italian oenology
Italian Wineries: Inventories Still High. In April 2026, wine inventories in Italian wineries grew by 5.6% compared to 2025, reaching 52.5 million hectoliters. Veneto accounts for 25.6% of national inventories, while Prosecco DOP represents 11%.
Italian wine is worth €11 billion in denominations. With 523 DOP and IGP wines, Italy boasts the largest certified heritage in Europe. The value of wines with geographical indications is estimated at €11 billion.
Sustainability: Ruffino tops Agricoltura100. The 2026 Report confirms wine as a pioneering sector in sustainability. Ruffino leads the national ranking, followed by other outstanding agricultural producers.
Equalitas and Italian Sustainable Wine: According to Equalitas, approximately 20% of Italian wine production can be considered certified sustainable. This represents a significant competitive advantage against greenwashing.
Alcohol-free wines: the challenge is quality. The NoLo segment is entering a more mature phase. Following the European regulatory framework, the key issue is producing credible, consistent, and sensorially valuable alcohol-free wines.
NoLo and fine dining: the glass loses alcohol, not pleasure. Non-alcoholic and low-alcohol pairings are growing in high-end restaurants. The push comes primarily from young people and the pursuit of well-being without sacrificing taste.
Mediterranean Diet and Wine: The Issue of Moderation Returns Wine remains an integral part of Mediterranean culture, but the sector must respond with balance to health concerns, new consumption patterns, and generational disaffection.
Wine bars and sustainable markups. Wine bars and establishments are growing, focusing on accessible glasses, intelligent selections, and lower markups, attracting a younger, more price-conscious audience.
Wine tourism increasingly central. Wineries, consortia, and territories are investing in wine tourism as an economic, cultural, and commercial lever, with increasingly integrated strategies.
Bottega defends Prosecco from British attacks Sandro Bottega responds to criticism from the British press, recalling Prosecco’s international success and the high production costs in the most suitable hilly areas.
Tuscany: €13 million for promotion in third-party countries. The Region is allocating new resources to the 2026/2027 CMO wine campaign to support the promotion of Tuscan wines in non-EU markets.
International
China to host the 2026 OIV World Congress From 12 to 16 October 2026, Yinchuan, Ningxia, will host the 47th World Congress of Vine and Wine and the 24th OIV General Assembly.
US tariffs: another judicial rejection, but uncertainty remains. In the United States, the tariffs introduced by Trump have been blocked again by the courts. The situation remains unstable, while American restaurants are showing less interest in European wines.
Bordeaux takes center stage in the AIS Veneto training program. The seminar dedicated to Bordeaux explored Graves, Pessac-Léognan, and Sauternais, including mineral reds, dry whites, and great sweet wines.
Wine events
Alta Langa Roma 2026: a success in the capital. Over 700 guests, 47 producers, 115 cuvées, and three sold-out masterclasses confirm the growing relationship between Alta Langa DOCG, the Horeca industry, and the Roman press.
Sicilia en Primeur 2026 focuses on wine tourism. The 22nd edition opens in Palermo, focusing on wine tourism, education, young people, and artificial intelligence. By 2025, 61.4% of Sicilian wineries had increased their visitor numbers.
Southern Roots, heading towards its 21st edition. Over 80 companies from Southern Italy will be evaluated by national and international juries, with wines and oils from Puglia, Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Sardinia, and Sicily.
Vinorum 2026 in L’Aquila From May 15 to 17, 52 wineries and 250 labels will showcase Abruzzo wines in the historic center of L’Aquila, the Italian Capital of Culture 2026.
Vini Vaganti returns to Lecce. The event dedicated to natural wines introduces a new app to make the tasting experience more interactive and maintain contact between the public and producers.
Apericulture at Villa Ghellini On May 16th and 17th, Villa Ghellini hosts Clinto tastings, platters, bruschetta, music, crafts, and children’s activities.
Exhibitions and festivals in the Treviso area Between Monigo, Fregona, Combai, and Povegliano, the Treviso area celebrates local wines, Torchiato, Verdiso, typical products, and popular traditions.
Wine becomes landscape and architecture in Treviso. From May 22nd, Ca’ Scarpa hosts the exhibition “Cultures and Landscapes of Wine,” dedicated to the relationship between vineyards, architecture, territory, and corporate identity.
Mirabilia at the Aiello Winery In Putignano, the winery becomes a cultural space with painting, sculpture, photography, and installations dedicated to the dialogue between wine, art, and Apulian identity.
Final summary
The day confirms that the Italian wine sector is rich in opportunities, yet also experiencing significant tensions. Inventories remain high, a sign of a market requiring careful management, while sustainability, wine tourism, alcohol-free wines, and international promotion are becoming increasingly crucial levers.
Italian wine continues to express value through denominations, territories, and wineries, but it must address more selective consumption, new languages, and a demand increasingly focused on experience, well-being, authenticity, and accessible quality.
Today’s wine press review is brought to you by WineIdea.it.
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