wine news, Italian cellars and wines.
ITALIAN WINERIES
Gaja, Ornellaia, Monteverro, GB Burlotto, Antinori: the top Italian wines for “BWW 2025.” In Tasting Book’s “Best Wine of the World” competition (over 3.3 million votes from 19,000 wines, with international participation), several Italian icons shine. Monteverro also won “Best New Winery of the Year,” while globally, major names from Bordeaux, Champagne, and the Rhône stand out.
Librandi’s Tenuta Rosaneti: Calabria’s winemaking laboratory. A journey through the Librandi group’s largest estate, between Rocca di Neto and Casabona (KR): its production heart and experimental space, described during a tour dedicated to discovering Calabria’s wine scene.
Adami – Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Rive di Colbertaldo “Vigneto Giardino” 2024 Focus on one of the Adami family’s iconic labels: the history of the “Asciutto” cru and the sensory profile of the 2024, within an overall production that includes several Rive, Cartizze, and various types of Prosecco.
Cantina Settecani: Growth (8.7%) for the Modena-based cooperative in 2025. Positive results for the historic cooperative: rising revenues and growing grape deliveries, despite stagnant consumption. This is a sign of operational solidity and structural decisions that are paying off.
A selection of the “best” Italian wineries of 2025. A “vineyard by vineyard” review: not just labels, but companies evaluated for their identity, vision, technical consistency, and ability to interpret the territories.
Baglio di Pianetto: only high-altitude vineyards for freshness and elegance. A strategic choice geared towards contemporary taste trends: focus on mountain vineyards and sale of the Noto vineyard area (Tenuta Baroni) to a specialized agricultural company.
Santa Lucia: Argentario in a glass. The story of a winery nestled between the sea and vineyards in Maremma, in the Morellino di Scansano area closest to the coast, with historic family roots on the Argentario.
Assoenologi Sicilia: Giuseppe Figlioli new president. A change at the helm of the regional section: Figlioli (Birgi Winery) takes over after more than ten years as president, with a message of continuity and commitment.
ITALIAN WINE AND ITALIAN OENOLOGY
Italian sparkling wine beats Champagne: 1.03 billion bottles in 2025. According to UIV–ISMEA, production and sales of Italian sparkling wines will reach 1.03 billion; over 360 million destined for the holidays. Prosecco remains the driving force: growth estimates for Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG (8% vs. 2024) and substantial stability for Prosecco DOC.
No/Low-Alcohol Wines: Production Approved in Italy, Northeast Divided. The inter-ministerial decree (MEF–MASAF) unblocks alcohol-free drinking across the country, amidst enthusiasm (the opportunity for future production quotas) and “identity-based” caution, especially in areas most closely tied to tradition.
Decree on dealcoholized wines: rules, excise duties, authorizations, and circulation. The measure defines the fiscal and operational scope: licenses, requirements, product movement, and distinctions by production category (including based on quantitative thresholds). The requirement to use foreign facilities is eliminated.
UIV: Castelletti on the alcohol-dealcohol decree, “good news after a troubled 2025.” The position of the Italian Wine Union: a turning point to compete on equal terms in Europe and a call for support for the operational launch (licenses and authorizations) in the initial phase.
Veneto, sparkling wines & gangmastering: shadows over the supply chain. An investigation and complaint about the exploitation of workers (especially migrants) in seasonal agricultural activities, including those in the sparkling wine districts. An issue that impacts reputation, compliance, and the supply chain.
INTERNATIONAL
BWW 2025: the “Best of the World” and global benchmarks In the world rankings: Pétrus 2020 as best wine, Salon 2012 as best Champagne, E. Guigal as “Winery of the Year”, and the winemaker of Screaming Eagle awarded as best winemaker.
Global wine tourism: “World’s Best Vineyards” 2025 and the key word: “experience.” The winners clearly point the same direction: winery hospitality becomes a strategic (not an optional) channel. Among the best: Chilean and German wineries top the list; Ceretto is the best Italian winery, in the top 20.
WINE EVENTS
Cantine d’Italia 2026: Impronta Go Wine in Zidarich (Trieste Karst). The highest award for wine tourism: recognition for the ability to combine production excellence, hospitality, and landscape identity. The Trieste Karst region makes a strong entry into the list of destinations to watch.
Winemag: “Wine in 2025” month by month (series from January 1, 2026) An editorial project that retraces twelve months of news and changes in the sector, to interpret 2025 as a year of structural transformation (not just cyclical).
San Basilio: “La Cantina del Duca” opens at Casa Isabella (from January 4, 2026). A new tasting space in Puglia inside a renovated historic residence: open to the public with a focus on experience and hospitality.
AGRICULTURAL POLICIES, TERRITORIES AND SUSTAINABILITY
(Context section, useful for winemaking operators and related supply chains)
Lombardy: €4.6 million for sustainable agriculture in Valtellina. 25 projects in Sondrio have been funded (measure SRD02 CAP 2023–2027), with a focus on mountain farms and investments in the environment, climate, and animal welfare.
Lombardy: 12 projects funded in the Cremona area (14 million) Resources for concrete interventions: effluent management, optimization technologies, tools for corporate sustainability.
Agricultural ZES and income tax relief: measures for Southern Italy in the 2026 Budget. Extension of Irpef tax relief on agricultural/land-based income and new levers for investment and innovation: agricultural ZES and greater offsetting of tax credits.
Veneto Agricoltura: Federico Caner appointed director. Governance change at the agency for primary sector innovation: focus announced on ecological transition, competitiveness, and markets.
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