Wine press review for Friday, December 5, 2025!

Italian wineries

Art and wine: "MetodoContemporaneo" is born. Cellars become cultural spaces: installations among the vine rows, private collections, artist residencies. The University of Verona launches the first Italian observatory on the relationship between contemporary art and the winemaking landscape, supported by the PNRR.

Ten thousand bottles destroyed by a landslide in Collio . The "Borgo del Tiglio" winery in Brazzano suffered serious damage: its historical archive—approximately 10,000 bottles—was destroyed by the landslide in the red zone. The estimated loss exceeds €300,000.

Cantina di Venosa sets its sights on China. The Lucanian cooperative is opening up to the Chinese market with the first commercial agreements for 2026. Present with the Carato Venusio Aglianico del Vulture DOCG at the roadshows in Qingtian, Shenzhen, and Chengdu.

Tommasi Family Estate continues to grow. The Veneto-based group strengthens its expansion: two acquisitions in Puglia (Tenuta Eméra and Cantina Moros) and a 40% stake in Agricola Leonardo Specogna in Friuli. Its portfolio grows to seven wineries.

Cantine d'Italia 2026: the new Go Wine guide has been published. 911 wineries, 5,180 wines, and 270 "Impronte d'eccellenza" (Imprints of Excellence) are presented. Eight regional interviews explore Italy's winemaking identity through the eyes of its winemakers.

Italian wine and Italian oenology

Christmas to drink: wines and digestives for the holidays. Three suggested protagonists of the Christmas table: – Roccalini Barbaresco 2021 – Movia Veliko 2022 (Italy-Slovenia) – Terre Nere Etna Rosso Calderara Sottana 2022

"Grappa, Wine, and Women": Silvio Celebrates 100 Years A light-hearted, popular tale that testifies to the cultural connection between wine and its terroir: Silvio Pietro Crespi celebrates his 100th birthday and attributes his longevity to the most classic of "methods."

Grape prices plummet 2025 The BMTI analysis depicts a production market in severe difficulty: widespread declines, PDOs penalized, the gap between common grapes and denomination grapes increasingly narrowing.

Brunello: classic or modern? The debate continues. Producers and critics discuss the stylistic evolution of the 2021 vintage. Between traditionalists and modernists, President Bartolommei reiterates: "Brunello remains an austere wine."

Agriculture in difficulty in the Alessandria and Asti areas. Small farms and grape and wheat profitability are declining; fruit performance, however, is improving. The CIA calls it a "year with both lights and shadows."

National Agricultural Workers' Contract 2026–2029: Negotiations Underway. Trade unions and employers' organizations are meeting in Rome to discuss a renewal involving one million workers and 170,000 businesses.

Wine, health, and competitiveness: scientific rigor is needed. The public debate is increasingly dominated by narratives about alcohol-related risks. Giulio Divo's contribution calls for a reconstructed communication model based on data and the Mediterranean model.

International

Beware of US tariffs: Australia and New Zealand at risk. ISMEA simulations indicate that, despite the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, the competitiveness of Italian and French wines in the United States is unlikely to decline... but attention remains high.

NYT: The Best Bottles to Give as a Christmas Gift Eric Asimov selects wines, Champagnes, and spirits for all budgets, confirming the growing culture of wine gift giving.

US exports: producers crushed by tariffs, but consumer prices rise. UIV reports: while Italian and French producers reduce their price lists to offset the tariffs, American importers and distributors increase their margins. The estimated loss is €110 million.

Wine events

Conegliano-Valdobbiadene and Vulture: Cities of Wine 2026–2027 Two territories, 28 municipalities, a shared project that unites North and South through wine tourism and cultural promotion.

Wineries open at Christmas: tastings, tours, and workshops. From north to south, December is filled with events at wineries: guided tours, brunches, dinners, markets, and walks among the vineyards. In Veneto, Caorle hosts "Christmas Time"; Grezzana hosts "ReWine Winter Edition."

Bottega supports the UNESCO candidacy of Italian Cuisine. The Treviso-based distillery and winery is promoting the “Let's hope it's UNESCO” campaign in its 20 Prosecco Bars around the world.

Conclusion

Thank you for following today's press review, brought to you by WINEIDEA.IT . We'll meet again tomorrow with new news from the world of wine, in a sector that continues to navigate profound changes and new opportunities.