Wine press review for Friday, September 11, 2026!

Good morning,

Wine Idea presents the main news from the world of wine, wineries, and Italian and international oenology.

ITALIAN WINERIES

Follador wins two golds at CSWWC 2026

Follador dal 1769, a historic winery in Col San Martino in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene region, has won two gold medals at the 2026 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships and been included in Doctor Wine's 2027 Essential Guide to Italian Wines . These two awards strengthen the winery's qualitative and international positioning.

Pio Cesare expands the Alba cellar

After four years of construction, Pio Cesare inaugurates a major expansion in Alba, dedicated primarily to white wines. The total cellar space now exceeds 9,000 square meters , with new spaces connected to the historic structure dedicated to fine red wines.

Terre d'Aenòr: Franciacorta's 2026 harvest anticipated

The 2026 Terre d'Aenòr harvest began earlier than expected due to the weather. The organic winery harvested approximately 3,500 quintals of grapes . Initial evaluations indicate wines with structure, aromatic richness, and elegance.

Boroli chooses greater freedom with “Bianco” and “Rosso”

The Boroli Winery in Castiglione Falletto is launching "Bianco" and "Rosso," two wines outside the constraints of the Appellation. Chardonnay and Nebbiolo from the Villero hill give rise to a project that allows for greater freedom in selecting grapes, plots, and aging.

Vivo Cantine: Drought Effects Minimized

Drought has put pressure on the vineyards of the Marca Trevigiana. Vivo Cantine , a cooperative with approximately 2,000 members and over 6,000 hectares of vineyards, emphasizes how agronomic management has helped mitigate the effects of water scarcity and high temperatures.

Podere La Pace awarded by Falstaff

Podere La Pace's Prima Viola Toscana IGT 2025 , produced from Viognier and Chardonnay, obtained 92 Falstaff points , confirming the qualitative interest in Tuscan white productions.

ITALIAN WINE AND OENOLOGY

Trentodoc, a global leader in sparkling wines

Trentodoc confirms its position as one of the absolute protagonists of the international Classic Method, winning 35 gold medals at the 2026 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships. Ferrari Trento, Rotari, Altemasi, Cesarini Sforza, Marchesi Guerrieri Gonzaga and Maso Martis are among the leading wineries.

Large-scale retail trade: less wine, but Champagne and sparkling wines are growing

The Coop 2026 Report highlights a transformation in consumption. Between 2019 and 2026, wine sales in large-scale retail trade recorded a 9.7% decline in volume , while Champagne and sparkling wines recorded a 20.9% decline. Furthermore, 42% of Italians say they intend to reduce their alcohol consumption in the next 12-18 months.

Export: diversifying markets, customers, and channels

For Italian wineries, it's becoming increasingly important to reduce their dependence on individual markets, customers, and distribution channels . The United States, tariffs, logistics costs, geopolitics, and changing consumer behavior require a more comprehensive international strategy.

Etna DOC: growth, yes, but controlled

The Etna DOC continues to show strong dynamism: between 2019 and 2025, bottling grew by 200% . However, the Consortium maintains a restrictive policy on new plantings to protect the denomination's identity, production balance, and positioning.

Etna: quality and market must go hand in hand

Winemaker Calogero Statella emphasizes the commercial sustainability of Etna's growth. Quality remains high, but slowing consumption and increased market caution make the wineries' ability to sell and position themselves correctly crucial.

2026 Harvest: Extreme Heat and Early Harvest

High temperatures have significantly brought forward the 2026 harvest in many Italian regions. In several areas, lower quantities are expected, but accompanied by positive quality expectations.

Sicily: few grapes in the vineyards, plenty of wine in the cellars

Sicily faces a significant imbalance between production and inventory. As of July 31, approximately 2.69 million hectoliters of wine were held in regional cellars, while in some areas the harvest saw production declines of 30-40% .

Puglia: Over 4.2 million hectoliters in cellars

According to Alpaa Puglia, over 4.2 million hectoliters of wine are sitting in regional wineries. This situation brings to the forefront the issue of balancing production, demand, business liquidity, and the ability to promote the product.

Campania: Full cellars and slowing consumption

The third edition of Campania Wine brought together 101 wineries in Naples. Alongside the wealth of native grape varieties, the need for greater collaboration among producers emerges in a period characterized by weaker consumption and high inventories.

New European rules for packaging and waste

EU Regulation 2025/40 (PPWR) also directly affects the wine sector. Among the relevant aspects are new instructions for identifying the manufacturer on packaging, including through digital tools such as QR codes.

Wine resort: wine becomes an experience

Winery-related hospitality continues to grow. From Franciacorta to Sicily, from Piedmont to Friuli, vineyards, historic cellars, and rural residences are becoming wine resorts and wine tourism destinations , expanding the economic value of the company beyond the mere sale of a bottle.

INTERNATIONAL

Japan: Paper wine bottle tested

The Institute of Enology and Viticulture at Yamanashi University is experimenting with the "efbottle," a container made primarily of waterproof paper with an internal bag. A full bottle weighs about 780 grams, compared to 1.14 kg for a traditional bottle, a weight reduction of more than 30%.

Champagne 2026: Early Harvest and High Quality Expectations

The Champagne harvest concluded almost two weeks earlier than expected in 2025. The grapes are described as healthy, ripe, and balanced, despite low yields. According to initial assessments, some parameters are reminiscent of great historic vintages of the 20th century, although the evolution of the wines will determine the vintage's true value.

Vinitaly.USA: Over 400 buyers already registered

The third edition of Vinitaly.USA , scheduled for New York on October 26 and 27, 2026 , has already attracted over 400 buyers , including importers, distributors, and HORECA operators. Space for approximately 300 exhibitors at Pier 36 is sold out, confirming the centrality of the United States for Italian wine.

WINE EVENTS

OltreGusto – Oltrepò Land of Pinot Noir

The event on September 7 and 8 in Voghera featured 32 wineries, 18 restaurants, 18 Michelin-starred chefs, over 100 labels, and approximately 1,400 guests . A new Oltrepò Pavese wine map created by Alessandro Masnaghetti was also presented.

Vinòforum 2026 towards the grand finale

In Rome, Vinòforum continues until Sunday, September 13th in Piazza di Siena, featuring chefs, pizza makers, producers, and industry professionals. Among the highlights is the national final of La Città della Pizza 2026 .

ViVa – Valtellina Wines 2026

Sondrio hosts the second edition of ViVa – Vini Valtellina , an event dedicated to local wine production with wineries, producers, tastings, meetings and events spread throughout the area.

Taste Lazio

From September 11th to 27th, Santa Severa Castle hosts three weekends dedicated to regional food and wine excellence. Wine, olive oil, traditional products, and cuisine showcase the five provinces of Lazio.

Grape and Wine Show in Bastia Mondovì

The event dedicated to the grape harvest and winemaking culture of the Monregalese and Langhe regions returns on September 12th and 13th , with the aim of promoting the connection between vineyards, land, and community.

Technology and wine in the Langhe

On September 13th, at Cantina Clavesana , the “AGROTECH – Technology meets agriculture” initiative explores the relationship between innovation, viticulture, and winemaking processes.

Cristofori Wine Collection

The Colli Euganei Wine Consortium renews its collaboration with the Padua International Piano Festival. On September 17th, a magnum from the Cristofori Wine Collection containing the Colli Euganei Riserva 2021 "Notte di Galileo" will be delivered.

Villa di Maser: learning to taste

Three evening sessions in October with "Alcoholic Conversations: The Art of Tasting!" , a journey dedicated to understanding wine through color, aromas, taste, and the ability to convey sensations in the glass.

THE SIGNAL OF THE DAY

The news of September 11th tells of an industry that is moving on two speeds .

On the one hand, there are high inventories, more cautious consumption, early harvests due to the weather, and growing pressure on wineries' sales capacity . On the other, areas capable of creating value continue to grow: Classic Method, strongly identifiable denominations, wine tourism, innovation, internationalization, and market diversification.

The key point is becoming increasingly clear: simply producing quality wine is no longer enough. It's important to know how to position it, sell it, and transform it into value.

For wineries, the challenge of the coming years will be to find a new balance between production, market, territorial identity, profitability and investment capacity .

Today's wine press review is brought to you by WINEIDEA.IT.

See you tomorrow.