Wine press review for Monday, October 12, 2026!

Good morning,

Italian wineries, wine market, enology, exports, innovation, and food and wine events.

Prosecco DOC is growing in China, the 2026 harvest confirms the importance of climate adaptation, and Italian wineries are seeking new strategies to win over consumers, especially young ones. Meanwhile, agricultural costs are rising, while wine tourism, native grape varieties, and the valorization of local areas are opening up new opportunities.

Here are the main news from the Italian and international wine sector.

1. Italian wineries: companies, productions, and new initiatives

Poderi Luigi Einaudi: an early but balanced 2026 harvest. In Piedmont, the harvest began on August 25th with Dolcetto and concluded on October 4th with Nebbiolo destined for Barolo. High initial temperatures required harvests during the cooler hours, while September rains favored the balance between acidity, sugars, and ripeness.

Tenute Polini revives Garofanata with a Classic Method. In Carassai, in the Marche region, the family-run winery led by Francesca and Simone Polini is showcasing the ancient native Garofanata grape variety with "Leggerezza," a 2014 Classic Method Brut. This project combines the restoration of biodiversity, long aging, and artisanal production.

Terre di Sava: Award-winning Apulian Vermentino distributed in large-scale retail outlets. The Salento-based winery's Vermentino, priced around €12, earned 93 points in Gambero Rosso's 2026 BereBene Guide. Terre di Sava, known for its Notte Rossa brand, has approximately 500 hectares of vineyards and produces 6 million bottles annually, which are also distributed in Italian supermarkets.

Fattoria Sardi celebrates one hundred years of winemaking. The historic estate in the Colline Lucchesi (Lucca Hills) celebrates its centennial, from 1926 to 2026. Today, it is led by winemakers Matteo Giustiniani and Mina Samouti, who continue the family tradition by enhancing the terroir, vineyards, and company identity.

Le Masiere presents Ol Moran solidarity Prosecco. A Brut Millesimato DOCG is being produced in Valdobbiadene, in a limited edition of 2,000 bottles. Proceeds will support the Tumaini Academy, a school at Ol Moran's Venetian mission in Kenya. The presentation is scheduled for October 23rd in Castelcucco, in the province of Treviso.

Arillo in Terrabianca launches Connesso 2022. From the Colle Brezza Estate in Pienza comes a pure Sangiovese, produced exclusively in 1,900 numbered magnums. The wine ages for 24 months in French oak and, through its label inspired by a fossilized shell, tells the geological history of the Val d'Orcia.

Marisa Cuomo: The 2025 Furore Bianco DOC speaks of the Amalfi Coast. Made from Falanghina and Biancolella grapes, the wine expresses Furore's unique terraced viticulture. Freshness, citrus notes, and Mediterranean aromas confirm the connection between winemaking quality and terroir.

Passo delle Tortore opens its doors to enthusiasts. The Campania winery, linked to the De Girolamo family, has organized a day of presentations of its wines, with the participation of producers, members, and guests from the entertainment world and institutions.

2. Italian wine and oenology: market, consumption, costs and innovation

Milan Wine Week: 84% of Italian families purchase wine. According to NielsenIQ data presented at the event, wine is purchased by 84% of Italian families, with over 600 million liters sold. The supply chain employs approximately 500,000 people. Average spending per purchase is rising, a sign of greater attention to value and quality.

Freschello is changing its communication to appeal to Generation Z. The Vicenza-based winery Cielo e Terra is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary with the "Stai Freschello!" music campaign, featuring music videos, humor, and social media. The goal is to make wine more accessible to younger generations, transcending formalism and traditional communication.

Agricultural diesel: sharp price increases are worrying businesses. According to reports, the price of agricultural diesel has reached €1.65 per liter, with significant repercussions on production costs. In Umbria, some companies are reporting difficulties managing their crops.

Sandro Bottega is sounding the alarm on fuel prices. The CEO of Bottega Spa warns that rising energy and logistics costs could impact the company's year-end turnover by 5% to 10%, according to his estimates. Road transport is particularly critical, with diesel prices hovering around €2.25 per liter.

Rauscedo, the world capital of vine cuttings. The Friulian municipality of San Giorgio della Richinvelda produces approximately 95 million vine cuttings annually, accounting for 80% of Italy's total production. The sector generates €180 million in revenue and employs 2,000 people. Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo's research focuses on rootstocks resistant to climate stress and new solutions for grapevine diseases.

Etna Bianco: Milo attracts attention for its elegance and longevity. On the eastern slopes of Etna, the altitude, climate, and soil composition favor white wines characterized by aromatic complexity, freshness, and aging potential. Gambero Rosso's awards confirm the growing interest in the volcano's white wines.

Puglia: Red wines are evolving toward freshness and drinkability. Gambero Rosso's selection of the 26 best reds highlights a stylistic transformation: less concentration, more restrained use of oak, and greater balance. Primitivo, Negroamaro, and Nero di Troia remain key, while there is growing interest in rosés and native grape varieties.

Wine promotion in third-party countries: regional ranking approved for 2026/2027. With a provision dated September 24, 2026, published on October 5, the Puglia Region approved the ranking of regional projects with favorable assessment results for the 2026/2027 wine year.

3. International: exports and foreign markets

Prosecco DOC: exports to China over 30%. In the first half of 2026, exports to China increased by over 30% compared to the same period in 2025. The Chinese market still represents a limited share of the denomination's overall exports, with volumes estimated at around one million bottles annually, but it offers interesting growth prospects.

The Prosecco DOC Consortium also organized masterclasses in Beijing, together with two local universities, for over 100 Chinese students, exploring the Martinotti Method, tasting, and mixology.

Austria: The Best Grüner Veltliner Reserves 2026. Falstaff has published the selection of 156 wines from the "Grüner Veltliner Reserve Trophy 2026" tasting, evaluated using the 100-point system. A reference for understanding the interpretations of one of Austria's leading white grape varieties.

4. Wine events, wine tourism and territories

Padua Food Fair | October 11–18

The Colli Euganei DOC red wines, made from Merlot, Cabernet, and Carménère, are the stars of the event. On October 12th, Caffè Pedrocchi will host a tasting dedicated to pairing them with the traditional Gallina Padovana.

Open Cellars During Harvest | Until October 25th

Wineries participating in the Wine Tourism Movement offer vineyard tours, tastings, harvest experiences, and meetings with producers. The initiative promotes experiential wine tourism and the involvement of families and young people.

Terre di Pisa Food & Wine Festival | October 16–18

Eighty-seven exhibitors are expected in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, showcasing local agricultural and artisanal products. The initiative, previewed in Bologna together with Il Desco, promotes Tuscan food and wine and tourism.

Sips and Stories of Beauty | Mormanno, October 22–25

Four days dedicated to Pollino wines, Calabrian products, and food culture, with cooking demonstrations, meetings with producers, guided tours, and workshops.

Treviso: tourism growth in 2026. In the first seven months of the year, the destination recorded 1,328,337 overnight stays (3.7%) and 624,727 arrivals (2.2%). These figures also bode well for wine tourism in the Prosecco region.

Tuscany: four autumn itineraries featuring wine, villages, and landscapes. From Val d'Orcia to Siena, from Maremma to Arezzo, autumn tourism highlights vineyards, new wine, castles, and culinary traditions.

Monteleone d'Orvieto: rural hospitality and food tourism. This Umbrian village offers experiences among truffles, vineyards, and olive groves. Among the new accommodations is The Monteleone, a boutique hotel inaugurated in April 2026, reclaiming a 19th-century farmhouse.

Rome: Pierre wine bar opens on October 13th. The Calabresi family's new establishment offers a selection of wines built over two generations, complemented by casual dining.

Rauscedo celebrates "The Roots of Wine." The Friulian event recounts the history of nursery production and addresses topics such as resistant grape varieties, dealcoholized wines, cooperatives, and innovation, with visits to the Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo research center.

5. Agriculture and related production

Marche: The olive harvest begins. Coldiretti Macerata predicts a positive season, especially for the quality of the oil, favored by reduced olive fly pressure during the hot summer. The indicative price of local extra virgin olive oil is around 15 euros per liter. Interest in oil mill tours and direct sales is also growing.

The Industry Outlook | October 12, 2026

Five important signals emerge from today's news for producers, entrepreneurs, and investors.

• Export: Prosecco DOC finds new growth opportunities in China, confirming the importance of market diversification.
• Consumption: Wine maintains a significant presence in Italian households, but languages, consumption occasions, and preferences are changing.
• Industrial costs: energy, fuel, and logistics are putting pressure on the profitability of agricultural and winemaking businesses.
• Innovation: nursery research, recovery of native vines, and climate adaptation are becoming increasingly important factors.
• Wine tourism: hospitality, local culture, and hands-on experiences at the winery represent opportunities for diversification and business growth.

The QUIDQUID – FORBUS reflection

The Italian wine sector continues to embody quality, tradition, and entrepreneurial savvy, but must contend with a more selective market and rising costs.

For wineries today, simply producing good wine is not enough. It's crucial to understand product profitability, strengthen distribution, develop new markets, and leverage underutilized company resources.

For investors, a company's ability to adapt to these changes is an important consideration when evaluating acquisition and development opportunities.

WINEIDEA NEWS – October 12, 2026

Wine press review provided by WINEIDEA.IT, dedicated to news from Italian wineries, Italian and international wine, oenology, markets, and industry events.

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