Wine press review for Monday, September 21, 2026!

Good morning,

Wine Idea presents the main news from the world of wine, viticulture, and oenology in Italy and internationally.

ITALIAN WINERIES

Luigi Einaudi Estates: Dogliani and its Langhe roots

Dolcetto di Dogliani represents one of the deepest ties between Poderi Luigi Einaudi and the Langhe region. It was in Dogliani that Luigi Einaudi purchased his first lands, laying the foundations for the winery. A name that continues to represent history, family identity, and a connection to the land.

Ongaresca takes Pinot Noir to 120 months on the lees

The Ongaresca winery, located in Costabissara in the Lessinia area near Vicenza, presents Centoventi 2014 , a Metodo Classico Pas Dosé made from 100% Pinot Noir, aged for 120 months on the lees. Production is limited to 2,900 bottles and 96 numbered magnums. This project was born to study the evolutionary potential of the company's sparkling wines.

Marchesi di Barolo featured on Sky Arte

The historic Marchesi di Barolo winery will be featured in the docu-series BEVI – The Art of Winemaking on Sky Arte on September 26th. The episode, "Guardians of a Legend," recounts six generations of the Abbona family, including historic wineries, Langhe vineyards, Barolo Castle, and hospitality.

The "Futurist Winery" is born in Treviso

A new 750-square-meter food and wine business, conceived by brothers Enrico and Alberto Fagotto, has opened on Via Fonderia in Treviso. The facility integrates wine production, an open cellar, and a restaurant, offering a model that unites wine, architecture, nature, and the consumer experience.

Cirò Bianco: Promoting Native Calabrian Grape Varieties

Caparra & Siciliani's 2024 Cirò Bianco Curiale , produced from Greco Bianco and Pecorello and vinified in steel, draws attention to the potential of Calabrian whites and the growing appreciation of the region's native grape varieties.

ITALIAN WINE AND ITALIAN OENOLOGY

2026 Harvest: Barolo's Earliest Harvest Ever

In the Langhe, Nebbiolo for Barolo began to be harvested in early September. According to producers, 2026 will be an exceptionally early harvest. The main challenge remains preserving elegance, freshness, and balance despite high temperatures and accelerated ripening.

The climate changes, the style of Italian wine changes.

Higher temperatures, drought, and early ripening are changing strategies in the vineyard and cellar. At the same time, market tastes are changing: a growing portion of Italian production now focuses on freshness, tension, fragrance, lower extraction, and greater drinkability , scaling back the model of highly concentrated, oak-driven wines.

365 winemakers share their experiences addressing climate change

The Almanac of Wine Artisans – The Climate Challenge collects the experiences of 365 Italian winemakers , from the Aosta Valley to Sicily. The volume offers a concrete overview of the practices adopted by organic, biodynamic, and natural producers to cope with early harvests, rising temperatures, and climate change.

Heroic Vineyards: Harvest, Landscape, and Land Protection

Harvesting in mountain vineyards highlights the value of so-called heroic viticulture , characterized by steep slopes, difficult mechanization, and predominantly manual harvesting. Beyond wine production, these vineyards play an important role in landscape conservation and the protection of fragile territories.

Edmund Mach Foundation creates the first grape metabolomic atlas.

The Edmund Mach Foundation has created the first global metabolomic atlas of grape varieties. The study analyzed 126 international varieties , classifying them based on the grape's molecular composition. The goal is to provide researchers and winemakers with new tools to understand the relationship between genetic heritage and the characteristics expressed by grape varieties.

Barolo and Brunello: two great appellations compared

At Serralunga Day , 14 Barolos from the Serralunga d'Alba crus and 14 Brunello di Montalcino wines were compared across various vintages, dating back to the 1990s. The initiative consolidates the collaboration between the two Consortia and offers a comparison of the two appellations' capacity for evolution, territorial identity, and longevity.

CMO Promotion: €28.5 million for non-EU markets

The provisional national ranking for the 2026/2027 CMO Wine Promotion program provides €28.5 million in funding for 15 eligible projects, out of a total expenditure of approximately €64.9 million . The resources are earmarked for the promotion of Italian wine in third-party countries and are in addition to the funds managed at the regional level.

Safety in the cellar: tragedy during must fermentation

In Partinico, near Palermo, a mother and her 22-year-old son were found dead in an underground cellar. According to initial reports, the death was related to fumes produced by the fermentation of must. The incident highlights the risks of enclosed spaces during winemaking and the need for adequate ventilation and safety procedures.

Ozone for sanitizing cellars

Among the technologies proposed for sanitizing winemaking environments, the use of ozone is growing, used for surfaces, environments, and wooden containers. Dedicated systems aim to reduce the use of chemicals, water consumption, and sanitization times.

WINE MARKET, TERRITORIES AND TRENDS

Brunello di Montalcino is featured in James Suckling's Top 100

Eredi Fuligni's 2021 Brunello di Montalcino takes first place in James Suckling's 2026 Top 100 Wines of Italy . The selection includes a total of twelve Brunellos, all from the 2021 vintage, highlighting the appellation's strong presence in the American critic's ranking.

Franciacorta present with two Classic Method wines in the Top 100

The same international selection includes Barone Pizzini's Riserva Bagnadore 2017 and Guido Berlucchi's Cuvée Franco Ziliani Riserva 2011. These are the two Metodo Classico wines included in the Top 100 listed by the source.

Umbria: regional wine becomes more diverse

The 2027 Tre Bicchieri snapshot shows an increasingly diverse Umbrian winemaking landscape. Alongside traditional, structured reds, wines geared towards greater freshness and drinkability, characterful whites, and revitalized native varietals are emerging. Sagrantino is also experiencing a stylistic evolution toward more precise tannin management.

Conegliano Valdobbiadene: Territory, People, and the Future of the DOCG

A new column dedicated to Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG explores the Consortium's work, viticulture, the UNESCO landscape, sustainability, research, and international promotion strategies. The goal is to showcase wine as an expression of a territorial and production system.

World Winery Map photographs the world's terroir

The new World Winery Map platform lists over 4.3 million vineyards and more than 104,000 wineries in 90 countries , integrating information on altitude, exposure, slope, climate, and soil characteristics. Among the data reported, Calabrian vineyards are on average warmer during the growing season than those in Champagne.

BolognaFiere strengthens its presence in the wine and food sector

With its 49.9% stake in Gambero Rosso Holding , BolognaFiere strengthens its position in the wine and agri-food sector. This acquisition is part of a process that includes collaborations with Slow Wine, Slow Food, and FIVI, as well as events such as the Slow Wine Fair, the Independent Winemakers' Market, and the Champagne Experience.

WINE TOURISM, CULTURE AND WINE-RELATED EVENTS

Franciacorta in Cantina Festival: estimated attendance of approximately 60,000

The 2026 edition of Franciacorta in Cantina involved 72 wineries with tastings, tours, and food events. According to initial estimates from the Consortium, attendance is expected to reach around 60,000 , confirming the growing importance of wine tourism for the region.

Turin's Salone del Gusto: Great Italian Wines Take Center Stage

To celebrate Slow Food's 40th anniversary , Turin hosts tastings, Taste Workshops, and meetings with leading Italian producers, including historic names like Gaja and Ceretto. The program focuses on wine, producers, local area, and food culture.

Slow Wine 2027: Presentation of the Snails

On October 17, 2026 , at SuperstudioMaxi in Milan, a tasting dedicated to the producers awarded by the Slow Wine 2027 guide will be held. The “Snails” identify wineries considered by the guide to be particularly representative of the organoleptic, territorial and environmental values promoted by Slow Food.

Cinque Terre: Conference on Vines, Landscape, and Biodiversity

On October 20th , the conference "Vine, Landscape, and Functional Biodiversity" will be held at the Cinque Terre Winery in Groppo di Riomaggiore. The meeting will focus on the historical and cultural value of heroic viticulture, ecological dynamics, and strategies for managing and conserving winegrowing territories.

Unusual Marsala 2026

From September 30th to October 4th, Insolito Marsala returns, with five days dedicated to wine, hospitality, culture, and the local area between Marsala, Trapani, Favignana, Paceco, and Erice. The program includes tastings, training sessions, tours, exhibitions, pop-up wine shops, and local experiences.

Grape and Cellar Festival on Giglio Island

From September 24th to 27th, 2026 , Giglio Castello will host the traditional Grape and Cellar Festival. Four days dedicated to local wines, food, music, and exploring the medieval village.

Vo' Grape Festival

At the Grape Festival in Vo', the Ragazzi della Porta Accanto group won first prize with their Peter Pan-inspired float "Growing Without Stopping Flying." The event confirms the connection between popular culture, the grape harvest, and the local area.

Val di Fiemme and Cembra: wine, food, and wine to deseasonalise tourism

The Trentino valleys are focusing on an autumn calendar that combines food and wine, heroic viticulture, trekking, culture, and wellness . The goal is to extend the tourist season beyond the traditional summer and winter periods, showcasing local products and identities.

INTERNATIONAL, INNOVATION AND WINE EXPERIENCE

Coravin: the innovation created to help you drink a glass of wine without opening the bottle.

At Vinòforum 2026, Greg Lambrecht , founder of Coravin, recounted the birth of the system he designed in 1999 for dispensing wine without removing the cork. Born out of a personal need, the project has evolved into a technology used internationally by restaurants, sommeliers, and enthusiasts.

Technology, data, and climate are reshaping the future of wine.

From the Edmund Mach Foundation's metabolomic atlas to geospatial vineyard maps, viticulture research is increasingly using climate, territorial, and scientific data . Climate change makes this information strategic for guiding varietal choices, vineyard management, and winemaking techniques.

PICTURE OF THE DAY

The review of 21 September 2026 highlights four directions that are characterising the wine sector: adaptation to climate change, evolution of consumption styles, growth of wine tourism and greater use of research and technology .

The early Barolo harvest and the experiences of Italian winemakers demonstrate how the climate is significantly impacting production. At the same time, the search for fresher, more balanced, and territorial wines is growing.

On the economic front, the €28.5 million in investments from the OCM Promotion confirms the centrality of international markets, while BolognaFiere's strengthening of its wine & food presence signals a growing integration between wine, communications, trade fairs, and promotion.

Finally, the attendance recorded at local events and the success of events such as Franciacorta in Cantina confirm that the value of Italian wine is increasingly built through an integrated system of product, territory, hospitality, culture and experience .

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

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