Wine press review for Saturday, April 18, 2026!

Italian wineries

Colle Santa Mustiola, the "off-the-map" Sangiovese that wins over Vinitaly. Among the most interesting wineries to emerge at the fair is Colle Santa Mustiola, a small Tuscan winery near Chiusi that has built its identity around Sangiovese, with a radical approach and long aging times. It's an example of a niche winery that focuses on stylistic consistency and distinctive positioning.

Fratelli Alessandria, Barolo Monvigliero 2022: elegance and precision. From Verduno comes one of the most refined interpretations of Barolo Monvigliero 2022: a refined aromatic profile, gentle tannins, and a strong connection to one of the appellation's most celebrated crus. A wine that confirms the value of historic terroirs and the wineries capable of expressing them with precision.

Lungarotti, Umbria's wine as a complete experience. Located between Torgiano and Montefalco, Lungarotti is presented as a model of integration between wine, hospitality, landscape, and culture. A concrete example of how a winery can extend its value beyond the bottle, transforming the land into an experience.

Cantine di Venosa, the return of the Dry Muscat Terre di Orazio 2004. An old tasting brings attention to a wine that stands out from the crowd: the Dry Muscat Terre di Orazio, a dry white wine from Lucania, still produced today by the historic Cantina di Venosa. A testament to its production identity and ability to endure over time.

Cav. Mennato Falluto awarded by the Prosit Guide. The Torrecuso winery stands out at Vinitaly thanks to the recognition it received in the Prosit Guide, with awards for its Aglianico del Taburno Riserva, Coda di Volpe, Falanghina, and other labels. This is a positive sign for Taburno and for wineries that promote native grape varieties.

The Sardinian wineries of the Sant'Isidoro District are presenting at Vinitaly. Mulleri, Cantine Fraponti, and Cantina di Quartu, together with the rural district of the Cagliari metropolitan area, have brought to Verona a model of territorial development based on networking, rural identity, and local culture. The centenary of Cantina di Quartu stands out.

Italian wine and Italian oenology

Vinitaly 2026 closes with positive results, but the sector remains under pressure. The 58th edition closed with approximately 90,000 attendees, 4,000 exhibitors, and professionals from 135 countries. However, the climate remains complex: some foreign attendance is declining, geopolitical tensions are weighing on the sector, and the slowdown in some strategic markets is weighing on it. For the sector, the message is clear: it's holding up, yes, but it's undergoing a reorganization phase.

CMO Promotion: €98 million for non-EU markets. The Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (MASAF) is bringing forward the new CMO Wine Promotion call for proposals for the 2026/27 marketing year and is making €98 million available to support internationalization. This is an important measure to help companies plan ahead for entry or consolidation in third-party markets.

New EU rules for no- and low-alcohol wines. The new EU Regulation 2026/471 introduces harmonized criteria for the labeling of dealcoholized and low-alcohol products. This is an important step because the no- and low-alcohol segment is increasingly becoming part of the strategic scope of European wine.

Organic wine: Italy confirms its global leadership. A quarter of the world's organic vineyards are located in Italy, with over 132,000 hectares of organic vineyards and approximately 3 million hectoliters produced. This data reinforces the country's position on sustainability, an increasingly central theme, including in commercial terms.

Organic Wine Labeling: Growing Attention to Regulatory Requirements The European regulatory framework is increasingly complex regarding organic wine labeling requirements: the inspection body, EU logo, origin of raw materials, and consistency of the ingredient list are becoming increasingly strategic elements for transparency and compliance.

Le Marche, a laboratory of Italian organic wine . Nearly 40% of the Marche region's vineyards are certified organic. Le Marche remains one of the most advanced regions in terms of agriculture, although the issue of converting organic value from the vineyard to the bottle and, therefore, to the market remains unresolved.

Producing less and better: the strategic direction emerging from Vinitaly. From discussions among operators, observers, and institutions, an increasingly clear direction emerges: less volume, more quality, a focus on niches, consumer focus, and new market models. This synthesis accurately describes the future trajectory of Italian wine.

Circana: Prosecco to be the top-selling wine in Trentino-Alto Adige in 2025. According to data presented at Vinitaly, the best-selling wines in Trentino-Alto Adige are Prosecco, Merlot, and Teroldego. Lagrein is also growing. This data confirms the importance of sparkling wines and the market's ability to reward both major national drivers and certain local labels.

Piedmont, Prosecco continues to dominate supermarkets. Prosecco is also the best-selling wine in Piedmont's large-scale retail trade, ahead of Barbera and Lambrusco. Nebbiolo is growing strongly. Modern retail continues to offer valuable insights into the true tastes of Italian consumers.

Puglia's rosés confirm quality and dynamism. According to Gambero Rosso, Puglia's best rosés signal a region undergoing rapid evolution, with a turnover of award-winning wineries and a qualitative growth that consolidates Puglia's role as an important laboratory for this type of wine.

Science, health, and wine: the International Academy of Healthy Drinking is born. A new front for reflection on the relationship between wine, health, and longevity has opened at Vinitaly. The goal is to bring the debate back to a scientific basis, avoiding simplifications and placing wine within a broader vision of lifestyle and food culture.

The energy cost of wine is becoming a strategic issue. Italian wineries are increasingly sensitive to energy issues, both due to the impact on margins and industrial sustainability. Technical and operational guidelines, also in light of the ENEA guidelines, are pushing for greater efficiency and cost reduction.

International

Vinitaly exceeds expectations, despite the international storm. The Verona show held up well, despite a challenging global context: geopolitical tensions, fears over tariffs, logistical blockades, and trade uncertainty accompanied the entire event. The sector is holding up, but feels the need for alternative markets and greater strategic protection.

Foreign markets and new routes: Italian wine looks beyond the US. The new CMO tender and the debate that emerged at the fair confirm that Italian wine must expand its reach into non-EU markets and diversify its risks. Mercosur, Australia, India, and other markets are becoming increasingly important in a period of high instability.

The Mediterranean in a glass: 11 wines that express a broad identity. A tasting dedicated to Mediterranean wines highlighted how sea, wind, light, and culture can become international keys and powerful narratives, capable of uniting diverse territories under a common winemaking sensibility.

Wine events

Vinitaly 2026 closed with 90,000 attendees and buyers from over 70 countries . The event confirmed its central role and international appeal. Beyond the numbers, the true value lies in the quality of demand, with selected top buyers and a significant international presence despite the challenging global environment.

"Excellence of Italy," a super tasting of great vintages. From Terlano to Bellavista, Quintarelli to Vietti, San Guido to Antinori, and Donnafugata: Vinitaly hosted a tasting event dedicated to Italy's great historic wineries and the iconic vintages that have shaped the country's wine.

90 bottles to tell the story of Italy's wine. A long journey from North to South through 90 labels offered a broad interpretation of the country's winemaking heritage, including territories, styles, innovation, packaging, and new consumer sensibilities.

The 10 unmissable wines tasted at Vinitaly 2026 From South Tyrolean Schiaves to the great Barolos, from the Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore to a 1988 Verdicchio Riserva and a historic Marsala: the most memorable tastings of the fair confirm the depth and breadth of the Italian and international offering present in Verona.

Wine tourism: visitors buy, but accessibility remains a key issue. Data presented at Vinitaly Tourism shows that over 77% of winery visitors purchase wine, with an average purchase price of around $100. However, transportation and the ease of access to wine regions, especially for foreign visitors, remain an issue.

Digital wine tourism: the connected winery becomes a necessity. Among the event's emerging themes is the digital transformation of winery hospitality: reservations, data management, experience personalization, and continuity of the visitor relationship become true competitive assets.

Parma takes center stage at Vinitaly. With stands, meetings, and a widespread presence of industry professionals, the Parma region carved out a prominent position at the fair, confirming the increasingly close connection between wine, gastronomy, and regional identity.

Final strategic summary: The day confirmed three key pillars. First, Vinitaly 2026 reaffirmed the solidity of Italian wine , but within a much more fragile and unstable international landscape. Second, sustainability, organic, energy, no/low alcohol, and labeling are no longer peripheral issues, but structural levers of competitiveness. Third, wine tourism, digitalization, and high-value niches remain crucial areas for building margins, direct relationships, and positioning.

Thanks for listening, we remind you that today's wine press review was brought to you by WINEIDEA.IT .

See you tomorrow.