Wine press review for Saturday, March 28, 2026!

Italian wineries

Antinori, the No. 1 European brand and No. 2 overall in the world. In Drinks International 's 2026 ranking of "The World's Most Admired Wine Brands," Antinori takes second place overall globally, confirming its position as the leading European wine brand. Italy features prominently, with seven wineries in the Top 50, including Gaja and Ornellaia, confirming the strong reputation of Italian wine on international markets.

Roco Winery, controlled by the Marzotto family, continues to grow in Oregon. Heritage USA continues its expansion in the Willamette Valley with the acquisition of the Domaine Lumineux vineyards. This acquisition strengthens the Marzotto family's position in one of the most prestigious areas for American Pinot Noir and confirms an increasingly focused and structured international investment strategy.

Bonarda Distretto launches the #lamossaperfetta project website. The digital platform dedicated to promoting sparkling Bonarda from Oltrepò Pavese has launched online. Video interviews, editorial content, and insights reinforce a project that focuses on identity, a complete supply chain, production quality, and local recognition.

Col Vetoraz brings the full strength of Valdobbiadene DOCG to Vinitaly. The Treviso-based winery is presenting its full range of sparkling wines at Vinitaly 2026, reaffirming its connection to one of the most iconic regions of Italian sparkling wine. The message is clear: elegance, stylistic consistency, and a strong sense of territorial identity remain the brand's distinctive assets.

Inserrata, the contemporary winery in San Miniato, Tuscany. Inserrata's profile is growing, combining organic farming, aesthetic research, and cultural vision. A model of independent winemaking, it interprets wine as an agricultural, environmental, and identity-building project.

La Baia del Sole, an affordable Vermentino between Liguria and Tuscany. The Federici family continues to promote the Luni area with a product line centered on native grape varieties and a viticulture rooted in local history. An example of how quality, recognizability, and a balanced price can effectively coexist.

Podere Sapaio, Bolgheri, and Bibbona as seen by Massimo Piccin. The company confirms its high-end profile with a production philosophy based on precision, elegance, and expressive simplicity. The entrepreneurial story highlights a consistent trajectory of value creation in one of the strongest Tuscan wine regions.

Sesti and the 2021 Brunello di Montalcino. Giuseppe Maria Sesti's winery, now led by his daughter Elisa, continues to be a benchmark for those seeking wines with a strong territorial identity and a sensitive approach to farming. The 2021 Brunello stands out for its vivacity, aromatic finesse, and depth of flavor.

Cantina San Bernardo, 800 years of history and a solid production vocation. In Poncarale, the Botti family recounts a business that combines historical heritage, agricultural work, respect for the environment, and a range of products capable of covering diverse consumer segments. It's an example of a winery deeply rooted in the local area and in a direct relationship with its customers.

Talosa at Vinitaly 2026 with a memorable vertical tasting. The historic Montepulciano winery has chosen to highlight its quality journey through a vertical tasting of Pieve Le Grazie. This initiative strengthens Talosa's position in the contemporary narrative of Vino Nobile.

Carpi and Sorbara Winery, Focus on Business Continuity : A delicate phase is dawning on the cooperative front in Emilia: institutional demands are emerging to safeguard the historic winery's operations, its members, and the value built around iconic appellations such as Lambrusco di Sorbara, Salamino, and Pignoletto.

Cantine La Contea takes center stage with the "Il Viaggio del Salmone" event . On Mount Etna, the winery becomes the stage for a project that combines fine dining, regional storytelling, and wine experiences. This formula demonstrates how advanced wine tourism can generate value even through unconventional collaborations.

Italian wine and Italian oenology

Italian wine remains optimistic despite the challenges. Amid geopolitical difficulties, pressure on consumption, and climate challenges, the sector continues to demonstrate its ability to adapt. The emerging message is one of confidence: Italian wine has already demonstrated its ability to transform crises into opportunities for recovery and innovation.

Italians are drinking less wine, but better. Data from the UIV-Vinitaly Observatory indicates that Italian consumers number approximately 30 million, equal to 55% of the population. Daily consumption is declining, especially among older age groups, while occasional consumption is increasing. The picture confirms a structural transformation: less quantity, more attention to quality and the consumption context.

The wine market, between stable value and declining volumes. The UIV-Vinitaly 2025 Observatory depicts a €14 billion sector, with an overall impact on the economy of €45 billion. Large-scale retail trade is holding steady in value but still losing volume; sparkling wines are growing, reds are declining, and whites are stable. The system remains highly important economically, but with evident tensions on the demand side.

Wine risks becoming a luxury good. The UCI is raising the alarm about the gap between producer prices and final prices, especially when consumed outside the home. The risk is that wine will gradually lose its role as an accessible, everyday product, sliding toward increasingly occasional consumption, perceived as elitist.

Increasingly expensive away from home: the perceived gap is growing. Despite having seen lower price increases than other food products, wine is perceived by consumers as more expensive, especially in restaurants. This signal raises questions throughout the supply chain regarding value, margin distribution, and commercial sustainability.

The decline in exports is a strategic signal that should not be underestimated. The slowdown in exports is not seen as a full-blown crisis, but as an important indicator of change. Historical markets appear more mature and selective, while emerging ones require new, more focused, and less opportunistic strategies.

Tuscan wine, tradition and the need for reinvention. Tuscany's wine scene is described as a system called upon to combine history and adaptation. Tariffs, climate, and the slowdown of the American market are pushing toward a "creative resistance," where territorial identity must be defended, but also reinterpreted with strategic clarity.

Capital in a Bottle: The Value of Wine as an Economic and Political Construction. A broader reflection emphasizes how the value of Italian wine depends not only on the myth of its origins, but also on processes of economic, regulatory, and symbolic construction. Territory, therefore, is not just a legacy: it is also the result of market choices and dynamics.

No more incomprehensible pairings: a new interpretation of the wine-food relationship. The debate on pairings is shifting from rigid frameworks to more intuitive and comprehensible criteria. The focus is shifting toward a cultural simplification that makes wine more accessible to a contemporary audience, less inclined to accept overly specialized codes.

The Valpolicella appassimento technique nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status. The Ministry of Culture has also included the Valpolicella appassimento grape practice among the new UNESCO nominations. This is a significant step, as it highlights not just a wine, but agricultural and cultural knowledge that can further leverage its international recognition.

The dispute over Piedmont cooperatives sparks debate. Matteo Ascheri's comments on the Piedmont wine crisis provoke a harsh response from Vite Colte president Piero Quadrumolo. The debate brings to the forefront the role of cooperatives, supplier remuneration, and the tensions currently affecting some highly renowned production areas.

170 years of the Meregalli Group: distribution, market, and future vision. The historic Italian distribution group reaffirms its approach: innovate, understand trends, and keep wine at the center of a culture of conscious drinking. This important testimony to the growing role of distribution in building value.

Osteria senz'Oste, rural charm transformed into a local story. In the heart of Cartizze, nestled in the hills of Valdobbiadene, a unique format continues to generate buzz: no innkeeper, no traditional service, but an experience built on trust, landscape, and simplicity. A case study that demonstrates the power of wine when it meets authenticity and storytelling.

International

Dutch market: good wine isn't enough: style and storytelling are needed. A very clear message emerges from Amsterdam for Italian wineries: product alone is no longer enough. According to importer Michele Conte, sustainability, identity, and brand consistency can grow in the Netherlands, but generic and poorly targeted offerings must be avoided.

Australian and Brazilian Prosecco: An Open Challenge in the Field of Geographical Indications. Australia and Brazil continue to use the Prosecco name for local production, confirming that international protection of denominations remains a crucial issue for Italian wine. The case highlights an increasingly strong tension between global recognition of the name and legal protection of origin.

Strasbourg honors Italian wines in international competitions. At "The World White Wines Contest" and related competitions, Italian labels once again take center stage. Beyond the awards, the cultural value of themes such as ungrafted vines, capable of uniting historical memory and contemporaneity, stands out.

Wine events

Vinitaly 2026 approaches with key data and signals for the sector. The Roman presentation of the next edition of Vinitaly highlighted the evolution of Italian consumption and the changing consumer profile. The fair confirms its position not only as a commercial event, but also as a strategic market analysis platform.

Epoca di Vino in Viserba: vintage cars, tastings, and entertainment. The Viserba Tourist Committee is organizing two days dedicated to wine and vintage cars, with tastings, food and wine stands, music, and a parade along the seafront. A popular event that combines conviviality, local culture, and local attractions.

Gambero Rosso returns to Amsterdam. The Dutch leg of the tour reconnected Italian wineries, importers, sommeliers, and restaurateurs. This event was a valuable opportunity to consolidate business relationships and test the sentiment of an increasingly attractive Northern European market.

Talosa and Col Vetoraz focus on Vinitaly as a positioning showcase. The initiatives of the two wineries clearly demonstrate how today's presence at the fair is not just about display, but also about storytelling: verticality, range, brand identity and valorization of the terroir become tools for differentiation.

“The Salmon's Journey” on Etna The event organized with Upstream at Cantine La Contea confirms the growth of experiential formats in which wine, excellent cuisine, and landscape become part of a single proposal with high perceived value.