Wine press review for Sunday, May 3, 2026!

Italian wineries

Masi celebrates Amarone with the Lunar New Year Horse Edition. Masi presents the 2020 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Costasera Lunar New Year Horse DOCG, the fourth wine in the collection dedicated to the Chinese zodiac. Designed for collectors and enthusiasts, this edition features wine quality and symbolic packaging that reinforce the brand's premium positioning.

Kellerei Andrian highlights Alto Adige Pinot Noir. Cantina Andriano, a historic cooperative in Alto Adige, presents the 2023 Pinot Noir Anrar Riserva, an expression of the finesse and elegance of the Pinzon vineyard. The partnership with Cantina Terlano continues to strengthen its identity, quality, and territorial recognition.

Broglia and the Cortese Monograph Project The Broglia winery confirms its role in Gavi through work begun in 1972 on selecting Cortese. Vineyard parceling, clone study, and the valorization of calcareous soils remain central to the company's identity.

MANVI Winery: From a personal dream to a winemaking project in Montepulciano. Puru and Sudha Manvi tell their entrepreneurial story, born from a passion for wine and landing on the hills of Montepulciano. Today, the winery produces Vino Nobile and other local wines, with a strong personal and international influence.

Pojer is preparing to launch a new winery in the Cembra Valley. Mario Pojer, along with his son Matteo, is preparing to launch a new winemaking project in the Cembra Valley. This decision reflects generational change and the desire to forge a unique path for Trentino wine.

Tenuta di Nozzole presents the Chianti Classico La Forra Riserva 2022 The Riserva La Forra 2022 confirms the strong profile of Tenuta di Nozzole, with a structured, savoury and profoundly territorial Chianti Classico.

Cantina Rosso del Borgo relaunches Cesanese with vineyard hospitality. In the heart of Ciociaria, Cantina Rosso del Borgo focuses on firsthand experiences among the vineyards, picnics, and stories of Cesanese del Piglio DOCG, confirming the growing importance of wine tourism in these distinctive regions.

Custodes Laureti, the winemakers who defend Loreto Aprutino. Five families of Abruzzo winemakers have transformed an environmental battle into a cultural project to promote their territory. The Custodes Laureti represent a concrete example of wine as a civic and landscape guardian.

Italian wine and Italian oenology

The Telegraph attacks Prosecco, but the market remains strong. A provocative article in the British newspaper harshly criticizes Prosecco, favoring Champagne and Cava. Stereotypes aside, the case confirms how the international success of Italian sparkling wines continues to generate debate and attention.

The Prosecco Consortium also protects the denomination in the United Kingdom. The Consortium has filed a new lawsuit against the improper use of the Prosecco name in the "Bella Principessa" case. This case confirms the importance of defending Italian denominations internationally.

Franciacorta: Wine, Tourism, and Real Estate Values. Franciacorta's economy continues to grow thanks to the Metodo Classico, wine tourism, and the value of its vineyards. The related industry generates over half a billion euros, confirming the region as one of Italy's most solid winemaking assets.

Langhe DOC seeks a new narrative The Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Dogliani Consortium has turned the spotlight on Langhe DOC, a broad and complex denomination that aims to tell its story not only through its wines, but as an expression of its terroir, landscape, and identity.

Italian White Wines: A Sensory Map of Native Varieties Created. An international study coordinated by the University of Naples Federico II analyzed 246 labels of 18 Italian varietals, creating a sensory atlas of native white wines. A useful tool for producers, consortia, buyers, and communication.

Altroconsumo awards two Italian white wines under €10. The 2024 Zavalloni Romagna Albana Secco DOCG takes first place in the test of 48 Italian white wines, also winning the Best Buy award. This confirms that quality and affordability can coexist.

Restaurant wine seeks new pricing models . The topic of markups remains central. According to Alessandro Ferrandi of La Coldana, the future lies in greater transparency and more balanced margins, to encourage bottle rotation and meet increasingly informed customers.

Blockchain and traceability for Cantina Valpeligna. The Abruzzo winery focuses on terroir, sustainability, and digital assurance to enhance ecotypes and territories. An example of how tradition and certification technologies can coexist.

Agricultural Contribution Relief for Adverse Weather 2021-2022 The Ministerial Decree of March 13, 2026, unlocks INPS contribution exemptions for agricultural businesses affected by weather events in 2021 and 2022, after a long period of regulatory uncertainty.

Workplace safety: Tragedy in a vineyard in Chiusa. Helmuth Gasser, owner of the Törggele farm, was crushed to death by an excavator that overturned on a steep slope. This incident once again highlights the urgent need for safety in agricultural operations.

International

Valais in difficulty: declining consumption and structural imbalance. The decline in wine consumption is hitting the Valais region hard. Provins SA reported a loss of nearly 6 million francs in 2025, highlighting an imbalance between demand and production that is weighing on prices and margins.

Ticino's highest wine is produced at 909 meters. In Scudellate, in the Muggio Valley, "909" is presented, an organic wine produced from hardy vineyards at 909 meters above sea level. A project that combines agricultural recovery, landscape, and local identity.

Wine events and wine tourism

Only Wine 2026: Young Producers' Manifesto Signed. At the Only Wine Wine Summit, the Manifesto of Young Producers and Small Wineries of Italy was born. This document calls for greater recognition of wine as a cultural, economic, and landscape asset.

Vinitaly 2026: Avvinando's top wines Among the best surprises highlighted by Avvinando are Collalto Conegliano Valdobbiadene Ponte Rosso, Torrepieve Chardonnay di Tenuta Santa Maria, and Merlot Decima Aurea, confirming the qualitative diversity that emerged during the fair.

Wine2Stay focuses on quality wine tourism. The platform highlights the potential of German-speaking wine tourists: 87% purchase wine at the winery after the experience, and the average cost can reach 180 euros per person including a visit, tasting, and overnight stay.

Castelli Romani: Wine tourism revitalizes Lazio wine. Wineries like Eredi dei Papi showcase the new face of Castelli Romani: organic wines, growing quality, and a strong tourist appeal for an area historically linked to wine culture.

The 2026 Garden Train, a historic journey through landscapes, food, and wine. On May 17, Friuli Venezia Giulia offers a historic rail route from Trieste to Sacile, exploring nature, culture, and food and wine traditions.

The first Sfogliatelle Menu is born with Cantina Tizzano SfogliateLab and Cantina Tizzano are launching a project pairing sweet and rustic sfogliatelle with Campania wines, transforming a symbol of Neapolitan tradition into a gastronomic experience at the table.

Final summary

Today's review confirms a wine sector increasingly torn between tensions and opportunities. On the one hand, there's declining consumption, price pressure, agricultural problems, and the need to protect denominations; on the other, there's the emergence of innovative wineries, regions growing thanks to wine tourism, new wine narratives, and modern tools such as traceability, sensory research, and experiential communication.

Italian wine remains strong when it successfully combines identity, quality, storytelling, and commercial vision. And this is precisely where the game will be played out in the coming years.

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