Wine press review for Tuesday, August 11, 2026!

Good morning,

Italian wine is entering the heart of the 2026 harvest with a two-tiered scenario. On the one hand, innovation, sustainability, growth in wine tourism, and investments by the most established wineries are emerging; on the other, concerns about inventory levels, slowing consumption, and the need to rebalance production and demand are growing. The inventory problem is particularly evident in Tuscany, where unsold stock equivalent to about a year and a half of production is reported.

ITALIAN WINERIES

The wine giants: 27 companies with revenues exceeding €100 million. The concentration of Italian wine continues. In 2024 , 27 wineries will have revenues exceeding €100 million , while 14 will exceed €200 million. Riunite & Civ leads the way, followed by Argea, Italian Wine Brands, Caviro, and Antinori. The large groups are thus assuming increasing influence, especially on international markets.

Vistorta looks to the future with a new winery. The historic Brandolini d'Adda family estate, on the border between Veneto and Friuli, encompasses approximately 140 hectares of agricultural land and about thirty hectares of vineyards. Production is organic, and plans call for a new winery by 2028. Nals Margreid showcases Alto Adige through three wines. Sirmian Pinot Bianco, Mantele Sauvignon, and Punggl Pinot Grigio represent three different regions and altitudes of Alto Adige, with a product line strongly rooted in gastronomy and local expertise. Castagner is growing despite the spirits crisis. The Veneto distillery surpasses €14 million in revenue , with an EBITDA of more than 10% of revenue net of excise taxes. In large-scale retail trade, which accounts for 65% of the business, it posted 6.6% in value and 4.6% in volume, while the Italian grappa market continues to contract. Corte Laureana focuses on sparkling wines and local products. The Serpico family's winery in Cilento develops a winemaking experience that combines winemaking and hospitality. There are eight labels in total, including sparkling wines, semi-sparkling wines, and still wines. Gozzelino: Monferrato, identity, and family. In Costigliole d'Asti, Sergio and Lorenzo Gozzelino showcase Barbera and Grignolino through a project that connects wine, a UNESCO World Heritage site, hospitality, and the renovation of tasting spaces.

ITALIAN WINE AND OENOLOGY

Stocks still high: 42.6 million hectoliters

This is one of the most important figures of the day. As of July 31, 2026 , Italian wineries held 42.6 million hectoliters of wine , in addition to 3.1 million hectoliters of must.

Compared to the same period in 2025, wine inventories increased by 6.9% . This data confirms one of the main structural challenges facing the sector: gradually restoring balance between production, inventories, and the market's real absorption capacity.

Tuscany: strong pressure on unsold properties

The situation appears particularly delicate in Tuscany, where the cellars reportedly have unsold wine equivalent to around a year and a half of production .

Bulk wine prices have dropped significantly from pre-Covid highs: approximately 35% for Chianti and 30% for Chianti Classico, according to the data reported.

Sicily: 20-25 million euro proposed for crisis distillation

Sicily is also facing the problem of full cellars on the eve of the grape harvest. The Region has proposed resources of between €20 and €25 million for a possible crisis distillation aimed at reducing stocks.

The slowdown in consumption, difficulties in exports, and increasing energy and logistics costs are weighing heavily.

2026 harvest anticipated, but with good quality prospects

The harvest has already begun in various Italian regions, from Sicily to Franciacorta, from Oltrepò Pavese to Alta Langa.

In the Alta Langa, expectations are positive: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay present conditions considered favorable for the production of sparkling wine bases characterized by freshness, finesse, and elegance.

PIWI: Italian research on resistant grape varieties

The Edmund Mach Foundation and CIVIT are carrying out important work on grape varieties resistant to the main grapevine diseases.

Around 40 varieties were presented during a technical day, around thirty of which were developed through the Foundation's genetic improvement efforts. Eight were particularly interesting for sparkling wine production.

Four new selections— Termantis, Nermantis, Charvir, and Valnosia —have been registered in the National Register of Vine Varieties.

A national strategy on supply is needed

Senate Vice President Gian Marco Centinaio proposes more selective management of new vineyard areas, directing them toward growing denominations and businesses with concrete growth potential.

At the same time, a strategy is proposed for abandoned vineyards, encouraging their acquisition, uprooting, or conversion by active agricultural companies.

Europe intervenes on the high cost of fertilizers

The European Commission has approved new measures to help agricultural businesses address rising fertilizer costs, including greater flexibility in CAP instruments and the possibility of national co-financing.

MARKET, CONSUMPTION AND WINE TOURISM

25 million Italians choose tourism and food

By the summer of 2026, approximately 25 million Italians would have chosen tourism experiences that also included food and wine.

Food and wine tourism involves approximately 18 million Italians , 4.5 million more than in 2024. Wine is increasingly becoming part of an overall experience made up of landscape, cuisine, territory, sea, culture and hospitality.

The cellar becomes an experience

Donatella Cinelli Colombini's estates perfectly exemplify this evolution: tastings, hospitality, cuisine, walks in the vineyards, photography activities, and multi-sensory itineraries transform the visit into a true local experience.

In Friuli Venezia Giulia, seven wineries will also open their vineyards and cellars to educational grape harvesting, directly involving enthusiasts and families in the harvesting and winemaking activities.

Alto Adige: wine and cycling tourism

South Tyrol continues to develop an advanced model of wine tourism in which wineries, vineyards, restaurants, hospitality, cycling routes, and landscape become components of the same experience.

Restaurants in cellars are growing

Wine Enthusiast selected 57 winery restaurants around the world, 22 of which are in Europe and six in Italy . Four Italian locations are located in Tuscany, confirming the growing importance of the integration of wine, fine dining, and hospitality.

Aperol Spritz global phenomenon

According to data reported by Campari Group, Aperol Spritz has reached 1.5 billion consumptions worldwide , compared to 60 million twenty years ago. Approximately 395 million are concentrated in Italy.

A result that demonstrates the international strength of beverage products capable of associating a brand with a recognizable consumption style.

INTERNATIONAL

Treasury Wine Estates downsizes US footprint

Australian wine giant Treasury Wine Estates has decided to profoundly rebalance its American business.

Production reductions, the fallowing of some vineyards, the reduction of bulk wine stocks, and the devaluation of assets and brands are expected.

The additional expected extraordinary impact is AUD$558.4 million after tax .

The restructuring has also been confirmed by updated international sources, which link it to slowing demand and production overcapacity in the United States.

The Treasury case is also significant for the Italian market: it demonstrates that the problem of excess supply compared to demand does not only concern Italy , but is taking on international dimensions.

WINE EVENTS

September 7-8 – Voghera | OltreGusto Oltrepò Land of Pinot Noir. A new format dedicated to the Pinot Noir of Oltrepò Pavese, featuring 32 wineries and 18 restaurants , along with chefs, industry professionals, and the press. A masterclass with Alessandro Masnaghetti and the presentation of the region's new winegrowing maps are also planned.

September 26-27 – Velletri Wine Festival "Nicola Ferri". The 13th edition will bring together wine, art, memory, and local identity within the Velletri Grape and Wine Festival. October 1-4 – DoloViniMiti, Val di Cembra and Val di Fiemme. The fourth edition of the vertical wine festival will focus on dry stone walls, a key element of the Cembra Valley's viticultural landscape and a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage site.

TREND OF THE DAY – QUIDQUID NEWS

The problem is not just how much wine to produce, but how much wine the market is actually able to absorb, creating value.

The 42.6 million hectoliters present in Italian cellars , the pressure on stocks in Tuscany and Sicily and, on the international level, the American restructuring of Treasury Wine Estates indicate a fairly clear direction.

The sector seems to be entering a phase in which producing more does not necessarily mean growing .

For many wineries, the challenge in the coming years will likely be to produce more consistently with demand, improve positioning, develop international markets, strengthen wine tourism, and transform the value of the territory and the brand into greater profitability.

At the same time, the 27 large Italian groups with a turnover above €100 million are showing a progressive consolidation at the top end of the sector.

The photograph of August 11, 2026 is therefore that of an Italian wine that must find a new balance between production, market and value .

QUIDQUID – Wine Press Review A summary of the main news in the sector dedicated to entrepreneurs, wineries, investors and professionals in the supply chain.