Wine press review for Tuesday, November 18, 2025!

QUIDQUID presents today's wine news

Italian wineries

Feudi di San Gregorio – Capaldo Opens to the Possibility of a Sale Antonio Capaldo, president of Feudi di San Gregorio (€30 million in revenue, exports to over 50 countries), discusses the weight of entrepreneurial risk and doesn't rule out the possibility of considering selling the company in the future. A lucid account of the emotional struggle of leading a major winery in Southern Italy.

Gruppo Italiano Vini – Roberta Corrà, "Person of the Year 2025," has been named "Person of the Year 2025" by Wine Enthusiast. Roberta Corrà, CEO of Gruppo Italiano Vini (€417 million in revenue in 2024, 1,600 hectares, and 14 wineries). She emphasizes the dual burden of women at the top of a still male-dominated sector and the importance of self-awareness and the ability to "sell" one's professional value.

Torrevento Winery – Return to the Liantonios The Apulian Cantine Torrevento has reacquired 51% of its shares from Prosit Group, returning full control to the Liantonio family. This strategic move strengthens the brand's positioning on national and international markets, focusing on regional authenticity and supply chain traceability.

Cantina di Soave – 2024 financial statements approved, supply chain supported. Cantina di Soave has approved its financial statements for the year ending June 30, 2025: revenues of €120 million and production of €123.24 million. Despite declining volumes and a 7% decrease in turnover, margins are solid (EBITDA of €19.82 million, EBIT of €7.35 million) and strong support is provided to its members: €60.5 million paid for grapes, and the average price per quintal has risen to €64.13.

Cantina Bozen – The TAL line between identity and evolution. Cantina Bozen presents the new vintages of the TAL line at the two-star restaurant Terra – The Magic Place in Val Sarentino. A vertical tasting compares the first releases with the 2022 vintage, highlighting the growth in elegance and consistent identity of the high-altitude blends.

Tenute Nicosia – Etna and "Relic" Grape Varieties A tasting in Milan by Tenute Nicosia dedicated to Etna wines and research into so-called "relic" grape varieties. The role of Minnella stands out, blended with Catarratto, and the idea of an elegant yet understated Etna, capable of expressing a region undergoing transformation.

Amalberga – Ostuni DOC: Contemporary Architecture and Historic Vines. In Ostuni, Amalberga combines organic farming, a technical and scientific approach in the cellar, contemporary architecture, and hospitality to revitalize the Ostuni DOC. The winery was founded in 2015 by Dario De Pascale, an agricultural entrepreneur with deep ties to family tradition.

Amalberga and Francavidda – the rebirth of a forgotten grape variety. With Icona d'Itria Francavidda Puglia IGT 2024, Amalberga highlights Francavidda, a native variety symbolic of the almost extinct Itria Valley. The project aims to transform a "minor" grape variety into a complex, evocative, and distinctive wine.

Cantina Marilina – Angelo Paternò's Return to Noto After years as a winemaker traveling Italy, Angelo Paternò returned to his native Sicily and founded Cantina Marilina in Noto, named after his daughter. A family project centered on slower pace, nature, and a personal vision of the winemaking profession.

Tenuta La Peschiera – from licorice to wine in Calabria. In Calabria, Tenuta La Peschiera has its roots in the late 18th century and is now run by the Gallo brothers. From the Pecorello and Magliocco grape varieties, they produce wines that have attracted attention at Golosaria, helping to strengthen the region's image as an "Enotria Tellus."

Italian wine and Italian oenology

Colli Piacentini Consortium – Board of Directors Resigns to Save the Consortium. The entire board of the Colli Piacentini DOC Consortium, led by Marco Profumo, is resigning amid a crisis of representation and financial difficulties. With 78 member wineries and historic appellations such as Gutturnio, Barbera, Ortrugo, and Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, the goal is to encourage a collective rethink to avoid the dissolution of an organization founded in 1968.

Small vs. Large: The Rift in Italian Wine. An analysis of the 2024 financial statements of 877 companies (Studio Impresa – Management DiVino with Il Corriere Vinicolo) reveals a two-speed industry: overall revenues down 2% compared to 2023 and an average EBITDA of 10.5%, but 415 companies are experiencing profitability losses. Companies with revenues below €10 million account for 71% of the total, yet generate only 17% of the value and are seeing sharply eroded margins (-16.4% in the three-year period 2022-2024), while large groups are consolidating their leadership.

Italian wine: overall growth, structural fragility. The same report confirms: the sector is holding up in aggregate terms, but resilience is concentrated among larger companies. The challenge is to prevent the narrative of the "country of small winemakers" from becoming merely nostalgic, given economic dynamics that reward scale and financial strength.

Out-of-home consumption: €2.3 billion in six months in Italian establishments. According to the Horeca Circana Panel, in the first six months of 2025, wholesalers' beverage sales to bars, restaurants, and clubs reached €2.3 billion, up 39% compared to 2019. Total volumes of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages returned to the pre-pandemic €2.2 billion. Soft drinks (24%) and cocktails (32%) are growing the most, as are liqueurs and spirits (30% from 2019 to 2025, 23% in the last year), redrawing the balance between categories.

Tannico fined by Antitrust Authority for unfair commercial practices. The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has fined Tannico, Italy's leading online wine shop, €150,000 for misleading information about discounts: numerous products were advertised as "on sale" at prices equal to or higher than the lowest price applied in the previous 30 days, in violation of Article 17-bis of the Consumer Code. The company has already modified its website and app.

Italian wine and US tariffs – FIVI raises alarm. Rita Babini, president of FIVI, emphasizes how the additional tariffs have led to a 20% drop in exports to the United States for independent winemakers. Over 70% of FIVI companies export, with the US as their primary market; the association calls for a more decisive focus on consumption within the European Union as well.

Wine Spectator Top 100: 20 Italian Wines Ranked. Wine Spectator's 2025 "Top 100" includes 20 Italian wines, half of which are Tuscan. Chianti Classico is the most represented appellation with five wines, confirming its strong ties to the US market. Italy shares the European lead with France (also with 20 wines), while the US leads with 33 wines and Spain with eight.

International

Bordeaux on top of the world with Château Giscours. Château Giscours' 2022 Margaux, a Grand Cru Classé, is the number one wine in Wine Spectator's 2025 "Top 100." Californian labels dominate the top 10, along with Bordeaux and a Chilean wine (Clos Apalta 2021). The full ranking will be revealed on November 17 and confirms the influence of this ranking on the global dynamics of the wine business.

New European strategy for the future of agriculture: Brussels is working on a more integrated agricultural policy, focusing on generational renewal and the revitalization of rural areas. This framework is also expected to have a direct impact on viticulture and wine tourism, including access to land, investment support, and sustainability.

COP30, FederBio's agroecological appeal. At COP30 in Belém, FederBio is calling for the agroecological transition to become a priority in global climate policies. Organic and biodynamic agriculture are highlighted as key tools for transforming agri-food systems from a source of emissions to an ally in the fight against global warming, with systems more resilient to extreme events.

Wine events

Italy's Last Harvest Festival – Friularo DOCG in Bagnoli di Sopra. Sunday, November 23rd, the Last Harvest Festival returns, dedicated to Vin Friularo DOCG, a late-harvest expression of Raboso Piave, harvested after the first cold weather. In the historic setting of the Bagnoli Estate (Padua), tastings, typical Veneto products, music, and guided tours celebrate the end of the harvest and the region's identity.

DeVino Festival 2025 – Record attendance at Brentelle. The sixth edition of the DeVino Festival at the Le Brentelle shopping center (Padua) attracted over 3,500 attendees over a weekend of tastings, guided tours, and workshops with winemakers and sommeliers. This event, organized by Despar Nord, confirms its ability to combine wine culture, socializing, and the general public's curiosity.

Preview VitignoItalia in Naples – Over 500 Labels for Tasting. On Monday, November 24th, at the Hotel Excelsior in Naples, Anteprima VitignoItalia opens the way to the 2026 edition of the show (May 17–19, Stazione Marittima). Over 100 wineries from across Italy and more than 500 labels for tasting, with a special focus on Campanian wines.

Piedmont, "Wine Vintage 2025" – a technical summary meeting. The meeting "The Wine Vintage in Piedmont 2025," promoted by Vignaioli Piemontesi with the Region, will offer a detailed overview of yields, grape ripening, climate trends, and the quality of regional production. An analysis of the markets and the structural evolution of the sector will also be included, based on a monitoring program that has been ongoing since 1992.

Thanks for reading: today's wine press review was brought to you by WINEIDEA.IT . See you tomorrow for another tour of the wonderful chaos that is the world of wine.