Wine press review for Wednesday, September 23, 2026!

Good morning,

Wine Idea presents international markets, exports, harvests, technological innovation, Italian wineries, wine tourism, and events. Today's topics include: the recovery of Italian wine in the United States, CMO funds for international promotion, the results of Italian Wine Brands, Canevel's tenth anniversary within the Masi Group, artificial intelligence applied to the vineyard, and the growing importance of wine tourism.

ITALIAN WINERIES

Masi and Canevel: Ten Years Together, Business Doubled

September 26th marks ten years since Canevel Spumanti joined the Masi Agricola Group . Since 2016, Canevel's business has doubled; the brand is now present in 40 countries , and exports represent approximately 40% of sales . The operation has allowed Masi to strengthen its presence in premium sparkling wines and Canevel to develop its international distribution and positioning.

Italian Wine Brands: Revenues of €184.4 million in the first half of 2026

Italian Wine Brands closed the first half of 2026 with revenues of 184.4 million euros , down 5.9% compared to 195.88 million euros in the same period of 2025. Net profit was 7.87 million euros , down 23.9%, while net financial debt at the end of June was 81.79 million euros.

Vicobarone Winery: Record Harvest, 23% Grapes

The Cantina di Vicobarone received 32,600 quintals of grapes , 23% more than in 2025. The cooperative, which comprises 125 members, also reports a particularly high level of quality. The goal is to maintain at least the €43 per quintal average paid for grapes from the 2025 harvest.

Chitarra Winery: 600 hectares to tell the story of Sicilian wine.

The Sicilian Cantina Chitarra cooperative, founded in 1907 and extensively renovated since 2012, has approximately 600 hectares of vineyards , 75% dedicated to white grapes and 25% to red varieties. Alongside international varieties, it cultivates numerous native varieties, including Grillo, Catarratto, Inzolia, Zibibbo, Nero d'Avola, Frappato, Perricone, and Nerello Mascalese.

Argiolas: 2026 could be the year of Vermentino

For Argiolas , a historic Sardinian winery, the market is showing greater interest in white wines and products with lower alcohol content. The company points to Vermentino as one of the season's stars. Climate change remains a major challenge: in some areas, it leads to lower yields, but it can also lead to healthier grapes.

Tenute Tomasella focuses on wine tourism

In Mansué, between Friuli DOC and Prosecco DOC Treviso , Tenute Tomasella offers three tasting itineraries for autumn. The goal is to transform a visit to the winery into an experience that explores the wine, the region, the company's history, and the culture of hospitality.

Over 3,000 bottles of Barolo were stolen from the cellar.

A major theft has hit the Conterno e Fantino winery in Monforte d'Alba . Over 3,000 bottles of Barolo were stolen, including magnums and jeroboams from the 2021 and 2022 vintages, with an estimated value of several hundred thousand euros. Law enforcement is analyzing video surveillance footage.

A Barolo from the Langhe aged for a year in the Arctic

The Rivetto winery in Serralunga d'Alba , together with the Norwegian company Hurtigruten, has created the Arctic Barolo project. 1,002 bottles of 2021 Barolo were left for twelve months at a depth of 34 meters in Norwegian Arctic waters , at a constant temperature of approximately 5-6°C and under a pressure of approximately 4 bar. The experiment studies the evolution of the wine in conditions very different from those of a traditional cellar.

ITALIAN WINE AND OENOLOGY

Italian wine exports to the US: July returns to positive territory

After several difficult months, in July Italian wine exports to the United States recorded year-on-year growth of nearly 10% in value and 1.3% in volume, with an average price up 8%. This recovery reduces the cumulative decline for the first seven months of 2026 to 11%. However, the long-term picture remains complex: the marketing year from August 2025 to July 2026 is one of the weakest in recent history.

International Promotion: 15 CMO Projects Admitted by Masaf

The Masaf (Italian Agricultural Fund for Agricultural Products) has published the provisional ranking for CMO Wine funds for the 2026/27 wine year . Fifteen projects have been admitted, with total government funding of €28.5 million and promotional programs worth nearly €65 million . Those involved include Zonin, Nosio-Gruppo Mezzacorona, Herita Marzotto, the Institute of Quality Italian Wine, Fantini Group, Gruppo Italiano Vini, the Prosecco DOC Consortium, and Marchesi Frescobaldi.

2026 Harvest: Weather Divides Italian Wine Region

The hot and dry summer produced very different results across Italy's wine-growing regions. Twelve wineries, from North to South, highlight how the ability to adapt increasingly depends on vineyard management, canopy, rootstock choice, water availability, and staff skills . Climate change is transforming agronomic decisions into an increasingly strategic component of production.

AI-GRAPE: Artificial intelligence and data to protect vineyards

The European AI-GRAPE project, developed in the Italy-Slovenia cross-border area, is creating a decision support system for winemakers and technicians. The platform integrates weather stations, traps, vineyard surveys, satellite and drone imagery, forecasting models, and data collected via apps to improve monitoring of grapevine moths, grapevine leafhoppers, and Scaphoideus titanus, the vector of Flavescence dorée.

More resilient bubbles in the wine market

In a challenging period for consumption, sparkling wines continue to demonstrate greater resilience than other categories. This phenomenon is pushing new regions toward sparkling wine production. Franciacorta remains one of Italy's benchmarks for the Metodo Classico, and the sector is reflecting on the need to defend its identity, quality, and positioning.

Malvasia delle Lipari: Towards a New Dry White DOC

The producers' assembly approved a proposal to amend the Malvasia delle Lipari DOC production regulations to introduce a dry white version. If the process is approved by the Sicilian Region and the National Wine Committee, the Malvasia delle Lipari Bianco version will be created, alongside the Passito and Vendemmia Tardiva versions.

Calabria: From ancient passito grapes, new dry wines are born.

In Saracena, at the foot of the Pollino, some producers are reinterpreting the grapes traditionally used for Moscato di Saracena. Moscatello, Malvasia, and Guarnaccia are now also used to make dry white wines , while also reviving ancient local winemaking techniques.

Slow Wine 2027: 173 wines receive the "Bottle" award

The 2027 Slow Wine guide awards the "Bottle" symbol, reserved for wines deemed to be of excellent quality, to 173 labels . Forty-four wineries have earned the recognition in the guide's seventeenth edition.

Tre Bicchieri 2027: 49 Veneto wines awarded

Forty-nine Veneto wines have been awarded Gambero Rosso's Tre Bicchieri 2027. This recognition captures the diversity of the region's winemaking system, from Prosecco to Soave, from Valpolicella to the Euganean Hills, from Garda to Montello.

Organic: consumption up 9.2%, but conversion areas are decreasing

According to the Bio in Cifre 2026 report, edited by ISMEA for Masaf, organic product consumption grew by 9.2% in both value and volume in 2025. In the first six months of 2026, sales increased by a further 4%. On the production front, however, organic acreage decreased by 5.4%, primarily due to the sharp reduction in areas under conversion.

Grape seeds: fiber, oil, and polyphenols as a grape resource

Grape seeds also represent an interesting raw material. Grape seeds contain fiber, oils, proteins, and phenolic compounds such as catechin, epicatechin, and proanthocyanidins. This composition reinforces the interest in recovering and valorizing by-products of the winemaking industry.

Wine in the Ravenna area: an economic sector worth analyzing

The province of Ravenna stands out in Emilia-Romagna for its vineyard area and number of wineries. A new in-depth study on the region analyzes the economic impact of the supply chain and the future challenges for producers and businesses.

Agricultural work: inspections during grape harvest and harvesting in Friuli

Between late August and mid-September, the Udine-Pordenone Territorial Labor Inspectorate inspected 16 workers , finding seven of them unemployed. Three agricultural businesses were ordered to suspend operations. Deficiencies in safety, training, and health surveillance were also reported.

INTERNATIONAL

Napa Valley: Wine tourism generates $2.8 billion

In 2025, Napa Valley welcomed approximately 3.8 million visitors , who spent $2.2 billion in the county. The overall economic impact of tourism was estimated at $2.8 billion , up 2.9% from 2024. Retail and wineries generated $647 million, while food and beverage reached $505 million.

The data confirms the role of wine tourism as an increasingly important economic component for international wine destinations.

WINE TOURISM, CULTURE AND WINE-RELATED EVENTS

Contemporary art among the vineyards: 14 Italian wineries open to the public

From 23 to 25 October, fourteen wineries across eight Italian regions will open their contemporary art collections and installations free of charge as part of the second edition of MetodoContemporaneo .

The companies involved include Ca' del Bosco, Fontanafredda, Castello di Perno, Bosca, La Raia, Livio Felluga, Bonotto delle Tezze, Castello di Ama, Frescobaldi-CastelGiocondo, Rocca di Frassinello, Lungarotti, Feudi di San Gregorio, Agricola Bellaria, and Planeta.

Diesel Farm takes center stage at Homo Faber Venice

Diesel Farm , an agricultural and winemaking project initiated by Renzo Rosso in the Vicenza area, is participating in the Homo Faber events in Venice with the Del Local restaurant. Following the September 16th meeting, further tastings are planned for September 23rd and 29th.

Mario Soldati: Wine and food to tell the story of Italy

On October 6th in Milan , La Scolca will dedicate the talk show "Mario Soldati – The Taste of Telling Italy" to Mario Soldati, marking the 120th anniversary of his birth. The initiative celebrates the writer, director, and journalist's role in narrating Italy's story through its regions, culture, food, and wine.

Alta Langa and the Alba White Truffle Fair: ten years of collaboration

2026 marks the tenth anniversary of the partnership between the Alta Langa Consortium and the Alba International White Truffle Fair . This collaboration unites two Piedmontese excellences through tastings, masterclasses, events, and initiatives dedicated to promoting the region.

Prosecco Cycling: Valdobbiadene Meets International Cycle Tourism

The Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Cycling returns on Sunday, September 27th . Since its debut in 2004, the event has brought over 58,000 participants from 35 countries to the Prosecco Hills. Sport, the UNESCO landscape, wine, and gastronomy thus become integrated tools for promoting the region.

Cartizze Loop: Trekking and Wine Tourism Among the Vineyards

Autumn highlights the Anello del Cartizze , a trail through the hills of Valdobbiadene and the 107 hectares of the famous Cartizze area. The trek passes through vineyards, villages, and landscapes characterized by heroic, manual viticulture, integrating outdoor activities and winemaking experience.

Valpolicella: Wine, Villages, and Territory for Autumn

Between September and November, Valpolicella becomes a prime destination for wine tourism. Vineyards, villages, wineries, churches, trails, and the traditional drying of Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella grapes create a unique experience that connects Amarone, Recioto, landscape, and culture.

Palio of Wine and Flavors in Negrar

On Saturday, September 26th and Sunday, September 27th, Negrar di Valpolicella hosts the Palio del Vino e dei Sapori (Wine and Flavors Palio). Twenty-four wineries and 14 associations will participate, offering tastings, food, music, markets, and charitable initiatives.

Capraia: A Vineyard as a Return to the Land Project

On the island of Capraia, a young winemaking venture illustrates the return to agriculture in an island region plagued by depopulation. The vineyard thus becomes not only a productive activity, but a tool for protecting and revitalizing the region.

Students at the Harvest: Training from the Vineyard to the Cellar

Sixth-year students in the Raineri Marcora Institute's Winemaking program participated in the grape harvest at the Monferrina winery in Vicobarone. The experience covered the entire production cycle: assessing ripeness, harvesting, grape transportation, and the initial stages of winemaking in the teaching cellar of the Piacenza Agri-Food Campus.

PICTURE OF THE DAY

The September 23 review shows a rapidly changing Italian wine sector. Exports, profitability, and consumption remain under pressure , but at the same time, signs of recovery are emerging from the United States and the bubbly sector is holding up well.

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

See you tomorrow.