Wine Press Review – Thursday, August 14, 2025

Italian wineries

• Contini Winery at the South Coast Wine Festival – Protagonist with a masterclass at Highcliffe Castle and a focus on rosés for the British market.
• Cantina di Riva completes its Brezza Trentodoc range – Official debut of the complete line of Classic Method sparkling wines with the new “Silente” wine.
• Casa Benna and other Emilian excellences awarded by Decanto – Casa Benna best family-run business, Cantina Divinja best winery, Umberto Cesari best winery to visit, Ventiventi best emerging winery.
• Friuli Venezia Giulia: three wineries among the top wines in the 2026 Untold guide – Ad Coos, Collavini, and Valentino Butussi earn regional recognition.
• A small winery in Gallura overlooking Corsica – An authentic experience amidst vineyards, sunsets, and discreet hospitality.
• Oltrepò Pavese: the classic method becomes "Classese" – a historic choice by the Consortium to give its sparkling wines a unique identity.

Italian wine and Italian oenology

• Harvest in Tuscany: bubbles lead the way – High quality expected, but hailstorms are a concern.
• Bottega: Harvest brought forward two weeks due to heat and drought – Costs rising due to duties and protection measures.
• Too much wine? Angelo Gaja's proposal – Reduce yields and focus on quality to address declining consumption and climate change.
• Red wines in summer: Gianluca Morino's critique – Under-equipped restaurants and excessive markups, more direct contact with consumers is needed.
• What do young people drink in the summer? – Trends: crisp whites, light rosés, and a boom in low- and no-alcohol wines.
• Grape harvest and agricultural work: Flai Cgil relaunches the "street union" – Fighting exploitation and gangmastering among seasonal workers.
• The Farmers' School of the Future in Chianti – A free three-year course for young people between the ages of 14 and 18, offering agricultural training and job placement.

International enology

• Italian wine exports to the USA: positive first half of the year – 26.2 million euros in value despite the drop in June and 15% duties.
• Zoppas (ICE): Made in Italy growth in June – Exports up 4.9% compared to June 2024, with food and beverages at 6%.
• Urso and Tajani: "US tariffs? Italian exports are resilient" – Encouraging data, but it's still too early to estimate the full impact.
• Alexander Rocca (Peter 17): “US importers are confused” – Uncertain tariffs but limited impact on high-end wines.

Wine events

• Langhe Monferrato Roero: an autumn to savor – Food and wine, traditions, and culture among UNESCO villages.
• On the terrace of Dalla Gioconda, Abruzzo's seaside excellence – Tastings and sustainable hospitality with LEED Gold certification.
• Dream auction in Cannes for the world's top wines – Romanée-Conti, Petrus, Latour, Chartreuse and rare whiskies up for sale.
• Wine Period Dramas – Novels, series, and films that tell intense stories and great wines, starring enterprising women.