Wine Price Trends in Italy for the Week of April 13-17, 2026

The clearest message coming from institutions, consortia, observers and operators is one: it is no longer enough to defend wine, we need to rethink it in an offensive, selective and higher-value way .

From defense to relaunch: the sector's new strategic line

Among the most powerful statements to emerge during the week was the position expressed by Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, who emphasized the need for a change of approach: not a policy of retreat, but a strategy of relaunch.
The concept is clear: it makes no sense to incentivize exit from production, while it is strategic to support a model that leads to better production, greater value and more effective communication .

This approach comes at a time when Italian wine needs to strengthen its position not only with numbers, but also with a modern narrative capable of capturing new consumers, new markets, and new consumption styles.

Domestic consumption: large-scale retail trade confirms declining volumes

The most recurring data of the week concerns modern distribution.
In 2025, wine sold in large-scale retail outlets confirmed a contraction in volumes, while value held up better thanks to the increase in average price and the shift towards higher-end products.

According to Circana analyses, the wine and sparkling wine sector in large-scale distribution closed the year with a value of approximately 3.2 billion euros and 737 million litres sold , with a 2.7% drop in volumes and substantial stability in turnover ( -0.5% ), supported by an increase in the average price of 2.3% .

The data confirms a now consolidated trend: Italians are buying less wine, but when they do buy, they choose more carefully.
The suffering is concentrated above all in the lower price ranges and less distinctive products, while labels with greater perceived value, territorial identity and premium positioning are holding up better.

Sparkling wines still dominate, while reds and semi-sparkling wines are struggling.

This week too, the most dynamic segment remains that of bubbles.
Sparkling wines remain the category that bucks the trend, with growth of 1.5% in volume and 1.2% in value in large-scale retail trade in 2025. Rosé and white sparkling wines are particularly strong, driven by more informal consumption, home aperitifs, and greater versatility across consumption occasions.

The performance of the Classic Method is even better, growing both in volume and value and confirming itself as one of the most interesting categories for the sector's premiumization strategy.

The situation is more difficult for still wines, especially reds, which, despite maintaining the largest market share, continue to lose ground.
Sparkling wines are among the most penalized segments, with evident declines in both volumes and values.

The overall picture therefore indicates a change in tastes: consumers are increasingly orienting themselves towards fresher, easier-to-drink, less demanding wines and often with lower alcohol content .

Premiumization: people drink less, but they seek higher quality

One of the most notable trends that emerged this week is premiumization.
Consumers aren't simply reducing their purchases: they're changing their criteria for choosing. Price ranges above €10 are performing better than entry-level segments, signaling a market that's shrinking in volume but improving in value.

This trend is particularly visible in higher-end white wines, but in general it affects the entire sector, which manages to maintain a certain economic stability thanks to a favorable "mix effect": fewer purchases, but more selective ones.

For the sector, this means that future competition will no longer be based on quantity, but on the ability to build coherent assortments, strong identities, distinctive positioning and credible storytelling .

Wine e-commerce: digital growth and sparkling wines dominate

While traditional distribution is showing signs of slowing down, the online channel is showing signs of dynamism.
In the first quarter of 2026, online searches for wine exceeded 657,000 , an increase of almost 10% compared to the same period in 2025. On an annual basis, overall searches reached 2.67 million in 2025, confirming that wine is now a structural category even in the digital landscape.

Sparkling wines once again dominate online interest, accounting for 52% of searches , ahead of red wines with 36.7% . Whites, rosés, and dessert wines lag further behind.

This data is important because it indicates that the digital channel is not just a space for purchasing, but also for discovery, comparison, and the creation of desire.
Furthermore, the web increasingly favors premium labels and recognizable brands, with a strong focus on price comparisons and the best time to buy.

Young consumers: less faithful to traditional models, more curious and more selective

Among the most interesting signs of the week is the renewed attention towards young consumers.
According to IWSR and UIV analyses, the 34-year-old demographic isn't abandoning wine, but rather reinterpreting it. Younger consumers are more inclined to experiment, more attentive to sustainability, more open to low-alcohol and alcohol-free wines, and, in many cases, more willing to spend on products perceived as authentic, innovative, and consistent with their values.

Their consumption is less frequent and less ritualistic than that of previous generations, but more oriented towards the experience, quality and identity of the product.
This makes it clear that the future of wine lies not so much in recovering old consumption patterns, but rather in the ability to dialogue with new lifestyles and new cultural codes.

Dealcolati and NoLo: from niche to segment to observe

During Vinitaly 2026, an important part of the discussion also focused on dealcoholized wines and NoLo.
The segment is still small, but it has now firmly entered the industry's radar. The creation of the Vinitaly NoLo Experience and the dedicated focus groups by UIV and Veronafiere clearly indicate that this is no longer a marginal area of development.

In large-scale retail, the sector is still worth just a few million euros, but distribution is expanding and the topic is taking on strategic importance, especially for reaching younger consumers, international audiences, and alternative consumption opportunities.

It is not the heart of Italian wine today, but it could become an important complementary lever in the medium term.

Exports: Italy strong, but in a more complex scenario

On the international front, Italian wine confirms its structural strength, but in a much more complicated context than in previous years.
Italy remains the world leader in production , with 47.3 million hectolitres in 2025 , and confirms its position as the world's second largest exporter in value , with exports of around 7.8 billion euros .

However, 2025 ended with a contraction in exports, particularly penalized by the slowdown in the United States and the international geopolitical situation. The US remains the primary destination market, but tariffs and trade uncertainty have had a significant impact. Pressure on the American market remains strong in the early months of 2026.

Alongside this criticality, however, important opportunities emerge.
Indeed, positive signals are growing from alternative and emerging markets such as Mercosur, India, Eastern Europe, Brazil, Vietnam, and some areas of Southeast Asia . The acceleration of the European Union's free trade agreements is seen as a concrete lever for the geographical diversification of Italian exports.

The key point that emerged this week is that Italian wine can no longer afford to be excessively dependent on a few key markets: it must broaden its reach, better segment its targets and address new demand niches .

Prosecco, the driving force of the system

In this scenario, Prosecco DOC continues to represent the driving force of Italian wine.
In 2025 it closed with a growth of 2.3% at global level , with 667 million bottles bottled and 82% of production destined for foreign countries , for a total value of 3.6 billion euros .

Very positive data from the United States, France, Germany, and several emerging markets confirms the denomination's great ability to adapt to markets, speak contemporary languages, and intercept international demand.
Prosecco thus continues to be not only a winning denomination, but also the symbol of an export model based on accessibility, recognisability and distribution strength.

High inventories: the structural crux of overproduction

One of the most sensitive issues that emerged this week was that of inventories.
The data from “Cantina Italia” updated to 31 March 2026 indicate 55.9 million hectolitres of wine in stock , with an increase of 5.7% compared to the same period in 2025. To these are added musts and new wine in fermentation.

The data confirms a problem of balance between production and market absorption.
Many operators, from Uiv to retailers and observers, have reiterated that the current level of inventories is essentially equivalent to a harvest and a half in the cellar , a situation considered unsustainable in the medium term.

This is where one of the clearest messages of the week comes from: intelligent production containment is needed , especially in areas and segments where supply clearly exceeds market capacity.
Producing less, but better, is no longer just a slogan: it is the condition for protecting value, prices and profitability.

Territories, identities, and regions: the case of Emilia-Romagna and the role of Veneto

The week also showed how the territories remain the true competitive capital of Italian wine.
Emilia-Romagna presented itself at Vinitaly 2026 with a strong, integrated, and growing regional system: over 14,000 companies , more than 52,000 hectares of vineyards , approximately 5.37 million hectoliters produced in the 2025 harvest, and €433 million in exports . The renovated regional pavilion, the integration with the Food Valley, and the link between wine, PDO and PGI products, and tourism represented one of the clearest models of advanced territorial narrative.

At the same time, Veneto continues to confirm its position as the leading region for exports, with Verona still the leading province in Italy for beverage exports, almost entirely represented by wine.
The province of Verona closed 2025 with 1.21 billion euros in exports , albeit a slight decline, confirming its position as a strategic center for Italian wine both economically and symbolically.

CMO Promotion: More resources and flexibility for internationalization

Another important front of the week is that of support policies.
Over 98 million euros have been made available for the 2026-2027 CMO Promotion campaign, of which 22 million for national programmes and the remainder allocated to regional calls for proposals and multi-regional programmes.

The new tender structure aims to simplify access, digitize procedures, accelerate deadlines, and increase flexibility, helping companies operate more effectively in non-EU markets.
The purpose of the intervention is clear: in an unstable global scenario, international promotion is no longer an afterthought, but a crucial tool for competitiveness.