Alberto Cirio and Gianni Gagliardo: The Value of Made in Italy in the Piedmont System

The strategic role of Piedmont for Made in Italy and the agriculture of the Langhe were the focus of yesterday's debate, during the presentation of the book "The Charm of an Extraordinary Country" by Gianni Gagliardo , a renowned winemaker from La Morra and an ambassador for Piedmontese excellence worldwide. The event took place in Turin, at the National Museum of the Italian Risorgimento , in the presence of the President of the Piedmont Region, Alberto Cirio .

The value of the wine sector and the future prospects and challenges of Piedmont, together with the strategic role of the UNESCO hills, guided the reflection on the relationship between the Piedmont System and Made in Italy , based on the important intertwining of wine and Italian identity: success abroad derives from a combination of quality, style and the narration of Italian excellence abroad. The theme, in fact, returns frequently in Gagliardo's book, published by Rubbettino, with a preface by Gianni Letta and an afterword by Luca Cordero di Montezemolo .

The work traces over forty years of experience in the internationalization of Italian wine by one of the first wine pioneers in Asia, Gianni Gagliardo. From his early days in the 1980s in Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore, he brought wine to a market then dominated by French, Spanish, and Australian labels.

The book was recently presented in the Senate , during a meeting on Made in Italy which was attended by the author, Letta, Montezemolo, Senator Francesco Boccia and the director Antonio Preziosi .

Speaking at the event , Piedmont Region President Alberto Cirio said: "It's a story that goes beyond wine, because Piedmont is also a major tourism product, a brand to be proudly promoted. We have a strong local presence that allows us to address challenges with clarity and practicality. The world is changing, globalization is affecting us, but Piedmont remains strong thanks to its ability to unite tradition and innovation, roots and future, always with pride and integrity."

Gianni Gagliardo discusses the relationship between wine and Italian identity . " The success of Made in Italy abroad stems from a combination of quality, style, and storytelling. When it comes to exports, for example, American consumers don't just buy wine, but a positive image of Italy: that of beauty, elegance, and conviviality. Tariffs change, but the culture of wine and trust in our country remain . Tariffs have not significantly discouraged the consumption of Italian wine, including Barolo and other great wines, in the United States. On a $40-$50 bottle, a 15% increase is perceived as negligible by the average consumer," he explains. Gagliardo . “The real slowdown factor is the general increase in prices, which reduces the overall purchasing power of families. ”

Wine is not just a drink, but a true sensory experience that captures the essence and beauty of Italian culture. With over four hundred appellations of origin and more than 670,000 hectares of vineyards, Italy is one of the world's largest wine producers , offering an extraordinary variety of native grape varieties and wine styles. Italian wine tells stories, people, and places. Italy is a leading wine exporter , with a market share of around 20–25 percent of global exports , with a constant focus on quality and sustainability.

Gianni Gagliardo , Barolo producer, writer and president of Deditus (formerly Accademia del Barolo) - the association founded in 2011 which brings together nine historic Barolo producing families: Azelia, Cordero di Montezemolo, Luciano Sandrone, Michele Chiarlo, Pio Cesare, Poderi Gianni Gagliardo, Poderi Luigi Einaudi, Prunotto and Vietti - he also downplays the impact of tariffs on Italian wine: " The market remains lively in the United States. For high-end wines, price matters less than perception." The Piedmontese entrepreneur, in fact, argues that " tariffs are a false problem, because the real issue is purchasing power ," and offers a clear and counter-current vision on the topic of tariffs, according to which their impact on Italian wine is " much more limited than one might think ."

A consideration based on concrete data : even in 2025 , the producer recorded an increase in sales in the USA , a sign of a market that is " still extremely receptive and dynamic ." Gagliardo also underlines the historical and strategic role of the US market for Italian wine: "The United States was the first to recognize and promote wines like Barolo, acting as a sounding board for their global success. It is an irreplaceable market, not only for its volume, but for the cultural value it attributes to Italian wine."