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Issue 742 - July 14th - 18th 2025 - Expressly created for 3708 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world | |
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| | | The wait is over: the 2025 grape harvest in Italy has begun in the vineyards of Southwestern Sicily, where, a few days early as, by now, climate change has accustomed us to, the winemakers of Cantine Ermes, Italy’s largest wine cooperative by organic acreage - also custodian of Tenute Orestiadi’s vineyards around the “Cretto di Burri” in Gibellina, where wine is a symbol of rebirth in the Belìce Valley - harvested the first bunches of Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Viognier and sparkling wine bases. A ritual repeated under the banner of cooperation, sustainability and beauty, “with cautiously optimistic estimates”. | |
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| | Albeit with its complications, Italian wine exports continue to be alive even if, for the first time in a long time, it is preceded by the negative sign. Globally, in the first four months 2025, it marks 2.5 billion euros in value, down -0.86% on the same period 2024, and -3.67% in volume, at 665,436,632 liters. This is said by Istat data, analyzed by WineNews. There was fear of a minus sign coming from the United States, after “precautionary” stocks in late 2024 and early 2025 to anticipate the dreaded announced duties. And if the backlash, in the four-month period ending with April, the first month in fact with the certainty of the duties imposed by Trump (for a few hours at 20%, then at 10% from April 5) was not of the “deadly” kind, the growth, compared to previous months (also driven by the stockpiling rush) is at a much slower speed: +6.59% over April 2024, in the four months, worth 667.2 million euros. Germany, which remains the European leader in imports, is stable, at 376.6 million euros (+0.2%), unlike the United Kingdom, which stands at 227.2 million euros (-6.3%). Switzerland, on the other hand, holds at €131.2 million (+0.41%), ahead of Canada (€125.5 million, +8.4%). The decline, albeit marginal, also affected France, at 99.5 million (-0.9%). Good news from the Netherlands (+1.6%), at 80.5 million, and Belgium (+4.3%) at 72.8 million. Among those going down is Japan at 54.5 million euros (-10.8%), and, most importantly, Russia, at 46.1 million euros, -55% compared to twelve months ago. Also down is Austria (-4.4%) at 47.8 million euros, and China (-17.6% to 24.1 million euros). There has been a slowdown, that is beyond doubt, and in the coming months it is easy to see that things will get even worse. Without forgetting, however, that 2024 was hailed as a record year for Italian wine exports. However, the stalemate in volumes, with so many Italian wineries suffering from unsold inventories and a harvest now just around the corner, gives pause for thought. The percentage of U.S. duties (with the “nightmare” of 30% from August 1, while negotiations with the EU go on) is the decisive variable that can turn the tables, in a phase that is unquestionably among the most complex in recent history for the wine market. | |
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| | For many reasons, the wine market is in great distress. Italian wineries still have a full vintage in their cellars - 43.6 million hectoliters as of June 30, 2025 (data from “Cantina Italia”) - as the new one approaches. And if to raise the alarm, in recent days, have been the major organizations representing the supply chain, from Federvini to Unione Italiana Vini (Uiv), which more or less explicitly urged a reflection also on management systems such as, reduction of yields in the lead, but also starting to reason about possible uprooting, also in recent days, to WineNews, the Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida said he was willing to reason about emergency measures, but when this will be obvious, because, ipse dixit, “Italian wine comes from the export record, and there are many sectors worse off”. | |
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| | | If Italian wine exports, after a long march of continuous growth, slowed down in April 2025, with as much as a negative sign, in value, in the first four months of the year, when compared to that of 2024 (-0.86%, to 2.5 billion euros), the “glass half full” comes from one of the iconic products of Italian oenology, Prosecco. Because, if, in general, sparkling wines, according to Istat data analyzed by WineNews, brake in the first four months of 2025 with -1.1% on the first four months of 2024, for a total value of 676.2 million euros (with bubbles covering more than a quarter of total Italian wine exports), with volumes at 158,172,924 liters (-1.5%), the world of Prosecco Dop remains in positive territory. From January to April 2025, exports amounted to 527 million euros, +1.5% over the same period 2024, with volumes also up at 121,633,459 (+3.4%). Translated, about 76% of Italian sparkling wines exported abroad is Prosecco Dop (which includes the historic Conegliano and Valdobbiadene Docg, the younger and larger Doc and the “rampant” Asolo Docg, ed.), with a considerable impact on the trade balance. True, compared to March figures, Prosecco Dop also lost ground: the comparison between the first quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025 marked, in fact, +4.9% in value. | |
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| | | The taste and aroma symphonies of wine in the glass mingling with those of music and voice, in the city that is among the world capitals of opera and wine, Verona. To celebrate the made in Italy. “Vinitaly, the Opera’s Ouverture”, a project by Fondazione Arena di Verona and Veronafiere, with Vinitaly, which enriches the “Arena Opera Festival Experience” (by Infront Italy), comes into its own. With tastings of the best national labels, and gastronomic excellences, combined with an evening of opera in the symbolic theater of opera in the world: the Arena (in more detail). | |
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| | Figuring out what will really happen on the U.S. tariffs front is a “lottery”, as of today, while negotiations between the U.S. and the EU go on, despite the rivers of words and declarations of these days, as is only natural. What is certain is that if the duties today at 10% are a brake, those at 30% announced by Trump from August 1, if a better solution is not found, would be a real boulder, or a “de facto embargo”, according to many, and it is clear that those territories or wines most exposed in the U.S. would be most affected. Such as Prosecco, but also, in that order, Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo, Barbaresco, Amarone, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Nero d’Avola, as pointed out by the Observatory of Edoardo Freddi International, one of the most advanced Italian companies dedicated to exports. | |
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| | The “red-hot blade” of the 30% U.S. duties from August 1 announced by Trump on European products sinks into the “butter” of an EU divided on how to react. Some countries, such as Italy and Germany, for example, are calling for continued dialogue, while others, such as France and Spain, are pushing for a more muscular reaction. Meanwhile, if from the EU came the postponement of counter-duties, the European technical delegation is negotiating in Washington to continue dealing with a complex dossier, also for Made in Italy, agribusiness and beyond. | |
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