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Issue 748 - August 25th - 29th 2025 - Expressly created for 3676 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world | |
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| | | The heroic vineyards that climb terraces carved out with hard work and sweat from the cliffs that plunge into the Mediterranean, as well as the olive groves and iconic lemon groves, interspersed with places of absolute beauty such as Ravello, with its “ Terrazza dell’Infinito” (Terrace of Infinity), and Villa Cimbrone. This is the Amalfi Coast, a territory made famous by gems of Italian and Campania wine, such as the Marisa Cuomo winery in Furore and Giuseppe Apicella in Tramonti, recognized by the FAO as “GIAHS - Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System” (together with the Vineyard Hills of Soave and the Olive Groves of Spoleto and Assisi in Italy). | |
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| | Tariffs or not, the US remains and will remain an essential and irreplaceable market for Italian wine exports, with €1.9 billion out of €8 billion in 2024, and €838.7 million out of €3.2 billion in the first five months of 2025, according to Istat, with growth of +5.7% in value compared to -0.8% for Italy as a whole. This is another reason why it is becoming more important to maintain a presence and promote the market. This continues at full speed, with Veronafiere-Vinitaly, ITA - Italian Trade Agency, Fiere Italiane, and the Italian American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest-Chicago, together with Vinitaly.USA No. 2, at Navy Pier in Chicago on October 5 and 6. Almost 250 exhibitors are expected, including wineries and consortia, with an aggregate turnover of €7.2 billion. “We are seeing strong motivation”, said Veronafiere President Federico Bricolo, “there is an awareness that the difficulty of tariffs must be responded to with greater presence and promotion”. Chicago will host “the leading brands from across the peninsula”, from Antinori to Ferrari, Bellavista to Berlucchi, Planeta to Allegrini, Angelini Wines & Estates to Pasqua, Masciarelli to Feudi di San Gregorio, Varvaglione to San Polo - Marilisa Allegrini, from Tasca d’Almerita to Rocca delle Macìe, from Tommasi to Famiglia Cotarella, from the massive representation of Prosecco producers (Villa Sandi, Mionetto, Valdo) to Mezzacorona, from Gruppo Italiani Vini (Giv) to Frescobaldi. In addition to the many consortia (from Prosecco DOC to Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG, from Asti to Valpolicella, from Brunello di Montalcino to Custoza, from Chiaretto and Bardolino to Lugana, from Garda to DOC Sicilia). There will also be many importers and buyers attending the event, including Volio Fine Wine Imports, Vias, Terlato Wines, and others. “This is still a partial result”, emphasizes Veronafiere CEO Adolfo Rebughini, “but it is already significant in terms of the American market’s interest in Italian wine”. Also on the calendar is the debut of the “wine2wine business forum”, with its first edition abroad (which, therefore, will not be in Verona in 2025, while further assessments will be made for 2026, according to WineNews), and the announcement, on October 5, of the protagonists of Vinitaly OperaWine 2026 by “Wine Spectator”. | |
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| | Slow markets, both nationally and in terms of exports, especially for red wines, cellars full almost everywhere, as evidenced by the stocks recorded by “Cantina Italia” by Icqrf (39.8 million hectoliters as of July 30 2025, +0.5% over the same period in 2024), structural decline in consumption, health consciousness are leading to the realization that it is necessary, not everywhere, to reduce wine production in Italy. But while it takes time to implement structural plans, in the meantime, appellations are taking short-term action, also with a view to the 2025 harvest. And while many have already taken countermeasures to limit production, the most prestigious Italian red wine appellations, in terms of wine value, are moving in different directions: Valpolicella, Chianti, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino have opted to cut yields, while Barolo, Barbaresco, Nobile di Montepulciano have not (in more detail). | |
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| | | It began in mid-July with the first grapes harvested in Sicily by Cantine Ermes. Sicily and Franciacorta were the first areas to enter the harvest phase at the beginning of August. The 2025 harvest is expected to be abundant almost everywhere (the very first estimates, by Coldiretti, speak of 45 million hectoliters) and with very high expectations for quality given the almost total absence of disease from north to south, except for sporadic cases, as reported by many wineries, from Trentino Alto Adige to Sicily, between mid-August and these days, there are many areas where the harvest is taking shape in an increasingly important way. And everywhere, there are excellent expectations for both the quality and quantity of the grapes, while some concerns, of course, arise from the complexity of the markets and the issue of tariffs. This is reported (in more detail) in comments from the regions and consortia of Alta Langa, Asti DOCG, Trentodoc, Alto Adige, Pinot Grigio delle Venezie, and Chianti. However, as some individual wineries report, the first bunches are also in the cellars in many other areas, from Oltrepò Pavese to Collio, in Friuli, but also in Tuscany, Puglia, and elsewhere. | |
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| | | It was the “official” wine of the Olympics, traditionally offered to athletes returning victorious from sporting events: Cirò Classico, an Italian excellence made in Calabria, is now recognized and protected at the European level. The EU Commission has granted protection to the Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin “Cirò Classico”, approving its registration as a PDO in the EU register. For Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida, “Italy confirms its leadership in quality”. | |
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| | The big screen showcases the stories of five outstanding chefs who have transformed Italian cuisine into a language of identity, including Caterina Ceraudo, Martina Caruso, Valeria Piccini, Antonia Klugmann, and Cristina Bowerman, told in “La quinta stagione” (The Fifth Season), the documentary film conceived by Paola Valeria Jovinelli and directed by Giuseppe Carrieri, together with highly anticipated films featuring great directors and actors, but also with food & wine, strictly made in Italy, to seal the convivial moments, parties, and awards ceremonies. Starting with the bubbles of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, a Venetian excellence. These are just some of the ingredients of the 82nd edition of the Venice International Film Festival, the oldest and one of the most prestigious in the world, running until September 6. | |
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| | A video showcasing the excellence of the Marche region, narrated by Olympic champion Gianmarco Tamberi: the film, commissioned by the Marche Region, has been broadcast in recent days on the famous Nasdaq tower in Times Square, in the heart of New York City. Here, the campaign was seen by over 400,000 viewers per day. “An important initiative to showcase our region, its products, and the Marche lifestyle, which comes at a particular moment for Italian wine”, said Michele Bernetti (Umani Ronchi), president of the Istituto Marchigiano Tutela (Imt). | |
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