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Issue 766 - December 29th 2025 - January 2nd 2026 - Expressly created for 3699 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world | |
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| | | Gaja, symbol of the great wines of Langa, Ornellaia, one of the jewels of Bolgheri belonging to the Frescobaldi Group, Monteverro, a young winery on the Tuscan coast, G.B. Burlotto, a historic name in Barolo, and Marchesi Antinori, one of the most historic and prestigious Italian wineries: these are the Italian wineries that received the most votes in the “BWW 2025 - Best Wine of the World Competition” 2025, organized by “Tasting Book”, The 2025 ranking includes, among others, Château Petrus’ 2020 Pétrus as “Best Wine of the World”, E. Guigal, an icon of the Rhône Valley, as “Best Winery of the Year”, and Monteverro as “Best New Winery of the Year”. But it also rewards other Italian excellences among the wines. | |
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| | “We used to be a society with low levels of education and high rates of emigration. We have become one of the strongest countries in manufacturing and exports, capable of bringing out the genius of creativity in many sectors. We are appreciated throughout the world for our lifestyles, for the beauty of our territories, for the artistic treasures we preserve. For our food and wine culture, which has become an international heritage”. This is just one of the passages from the end-of-year message of the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, who, on December 31, addressed Italians live on television - almost 11 million viewers, with a 70% share - leafing through “an imaginary album of the history of the Republic, as we sometimes do when we are with our families” because, in 2026, we will celebrate the 80th anniversary of its birth. He gave a real overview of our country's achievements, all of which form the basis of Italian identity, inviting young people in particular to defend and carry on “this success story in the world”. Words that today make us say “thank you, Mr. President!” because it is the first time, to our knowledge, that food and wine as culture have been mentioned in a year-end speech by a President of the Italian Republic. This is recognition for a key sector in Italy, namely agri-food, which is worth €700 billion, or 15% of the total national economy, and which in 2024 recorded its highest ever exports, with over €69 billion, with wine representing the largest item at €8.1 billion. These beautiful and fundamental words were spoken by the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, following his speech at the “Forum della Cultura dell’Olio e del Vino” No. 44, in March 2025 in Rome, promoted by Franco Maria Ricci, “a life dedicated to Italian wine” and the dissemination of its culture, at the helm of Bibenda & Fondazione Italiana Sommelier (Fis), which today is one of the largest centers in the world, as confirmed by the presence of President Mattarella at the Rome Cavalieri, in front of an audience of producers and industry representatives. | |
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| | Almost a year has passed since the first decree that opened up the possibility of producing dealcoholized wines in Italy, in December 2024, to the decree on “taxation” signed in recent days by the Ministry of Agriculture, led by Francesco Lollobrigida, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, led by Giancarlo Giorgetti. But finally, there is a clear regulatory framework that will allow producers in Italy to conduct the entire supply chain in Italy. And while Unione Italiana Vini - Uiv, with its secretary Paolo Castelletti, had already commented positively on the signing of the decree, “the signing of the decree represents a significant step for the Italian wine sector, because it offers regulatory certainty in an evolving segment, capable of responding to the changing needs of consumers, particularly in foreign markets”, comments Gabriele Castelli, managing director of Federvini. | |
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| | | One billion bottles produced and sold (1.03 billion), of which over 360 million were destined for the holidays, with 106 million bottles of sparkling wine, 96% of which were made in Italy, uncorked in Italy (+4%) between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Despite a difficult 2025 due to external factors (including tariffs, a general decline in consumption, and changing habits), Italian sparkling wines (which performed better than still wines) enjoyed a successful end to the year, bolstered by stable export figures which, as shown by Istat data analyzed by WineNews, reached €1.67 billion in value in the first nine months of 2025, not far from the record figure for 2024 (-0.5%), with growth in volume to 400.6 million liters (+2.19%). The strength of the sector is also confirmed by data from the Uiv-Ismea Wine Observatory in its usual end-of-year focus, which states that, overall, there has been a +1.8% increase on the 2024 production record, with quantities almost tripling in the last 15 years. This growth is driven by exports, which account for 7 out of 10 bottles, but also by growing domestic demand (+5% on 2024), while “toasts with foreign sparkling wines are declining, with a forecast trend of -8% for imports”. | |
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| | | The podium is dominated by the Rhône, with Château Rayas at No. 1 and its Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2011 up 66.7%. The same label, but from the 2010 vintage, is at No. 2, ahead of E. Guigal's Cote Rotie Château d'Ampuis 2019 at No. 3. Position No. 4 goes to Domaine de La Romanée-Conti La Tâche Grand Cru 2018 and No. 5 to Soldera Case Basse 100% Sangiovese 2013 (+35.7%), whose prices have skyrocketed by +224% over the last decade. This is the Top 5 best-performing wines of 2025 (January-November) according to WineCap. | |
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| | Lower volumes but higher margins, thanks to careful business organization and investments in innovation, technology, and bioenergy: the financial statements (closed in August 2025) of the Caviro Group, a giant of the Romagna and Italian cooperative movement (led by President Carlo Dalmonte and CEO Giampaolo Bassetti), which brings together 11,500 winegrowers and over 34,000 hectares of vineyards in eight regions of Italy, with consolidated revenues of €351 million, a net profit of €2.3 million (more than double the €1.1 million in 2024), and EBITDA of €29 million (8.3% of revenues). | |
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| | 2025 ended with an overall increase in sales of +8% compared to 2024, for an estimated total of 98 million bottles: this is the balance sheet for Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG. A true phenomenon of Made in Italy, whose Consortium, in 2025, carried out promotional activities in eight countries and over 100 masterclasses, as well as collaborations with important institutions in cinema and literature, such as the Venice Film Festival. | |
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