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Issue 787 - May 25th - 29th 2026 - Expressly created for 3720 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world | |
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| | | As it has happened for years, there are many names from the world of made in Italy wine and food among the 25 new Knights of Labor appointed by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella on the proposal of the Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso, in agreement with the Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida. This time, Italian wine is represented by Marina Cvetic, who today, together with her daughters Miriam and Chiara Masciarelli, leads the historic Abruzzo winery Masciarelli, founded in 1981 by her husband Gianni Masciarelli, a visionary figure in contemporary Italian wine and among the producers who made Abruzzo wine famous worldwide.
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| | Global geopolitical uncertainty caused by armed conflicts is proving, in some respects, to be a fortunate opportunity for our country. The appeal of real estate investment is growing, linked on the one hand to the beauty which Italy expresses from a natural, architectural, historical-cultural, and food and wine perspective, and on the other hand, to the positive effects of the Flat Tax - introduced in 2017 - targeted at new residents who transfer their tax residence to Italy, allowing them to pay a flat substitute tax on foreign income for 15 years. This was a somewhat provocative point made in recent days by Bill Thomson, ceo of Knight Frank Italian network, during the presentation of “The Wealth Report” 2026 and it is supported by unequivocal market data. The wine sector is also benefiting from this trend, with vineyards confirming themselves as among the most interesting (and growing) alternative assets for international investors, combining economic value, territorial identity, and a strong experiential component. Italian vineyards in particular are increasingly more perceived as “iconic assets capable of combining economic and symbolic value”. While the challenging context in which the Italian wine sector operates has not had direct negative repercussions on the real estate transaction market, it is nonetheless true that what is happening in the markets is reshaping the map of investment opportunities, as the Report highlights. “Despite the challenges facing the wine sector, demand for particularly suitable vineyards remains strong - confirms Alexander Hall, head of International Vineyards at Knight Frank - investors are increasingly more focused on quality, climatic suitability, and long-term resilience, particularly in areas where supply is limited and value is supported by provenance and know-how”. These trends and directions must be carefully considered, as they show how certain factors, until recently considered cyclical - such as wine tourism and the experiential dimension of wine consumption, are becoming structural realities, even influencing the criteria used to evaluate and enhance businesses, as explained to WineNews by Alexander Hall and Bill Thomson (the in-depth interview).
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| | “The defining element of the Renaissance was placing human beings at the center of the Earth. Today we must reverse this paradigm, placing the Earth at the center of humanity. The respect we have for the Earth is a way of life which shapes every daily choice we make and guides us in cultivating 120 hectares of organic vineyards”. These are the words of Andrea Farinetti, head of Fontanafredda, which in recent years has embraced sustainability not as a value to showcase, but as a 360-degree modus operandi in every moment and phase of the company life. A sort of “Green Renaissance”, which also took concrete form in the “Sustainability Day”, celebrated in recent days. The winery, together with its partners set down in writing a true “Supply Chain Sustainability Manifesto”, structured into 10 points (more in depth).
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| | | “Abandon negativity and be proactive in addressing the difficult economic situation in collaboration with institutions with which relationships have been strengthened”, and “have the strength to imagine a new Renaissance of Italian wine”: this is the appeal by president of Italian enologists Riccardo Cotarella from the Assoenologi Congress No. 79 in Conegliano, in the heart of the Hills of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Docg, after the messages by the European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and by the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi. An appeal picked up on the stage by the Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida who talked about “a united wine sector”, awarded with the “Assoenologi Person of the Year 2026”, together with WineNews director Alessandro Regoli, named “Honorary Enologist”, and awarded with “Communication Italy 2026”, Matteo Zoppas, president of Ice, Federico Bricolo, president of Veronafiere, president of the Veneto Regional Council Luca Zaia, recipient of the “Special Territory Award”, Dario Stefàno, president of Ceseo-Research study Wine and Oil tourism of the Lumsa University of Rome, Fabio Chies, mayor of Conegliano, and Stevie Kim, Managing Partner Vinitaly, “International Communication Award”.
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| | | A “sui generis” and special event in which butterflies are released directly among vine rows, which aims to celebrate and emphasize biodiversity and environmental health: it is the “Butterfly Day” at Tenuta Ca’ Marcanda, the Bolgheri label of the Gaja family, which has returned to promote it in recent days, in one of the most prestigious and renowned wine regions in the world for its iconic wines, but also for the beauty of a landscape which symbolizes Tuscany and Italy, nestled between the famous Viale dei Cipressi, immortalized in the verses of the great poet Giosuè Carducci, and the Tyrrhenian Sea.
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| | Believe in the land is a mantra for wineries which focuses entirely on distinctiveness and quality. This is also true for one of the flagship companies of Southern Italy, the historic winery Varvaglione 1921 from Taranto, founded in 1921 by Cosimo Varvaglione and now headed by his grandson Mimmo together with his wife Maria Teresa and their children Marzia, Angelo, and Francesca. Alongside the historic Masseria Pizzariello and the Giardinetto estate, the company now adds another gem of the territory: Casino Nitti, in Marina di Lizzano, an ancient hunting lodge in light stone built around 1550, now a 70-hectare estate overlooking the Ionian Sea. Where Varvaglione will cultivate the grape varieties symbolic of Puglia (Primitivo, Negroamaro, and Susumaniello) and Campania (Greco di Tufo, Aglianico, and Fiano di Avellino). | |
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| | With an unusual journey which saw them “bring together” their South Tyrol with neighboring Trentino, under the banner of Trentodoc, with joy and emotion Julia and Karoline Walch, who run the renowned South Tyrolean winery together with their mother Elena Walch, officially inaugurated, 10 years after the start of the project and with an investment of 8 million euros, their new Moncalisse winery in Civezzano (Trento). With the aim of reaching, within 8-10 years, the production of 100,000 bottles (the story in more detail), also betting on hospitality.
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