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Issue 800 - August 24th - 28th 2026 - Expressly created for 3674 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world | |
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| | | Whether you like it or not, the trend toward alcohol-free or low-alcohol wines is gaining ground in the market. And while today’s focus is on de-alcoholization in wineries, some are already taking it a step further, thanks to technology. The result is a device slightly larger than a kitchen appliance, which works simply by plugging it into an outlet and turning on the water faucet, the first “home” wine dealcoholizer, which should be ready by the end of the year, perhaps as a Christmas gift, even if the cost is not insignificant (it’s expected to be around 5,000–7,000 euros). This truly innovative product is being developed by Vasongroup, a long-established company based in Verona (read more).
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| | “Mors tua vita mea”, goes an old Latin adage dating back to the Middle Ages. And it sometimes holds true even in the wine market, where the difficulties faced by some can, more or less cynically, turn into opportunities for others. This is the case, for example, with lovers of great Bordeaux wines, who in recent years have seen prices soar thanks to extremely strong Chinese demand, during a time when, in the Middle Kingdom, owning a bottle from a great château, whether as a gift or to drink, was a powerful status symbol, with many wealthy Asians, from China and especially Hong Kong, purchasing copious quantities of bottles from prestigious wineries and vintages, if not entire châteaux. But this trend ended long ago, and “everyday” wine consumption has not yet become part of Chinese customs. As demonstrated, moreover, by the Chinese Customs data reported by the “South China Morning Post” for the first six months of 2026, imports of bottled wine from EU countries fell by 16.6% in volume and 7.9% in value compared to the same period in 2025, totaling $251 million. Shipments plummeted by 24.9% from Spain, 17.7% from Italy, and 14.3% from France. European wines, moreover, are following a general downward trend in imports to China, calculated at -13% over the past year by the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV). Against this backdrop, in addition to stagnant consumption, there are enormous collections sitting in Hong Kong warehouses, and often even in the Bordeaux châteaux themselves, which, through the right channels, could become opportunities for European collectors, as Asian buyers, for the most part having moved past the trend for European wines, now effectively have no use for them. As told to WineNews by Raimondo Romani, owner of Italy’s first auction house specializing in wine (G&R Wine Auction), founded in Rome and operating in Hong Kong since 2011, and Bertolami Fine Art, which art market analysts have once again included this year on the list of the most important Italian auction houses, and which, right now (through September 15), is holding a “live” and online auction dedicated to “Fine Wines: Icons From France & Italy”. | |
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| | With his history and heart rooted in his native Tuscany, yet his gaze and mind open to the world: this was Vittorio Frescobaldi, as clearly illustrated by his collaboration with the great American producer Robert Mondavi, beginning with the founding of Tenuta Luce in Montalcino in 1995, and continuing with a journey that led the joint venture to acquire, in 2002, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia in Bolgheri (which today consists of two distinct estates, Ornellaia and Masseto), which subsequently became the property of Frescobaldi in 2005. This story encapsulates the vision of the Florentine entrepreneur who passed away a few days ago at the age of 97 and who, together with his brothers Ferdinando and Leonardo Frescobaldi, greatly expanded the family business and a winemaking history spanning more than 700 years, before entrusting the leadership of the group to Lamberto Frescobaldi, who continues to lead it today. | |
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| | | While in many Italian regions the harvest of the earliest white wines and base wines for sparkling wine is well underway, slowly but surely, in this year of 2026, which will be remembered for record-breaking early harvests across many European regions - from Burgundy to Champagne, from Bordeaux to South Tyrol, among others - even some major red wine-producing territories have already begun harvesting. For example, “the harvest in Valpolicella is starting two weeks earlier than the historical average. This acceleration is due to the summer heat and drought, which has led to a 7-day advance on last year’s schedule and is accompanied, in this initial phase, by particularly favorable quality prospects”, explains a statement from the Consorzio Vini Valpolicella. Barring adverse weather conditions, the Consortium currently estimates a total harvest of just over 861,000 quintals of grapes. This volume is in line with 2025 levels, but this year includes 172,280 quintals in stock, equal to 20% of production. But while the quality indicators fuel positive expectations, there is no shortage of concerns on the economic front. Among these is the downward trend in grape prices, especially for those intended for drying. | |
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| | | If there is one wine that is a global icon, it is Champagne. And that remains true today. While the U.S. remains the leading market, perhaps not everyone knows that Italy is the world’s fifth-largest market for French sparkling wine, with 7.8 million bottles worth 210 million euros in 2025. This timeless passion is celebrated by the “Champagne Experience” 2026, the ninth edition of Europe’s most important event dedicated to French sparkling wine, organized by Excellence Sidi (October 4 and 5, at BolognaFiere). | |
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| | While the wine market and others are struggling overall, at least for the global luxury sector, this extremely challenging year of 2026 is expected to see slight growth, both globally (estimated at +2%) and in personal goods (between +2% and +4%), driven by experiences such as hospitality and dining, and assets like mega-yachts, private jets, and art. Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly decisive role in purchasing decisions. This is according to the recent mid-year update of the Altagamma-Bain Monitor on Global Luxury Personal Goods Markets, produced by Bain & Company in collaboration with Altagamma. In particular, the “experiences” category, driven primarily by hospitality, fine dining, restaurants, cruises, and wines, is projected to see overall growth of approximately +4%. | |
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| | Italian wine in Italy’s large-scale retail sector is struggling in terms of volume but not in value, with sparkling wines continuing to buck the trend, as Prosecco and Metodo Classico see growth, while the “private label” segment slows sharply. These are some of the findings emerging from Circana data updated as of July 2026, analyzed by WineNews. According to the data, in the 12 months between July 2025 and July 2026, a total of 414 million liters of wine were sold (-3.4% compared to the previous year) for 1.8 billion euros (-1.2%). | |
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