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Issue 745 - August 4th - 8th 2025 - Expressly created for 3682 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world | |
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| | | “We estimate that a 15% tariff on EU wines and spirits may result in the loss of over 25,000 jobs in the United States and nearly 2 billion dollars in lost sales”. This is the warning against the application of tariffs on wine and spirits that was issued in the last days by the Toasts Not Tariffs Coalition, a group of over 50 US associations involved in the wine and spirits industry, representing the entire alcoholic beverage supply chain. In a letter to US President Donald Trump, they call for “the United States and the European Union to reach an agreement to ensure fair and reciprocal trade in spirits and wine”. | |
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| | “Wine is an element closely linked to our civilization, and therefore many artists and poets who wrote about humanity could not fail to write also about wine. On my way to Montalcino, I thought about how many poets have been deeply involved with wine. Starting with Homer and ending with Eduardo De Filippo. Wine is a cornerstone of our civilization so we must learn to make good use of it. Otherwise, we leave the field open to those who fight against alcohol abuse. But in alcohol abuse, the tragedy lies in the word abuse, not in the word alcohol. And abuse should be avoided everywhere. Alcohol abuse is certainly a scourge of our times. And, in my opinion, alcohol abuse can also be combated by celebrating a good glass of wine and a wise and poetic use of wine” said Nicola Piovani, one of Italy’s greatest musicians and Oscar winner (for the soundtrack to Roberto Benigni’s film “La vita è bella”), in an interview with WineNews (which, recently, invited him to perform his concert “Note a margine” at “Jazz & Wine” 2025, Banfi’s historic festival in Montalcino, ed.). “I am an enthusiastic amateur cook, I am not a wine expert, but I drink and I like it. My father was teetotal, he came from a farming community, a small farming community in Viterbo area. But in that culture, where he was born, the power and beauty of wine was so strong that he insisted on having a bottle of wine on the table. Even when we were little and didn’t drink. Because we had to get used to the beauty and happiness of a bottle of wine on the table”. And, among other things, there had to be a memory linked to food and the great director Federico Fellini: “I remember the small groups of three or four people at lunch with Federico Fellini, which had something epic about them because he was the poet of everyday life, of minimalist poetry. Whether he was talking about Kafka or linguine with tuna, whether to add onion or garlic (this was a discussion), he always managed to enhance the beauty of the table”. Piovani also has no doubts about the relationship between music and nature: “it often happens to me that when faced with the beauty of nature, the beauty of landscapes, sunsets, I freeze, I can no longer write music. Because everything is already so beautiful, everything is already so harmonious that it is very difficult to translate”. | |
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| | “The Government intends to continue providing concrete support to a sector that is fundamental to the Italian economy and that we can’t afford to neglect. Italy is a global leader in wine production and reached a record 8.1 billion euros in exports in 2024. An extraordinary achievement that demonstrates its qualities and competitiveness. With ColtivaItalia, the Government has allocated one billion euros to strengthen the productive autonomy of Italian agriculture and structurally support key sectors such as wine”. This was stated by the Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida, in the last days, after the meeting of the Wine Roundtable convened by the Minister himself, which concluded with a speech by the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni in front of the supply chain organizations.
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| | | While the first grapes were harvested in July in Sicily and Franciacorta, and the 2025 harvest is now getting underway, with the earliest varieties being picked throughout Italy. And although there are those who have already made predictions on a national scale, everything must be taken with due caution, in view of the coming weeks. But now there are many important wineries in different areas, from Trentino Alto Adige to Sicily (from Tenuta San Leonardo to Cembra Cantina di Montagna, from Cantina Terlano to Cantina Andriano, from Cantina Kaltern to Mosnel, from Castello di Bonomi to Conte Vistarino, from Parusso to Pio Cesare, from Cantine Lvnae to Castello di Quesrcerto, Bertinga to Castello di Fonteritoli, Arrillo in Terra Bianca to Giodo, Fattoria Le Pupille to Castello di Vicarello, Tenuta di Trinoro to Tenuta Liliana and Tasca d’Almerita) to draw a picture that generally describes the 2025 vintage as fairly uniform and balanced. The harvest appears to be slightly early, with some white varieties in pole position. Quality expectations are high and, if August continues without extreme events, the 2025 harvest could yield wines of precision, freshness, and great expressiveness.
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| | | Diversifying markets is always a valid strategy, especially in these uncertain times. It is therefore right not to turn the spotlight away from China, despite the decline in consumption. And, Chianti, the “pop” denomination of Tuscan reds, has always been a pioneer in exploring global markets for new opportunities. Not without reason, Chianti Academy 2025, a training format by the Consorzio Vino Chianti, which will be present in four key cities of the Chinese market, aims to share the soul of Chianti Docg and connect it with local cuisines and cultures. | |
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| | If the very first grapes bunches of harvest 2025 were collected in July in Sicily, the first territory to move in an organic way, in the last days is Franciacorta, one of the noble earths of Italian sparkling wine, where, with “the cut of the first grapes bunches in the earliest vineyards” began a harvest “which will progressively extend to the different zones of production areas, a progression that reflects the diversity of soils and climates characterizing Franciacorta grapes” explains the Consortium headed by Emanuele Rabotti. According to him, 2025 “is a very promising vintage: the vineyards are in optimal health conditions, with a good vegetative-productive balance, abundant and high-quality grapes despite some localized hailstorms”. | |
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| | The first bunches of grapes, in the “wine continent” of Sicily, were cut as early as mid-July, while the last ones, on Etna, will be ready for harvest in late September, if not October. Yet, as of today, forecasts for the harvest in Sicily - the longest in Italy, with an average duration of 100 days - are cautious, but they are already being confirmed by the work of the technicians and the first harvest. And they talk about “a return to normality in terms of timing, an improvement in quantity compared to 2024, and a quality that already promises to be excellent”, according to Assovini Sicilia.
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