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Issue 784 - May 4th - 8th 2026 - Expressly created for 3704 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world | |
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| | | A wealth arising from the integration of culture, territory and production, a “Gdp of beauty” including art, architecture and wine - Amarone della Valpolicella, Prosecco (Doc, Conegliano Valdobbiadene and Asolo Montello), Soave, Bardolino, Lugana … - with 4,243 villas between Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, built between the 15th and 18th centuries, across the territory. A system generating 360 million euros of turnover and 210 million euros in direct added value, which rises to 630 million euros with indirect and induced effects. This is the data of the study “Ville Venete Re-Birth” by The European House-Ambrosetti and the Association for the Venetian Villas. | |
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| | In Mediterranean regions (such as Central-Southern Italy and Spain), winters bring heavy rainfall and summers are long and hot, so it becomes essential to use cover crops, manage the canopy to limit evaporation, and implement reservoirs, terracing, and landscape design to manage the soil. In Atlantic areas (such as Bordeaux), the problem is the opposite: water is not lacking but stagnates, because it often rains and humidity fosters fungal diseases. In this case, water should not be retained but make it move, which requires drainage systems and biodiversity to fight pests. In continental regions (such as Piedmont, Burgundy, Germany, and the more inland parts of Oregon), rainfall is unpredictable and late frosts strike bare, cold soils: cover crops are needed to warm the soil in spring and protect it in summer, reduce evaporation through mulching (a grass-cutting technique, ed), and increase the soil rooting depth. In arid regions (such as Australia, South Africa, and parts of California), water is scarce and therefore precious: soils must be covered, stored water must be recovered and reused, and irrigation is necessary. In mountain areas (such as Mount Etna and the Aosta Valley), water never stays still, so terracing, natural barriers to slow it down, and compost are needed to restore structure to soils depleted by intense downhill rainfall. In short, it is not water that must be managed, but the landscape. And, “Saving Every Drop in Wine” explains it, the new report produced by the Porto Protocol Foundation - the global network founded by Taylor’s Port which brings together companies from all over the world to work on sustainability in the wine sector - analyzed by WineNews, has gathered insights and solutions with a clear goal: to guide the way the sector manages water. An increasingly unpredictable element, with droughts, irregular rainfall, and extreme weather events disrupting established patterns, making water availability less reliable and more difficult to manage. But there is no single solution. While all the world wine regions are addressing the problem, not all can address it in the same way due to climate, soil, and geography. | |
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| | Is there a way today to design a “zero-emission” wine production process with no waste? Perhaps we are not yet ready for the “zero” goal, but research is making significant (and rapid) steps toward drastically reducing emissions and production waste in the vineyard and winery. This is the goal of the “BluWine” project, presented by the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences of the University of Milan with Assoenologi, which involves 60 researchers from 9 international institutions including universities and research centres that are partners in the project funded by the EU (for 700,000 euros) within the framework of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions - Staff Exchange (Msca-Se) program (more in depth). | |
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| | | Let us imagine Italy of wine as a company in which the shareholders are the regions and the main competitor is France. Compared to us, the country across the Alps has a polarized wine industry made up of a small number of denominations (5) and few native grape varieties, but with a strong focus on terroir, whereas in Italy viticulture is widespread: there are many native grape varieties, but they are overlooked; many denominations, but they are little known; and terroir has limited importance. The result is that Italy turnover in the sector amounts to 15 billion euros, with an average price per liter of 3 euros, while French revenues reach 37 billion euros, with an average price per liter of 7 euros. Yet, both Italy and France produce 45 million hectoliters of wine a year. Where does the difference lie? “Certainly not in the quality of the wines, but in the different ability of the two countries to tell and enhance their wine culture”. This is the opening statement of a reflection by professor Attilio Scienza, dean of research at the University of Milan and a leading figure in promoting Italian wine culture, of which he is one of the foremost experts, with whom we often engage in discussion - also because his is a clear case of “nomen omen”, as we like to remind him - and which we are pleased to present on WineNews. | |
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| | | The Porto Cervo Wine & Food Festival, the event which officially kicks off the season in the iconic Costa Smeralda resort, a long-time destination for the international jet set, returns to Sardinia from today until May 10th. This edition No. 15 is hosted by Marriott International (which manages, on behalf of Smeralda Holding, the Hotel Cala di Volpe, the Cervo Hotel, the Pevero Golf Club, and a rich collection of bars and restaurants), featuring over 60 wineries and more than 20 food companies, and with WineNews to highlight the trends which blend luxury, lifestyle, and business. | |
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| | Arisen as a “Mass wine” of the Franciscan friars, Sagrantino di Montefalco is today the symbolic expression, in a glass, of a deep and spiritual Umbria, but also one of the Italian red wines which in recent decades has best managed to reinvent itself without losing its identity. An ampelographic and economic cornerstone of a territory revitalized thanks to the Caprai winery, headed by Marco Caprai, starting from the 1980s. Today, this translates into 380 hectares claimed under Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG, 510 hectares under Montefalco DOC and 50 hectares dedicated to the territory white wine, Spoleto DOC, with 12.5% of wines destined for export. These figures come from “A Montefalco”, an event organized by Consortium Vini Montefalco in recent days, which put the 2022 vintage of Sagrantino di Montefalco in the spotlight. It was rated 4 out of 5 stars (our best tastings in more details). | |
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| | Maia Wine becomes 100% owned by Cielo e Terra, led by Pierpaolo Cielo (Collis Veneto Wine Group), following the sale of its 50% stake by entrepreneur Angelo Lella. “The operation represents the natural evolution of a journey which began in 2021, when the group entered the company with a 50% stake - explains a note - supporting the brand development up to its current consolidation”. Pierpaolo Cielo explains that future plans include a relaunch in the large-scale retail channel, with Maia Wine as the leading brand in the company new headquarters, Villa La Favorita (Vicenza). | |
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