Italian Wine Producers Confront Tariffs at Vinitaly

Vinitaly 2026 closed in Verona on Tuesday with Italian wine producers still facing the same two pressures that have shaped the sector for much of the past year: tariffs in the United States and a broader shift in consumer demand toward lighter wines. But the fair also showed how quickly the industry is trying to adapt, from new sparkling wine rules to experiments with lower-alcohol bottlings and more aggressive brand marketing.

About 90,000 people attended the four-day event, including 26% international visitors, according to Veronafiere. The turnout gave producers, cooperatives and consortia from across Italy a chance to test ideas in a market that is changing fast. Federico Bricolo, the president of Veronafiere, said the result was notable given “complex geopolitical dynamics” that have affected travel and trade fair attendance across Europe.

One of the clearest signs of change came from marketing. Italian wine companies are borrowing tactics long used by spirits brands, using partnerships and lifestyle branding to reach consumers who may not respond to traditional wine messaging. In Alto Adige, the regional consortium has teamed up with SkyAlps, an airline that flies from London Gatwick to Bolzano three times a week. Wines from 48 producers are now served on board, and passengers can check in six bottles on the return flight at no extra cost. The idea is tied to tourism as much as wine sales, since Alto Adige draws skiers in winter and hikers and cyclists in summer.

Argea, one of Italy’s larger wine groups, used Vinitaly to introduce a new sparkling wine from its Cuvage label aimed at higher-end drinkers. The company paired the launch with golf bags, towels, yacht cushions and even ski lip balm carrying the Cuvage name. Giacomo Tarquini, Argea’s group marketing director, said the wine was meant to be sold by the glass in restaurants and clubs rather than as a mass-market bottle. He said wine producers need to adopt some of the promotional methods used by spirits companies if they want to build stronger brands.

At the same time, several regions are trying to redefine their sparkling wine categories. In Oltrepò Pavese, in western Lombardy, the local consortium formally launched Classese, a new designation for traditional-method sparkling wines built around Pinot Noir. The rules require at least 85% Pinot Noir in the blend, with Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc or Meunier making up the rest. Wines must spend at least 24 months on lees, rising to 36 months for vintage wines and 48 months for reserve bottlings. The region also recognized four subzones: Versa, Scuropasso, Coppa and Staffora.

The move is meant to restore prestige to an area that once leaned heavily toward bulk production. Riccardo Binda, who now leads the consortium after working for Bolgheri DOC, said Oltrepò Pavese has long had an aptitude for blanc de noirs sparkling wine and that formalizing Classese is less about invention than recovery. He noted that Pinot Noir has now become the region’s most planted grape variety, overtaking Croatina.

Just across the border in Piemonte, Asti DOCG has added a rosé category after three years of regulatory work. Asti Rosé will be made from 70-90% Moscato and 10-30% Brachetto. The style can be produced in different sweetness levels, including extra brut versions. Bottling is set to begin 30 days after publication of the new rules in late March, which means bottles should reach the market later this month. Giacomo Pondini, director of the Asti consortium, said the category builds on a long regional tradition while aiming at younger consumers who want aromatic wines that are easy to drink.

The debate over lower-alcohol wines was another major topic at Vinitaly. Some producers see them as a way to meet changing consumer habits and reduce duty costs in markets such as Britain. Garda DOC has already introduced wines at 9% ABV from last year’s harvest. These are not de-alcoholized wines but are made through vineyard and cellar choices that preserve flavor while lowering alcohol naturally.

Northern Italy has an advantage here because its cooler climate can help grapes retain acidity while ripening more slowly. Cantina Rauscedo in Friuli-Venezia Giulia said it sees room for growth in this segment. Flavio Geretto, its newly appointed general manager, argued that there may eventually be room in denomination rules for wines at 8% ABV or even lower. He pointed to Ribolla Gialla as a grape well suited to both still and sparkling styles with moderate alcohol.

Not everyone agrees that lower-alcohol wines should become a central strategy. Francesca Paladin of Casa Paladin said her winery is focusing instead on terroir and identity rather than chasing trends such as no-alcohol products. She warned that if every producer follows the same fashion each year, wineries risk losing what makes them distinct.

The United States remained another central concern throughout Vinitaly. It is still Italy’s most valuable export market for wine, worth about €1.76 billion in 2025 and roughly 23% of total global export value for Italian wine, according to Unione Italiana Vini data cited at the fair. But value fell 9.2% year over year between 2024 and 2025 as tariffs added pressure.

Even so, producers were not sounding alarmed enough to abandon the market. Marica Bonomo of Monte del Frà said demand remains solid in gourmet restaurants and Italian restaurants despite duties and shipping costs. Harald Cronst of Kellerei Kurtatsch said his winery suffered in late 2024 and early 2025 but has recovered some ground over the past six months by adjusting prices and managing tariff costs more carefully.

One producer who asked not to be named said their company is currently absorbing the 15% import tariff with an expectation that importers will reimburse those costs if tariffs are lifted later. Gino Colangelo of Colangelo & Partners said Italian wines still have room to compete because they offer strong quality relative to price and fit well into the US$15-25 range where many American buyers remain active.

The fair also reflected how wine can still serve as a bridge between markets even when politics are strained. Pasqua Winery of Valpolicella launched QuattroMani with Washington State winemaker Charles Smith during Vinitaly, presenting it as a symbolic collaboration between Old World viticulture and New World winemaking.

Still, there was little sense in Verona that trade tensions were going away soon. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Vinitaly on Tuesday and said she was trying to find solutions for agriculture as wider geopolitical conflict threatens fuel supplies and fertilizer access through the Strait of Hormuz. For many exhibitors, that warning may matter as much as any tariff dispute when they return next year