Italian wine bottlings fell 5.4% in early 2026

Italian wine bottlings fell 5.4% in the first five months of 2026, extending a slowdown that had already taken hold last year, according to Valoritalia’s 2026 annual report presented in Rome.

The certification body said bottlings had already declined 2.1% in 2025 from 2024 levels, reflecting weaker demand in international markets after the post-pandemic rebound. The new figures point to a more difficult start to 2026 for a sector that remains central to Italy’s beverage economy but is showing uneven performance across categories and producers.

Valoritalia said higher-value DOC and DOCG wines held up better in 2025, posting average growth of 1%, while IGT wines fell 11%. Sparkling wines rose 1.7%, rosés increased 5.7% and still white wines gained 6.3%. Red wines moved in the opposite direction, with a drop of more than 13%.

The report suggests that scale is becoming more important as market conditions worsen. Medium-size and larger appellations showed smaller swings than the broader market, while micro-appellations were more exposed to changes in demand. Valoritalia said the same pattern appears among protection consortia, where broader representation and larger volumes improve the ability to respond to market pressure.

Francesco Liantonio, Valoritalia’s president, said concentration in the supply chain is now a defining feature of Italian quality wine. The top 15 appellations account for 81% of certified volumes, while the top 14 protection consortia cover 83%. Among bottling companies, the top five represent nearly 19% of total volumes and the top 40 account for more than 55%.

At the same time, production remains highly fragmented. More than 75% of companies bottle less than 500 hectoliters a year, underscoring the weight of small and medium-size businesses in preserving local identity and diversity across Italian wine regions. That split between concentration at the top and fragmentation at the base is likely to matter for the wider drinks sector, because weaker bottlings and sharper differences between premium appellations and lower-tier wines can affect supply planning, certification activity and export positioning.

Liantonio said producers need to reassess strategy as structural pressures build. He pointed to sustainability as an increasingly important factor for competitiveness and access to foreign markets, while also calling for policies tailored to different business models and territories. He also said the industry must address overcapacity and rebalance margins along the distribution chain.

Giuseppe Liberatore, Valoritalia’s director general, described the current phase as a transition that is hitting smaller operators hardest. He said provisional data for early 2026 show structural fragility, but added that technology now gives consortia faster tools to regulate supply and reduce delays that once limited their effectiveness.

That push toward faster decision-making is tied to TESSA, a platform developed by Valoritalia with Microsoft and EOS. The system uses business intelligence tools to process millions of pieces of information from certification procedures in real time. Valoritalia said the platform is intended to help monitor production and market trends continuously, giving consortia and companies quicker signals when demand shifts.

With 219 certified appellations of origin and 37 operating offices across Italy, Valoritalia says it certifies more than 60% of the country’s quality wine production. That gives its database unusual reach at a time when producers are trying to match output more closely to changing consumption patterns.

Sustainability was another central theme at the Rome presentation. Denis Pantini, head of agrifood research at Nomisma, presented findings from Wine Monitor showing that sustainability is playing a larger role in consumer choices and in consortium strategies, especially under the European Union’s updated framework for geographical indications, which recognizes sustainability as part of DOP and IGP denominations.

Pantini said consumer attention remains high toward sustainability in the product itself, in the company behind it and in the production area. He added that two out of three Italians consider sustainability important even when choosing a vacation destination, linking wine production more closely with tourism and hospitality.

That connection could have commercial implications beyond wineries alone. If sustainability certifications gain wider recognition among consumers, they may support not only wine sales but also wine tourism revenue and broader beverage branding tied to place of origin. Industry speakers argued that stronger promotion will be needed if certified producers are to capture enough economic value from those investments.

Paolo De Castro said sustainability can become a growth lever for Italian quality wine because the new European regulation on geographical indications includes voluntary tools that allow appellations to highlight practices already used across supply chains. Certifying those paths, he said, can improve transparency for consumers and strengthen competitive positioning in global markets.

Letizia Cesani said sustainable tourism certifications could increase farm business revenue, but only if institutions and local authorities back them with stronger promotion and investment. Giangiacomo Gallarati Scotti Bonaldi said Italian geographical indications are entering a period of deep change in which protection consortia are being asked to take on new responsibilities ranging from supply management and sustainability to digitalization and wine tourism.

Riccardo Ricci Curbastro said Equalitas now has about 500 certified companies and more than 300 in the certification process, covering roughly 20% of Italian wine production. He said the standard has gained recognition from major international retailers as well as state alcohol monopolies in Northern Europe and Canada, with expansion already under way in Spain and Northern Europe.

For producers, traders and distributors, the latest bottling figures offer a clearer sign that Italy’s wine market is no longer moving as one block. Premium denominations are proving more resilient than IGT wines, sparkling wines are outperforming reds, and larger organizations appear better equipped than smaller ones to react quickly. In a market facing weaker demand and tighter competition, access to timely data and credible sustainability credentials may increasingly shape how supply is managed and how Italian wine competes at home and abroad.