Italy’s Top Winemaker Urges Lower Wine Prices

Riccardo Cotarella, the president of Assoenologi, has called for lower wine prices in Italy, arguing that excessive markups are hurting consumption at a time when wineries are already facing a broad slowdown.

In remarks published Monday by Corriere Cook, Cotarella said the gap between what producers receive and what consumers pay has become too wide. He said only 10% to 20% of the final bottle price often reflects the producer’s actual cost, with the rest absorbed by added charges and markups along the chain. To illustrate the imbalance, he said a bottle leaving a winery at €30 can end up selling for €300 or €400.

“How can we think of reviving wine consumption with prices like these?” Cotarella said, according to the interview.

Cotarella is one of Italy’s best-known winemakers and consultants, and his comments come as the country’s wine industry faces weaker demand and growing concern about how to attract younger and more occasional drinkers. He said wine needs to “return to being a product of the people,” and argued that the sector should move away from inflated pricing except in limited cases involving flagship labels with deep historical and territorial value.

His criticism was aimed less at producers than at the broader commercial structure that shapes retail and restaurant prices. In his view, high-end positioning may be justified for a small group of iconic wines, but not across much of the market. For most bottles, he said, the difference between production cost and consumer price should be reduced if the industry wants to rebuild volume.

The warning touches a central issue for the beverage business in Italy and beyond. If wine remains too expensive for many consumers, lower-priced alternatives such as spritzes and cocktails may continue to gain ground. A narrower price gap could help support wine consumption, but it could also put pressure on margins across distribution, hospitality and retail. The debate also reaches product positioning, especially as producers look for new ways to bring consumers into the category.

Cotarella said younger or newer drinkers may never be drawn to wine if entry prices remain too high. Instead, he suggested, they are more likely to choose mixed drinks that feel more accessible both economically and culturally. He also criticized what he described as overly sophisticated language around wine, saying communication should become simpler and less ornate.

He extended that pragmatic approach to dealcoholized wines, a category that has often faced skepticism in traditional wine circles. Cotarella said that even if he does not personally favor them, winemakers should not reject them when there is market demand. If consumers ask for those products, he said, producers should make them as well as possible.

He suggested dealcoholized wines could serve as an entry point for people who identify as non-drinkers without ever having tried a glass of wine. If made well, he said, those products may encourage curiosity and lead some consumers to explore wine more deeply later on. That view adds to a wider discussion in Europe about whether low- and no-alcohol beverages can expand the customer base for wine rather than simply replace traditional consumption.

Cotarella also described the current downturn as global in scope. He said he works as a consultant with 108 wineries around the world and that all of them are worried about present market conditions. Even so, he struck a hopeful note, saying he has seen many wine crises over his 78 years and believes they can be overcome.

He argued that wine’s cultural link to place remains strong enough to protect the category over time, but said producers must adapt by aligning output more closely with actual demand. In his view, wineries need to produce and bring to market no more than what is needed. He added that modern enologists are no longer confined to cellar work and increasingly contribute expertise in trends, marketing and communication, giving them a larger strategic role in helping the sector respond.

His comments land at a sensitive moment for Italian wine, which has been balancing prestige with affordability while also confronting changing drinking habits. Italy remains one of the world’s leading wine producers and exporters, but domestic consumption patterns have shifted over time, especially among younger adults who often divide spending across beer, cocktails and alcohol-free options.

By focusing on pricing rather than only production or branding, Cotarella has opened a debate that goes beyond wineries themselves. Restaurants, distributors and retailers all influence what consumers ultimately pay for a bottle. Any effort to narrow markups would likely require changes across that chain, not just at the cellar door.

For now, his message is direct: if the industry wants to bring consumers back to wine, it may need to make bottles easier to understand, easier to approach and above all easier to afford.