Prosecco DOC Seeks Curbs on 2026 Harvest Supply

The Consorzio di tutela of Prosecco DOC has asked the Veneto regional government to approve extraordinary supply-management measures for the 2026 harvest, including a temporary increase in eligible Glera production and mandatory storage of part of the output above set yield thresholds.

According to a notice published Friday by Confagricoltura Rovigo, the request was filed under Article 39 of Italy’s Law 238/2016, which allows extraordinary market-management tools for wine appellations. Veneto has ordered publication of the notice in its official bulletin, opening the period for comments from interested parties.

At the center of the proposal is a temporary and extraordinary “attingimento” for Glera, the grape used for Prosecco. The measure would expand vineyard potential eligible for Prosecco DOC by enough to allow up to 300,000 additional hectoliters of production, an amount the notice said corresponds to about 2,000 hectares. The proposal excludes the Asolo DOCG and Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG areas.

The request also sets conditions on which vineyards could be included. The land would need to meet specific historical requirements tied to farm management and registration in the official vineyard records. The maximum area allowed would be 7,000 square meters per producer.

A second pillar of the proposal is storage of surplus wine. Production of Prosecco DOC above 150 quintals per hectare for vineyards from their third year onward, and above 90 quintals per hectare for second-year vineyards, would have to be held by the producer or by third parties until a release order is issued. That release is expected by Dec. 31, 2027, though the measure could be extended. The stored volumes would have to remain traceable under sustainability rules and could not be transferred to third parties while under restriction.

The proposal also addresses vineyard and winery overruns. For Glera grown in the field, up to 20% of the maximum claimable yield would have to be diverted to products other than wine. At the winery level, no cellar overruns would be allowed for the 2026 harvest, and the maximum grape-to-wine conversion rate would be fixed at 75%.

Late reclassifications from the 2025 and 2026 harvests would also be swept into the stored volumes and managed under the same rules, according to the notice.

The move shows how one of Italy’s largest sparkling-wine denominations is trying to calibrate supply before grapes are picked. If approved, the measures could shape how much Prosecco DOC reaches the market over the next two years and may help limit imbalances between production, prices and demand in a category that remains central to Italy’s wine exports and to the broader beverage trade.

The request does not itself put the measures into force. It begins a regulatory process in Veneto in which affected parties can submit observations before regional authorities decide whether and how to adopt the proposed rules for the 2026 vintage.