Italian wine exports fell 6.2% to 3.6 billion euros in the first half of 2026.

Italian wine exports reached 3.6 billion euros in the first half of 2026, but the total was still below the level recorded a year earlier, according to the latest Istat data analyzed by WineNews. From January through June, the value of shipments abroad fell 6.2% from the same period of 2025, although the decline was smaller than in the first quarter, when the year-over-year drop stood at 8.2%.

The data show a national market moving at different speeds, with some regions still losing ground and others posting gains despite the broader slowdown. Veneto remained the leading exporting region by a wide margin, with 1.3 billion euros in wine exports in the first six months of the year. Even so, exports from the region, which includes major production areas for Prosecco, Valpolicella, Soave and Pinot Grigio delle Venezie, were down 8.4% from a year earlier.

Piedmont ranked second with 566.9 million euros in exports, and it was one of the main bright spots in the first-half figures. The region recorded a 2.4% increase from the same period of 2025, extending a growth trend already visible earlier in the year. The result further strengthened Piedmont’s position ahead of Tuscany. Piedmont is home to some of Italy’s best-known wine denominations, including Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera d’Asti, Alta Langa, Gavi and Asti.

Tuscany followed in third place with 543.6 million euros in exports, down 7.4% from the first half of last year. The region remains one of the country’s most important wine exporters, supported by labels such as Chianti Classico, Bolgheri, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Chianti and Toscana IGT, among others.

Taken together, Veneto, Piedmont and Tuscany accounted for 2.4 billion euros in export value in the first half of 2026. That represented nearly 67% of Italy’s total wine shipments to foreign markets, underscoring how concentrated the country’s export base remains in a small number of regions.

Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol held fourth place with 265.6 million euros in exports, but the region posted one of the steeper declines among the leading producers, at 12.2%. The region is known for white wines and for Trentodoc sparkling wine, and its first-half performance reflected the pressure affecting several parts of the market.

Emilia-Romagna ranked fifth and was another area that expanded despite the overall national drop. Exports rose 5.6% to 205.3 million euros. The region’s portfolio includes Lambrusco and Sangiovese di Romagna, and its positive performance placed it among the few larger exporting regions to report meaningful growth.

Lombardy was sixth with 152.5 million euros in exports, down 7.1% from a year earlier. The region includes Franciacorta and Oltrepò Pavese, both important names in Italian wine production, but the first-half data showed weaker external demand than in the same period of 2025.

Puglia followed with 121.6 million euros in exports, up 6%. The southern region, which is closely associated with Primitivo and other strong-selling styles, delivered one of the better performances in the national ranking. Friuli Venezia Giulia came next with 121.4 million euros, a 2.5% increase from the first half of last year. The region has long been identified with white wines, especially from areas such as Collio, and it also managed to maintain growth in a difficult environment.

Abruzzo posted 108.5 million euros in exports and ranked ninth, with shipments down 9.5% from the same period of 2025. The region is known above all for Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Trebbiano and Cerasuolo. Sicily completed the top 10 with 78.5 million euros in exports, down 5.9%. The island’s wine production stretches across several recognized territories, including Etna, Vittoria, Menfi, Noto, Marsala and Pantelleria.

The first-half results point to a mixed pattern across Italy’s wine sector. The national total remained in negative territory, but some regions improved compared with the weaker trend seen at the start of the year, and a limited group of producers managed to expand exports even as the broader market contracted. The figures also confirmed the dominant weight of the leading northern and central wine regions in Italy’s overseas sales.