Italy’s wine exports fell 6.2% in the first half of 2026

Italy’s wine exporters lost ground in the first half of 2026, but the northeastern regions that anchor the country’s overseas sales have held up better than the national trend because of continued demand for still white wines and sparkling labels led by Prosecco, according to figures highlighted on Wednesday, November 4, by Fondazione Qualivita.

The data show that Italian wine companies posted a 6.2% drop in export value in the first six months of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier. Export volumes fell 4% over the same stretch, a sign that weaker international demand is affecting both pricing and shipments.

Veneto remained Italy’s top wine-exporting region with €1.3 billion in sales abroad, even though that total was down 8.4% from a year earlier. Trentino-Alto Adige recorded a steeper decline of 12.2%, while Friuli Venezia Giulia was the exception in the Northeast, rising 2.5% to €121.4 million.

Fondazione Qualivita’s report said the Northeast has kept its lead in foreign markets largely because of its strength in white wines and sparkling products. Prosecco continues to play a central role, with the analysis pointing to about 670 million bottles of Prosecco DOP, a volume that helps explain why the region has been more resilient than other parts of the Italian wine sector.

Christine Mauracher, a professor of agrifood economics and director of the Agrifood Lab at Ca’ Foscari University in Venice, said the industry is dealing with both short-term and structural pressures after decades of expansion. She cited tariffs, inflation, falling purchasing power and geopolitical tensions as immediate challenges, alongside longer-term shifts in consumer habits and the effects of climate change.

Mauracher said the Northeast still benefits from products with strong recognition, especially Prosecco, which she described as part of an integrated supply chain that has been able to innovate, including through categories such as rosé. But she also argued that other wine types need to regain momentum by reinventing themselves and by segmenting their products across a wider range of price points, including more affordable options.

She said producers also need to diversify export destinations because sales are often concentrated in a limited number of foreign markets. In her view, the industry will also have to curb production, a message that takes on added weight as inventories continue to build.

Stocks held in cellars reached 16 million hectoliters at the end of July, up from 13.6 million a year earlier. Rising inventories have become a warning sign for producers, especially at a time when international demand is less predictable and regional performance is increasingly uneven.

There were some signs of improvement later in the year. Exports to markets outside the European Union rose 8% in the third quarter, and the U.S. market showed renewed strength, according to the figures cited by Qualivita. Even so, the balance for the first nine months of 2026 remained negative, with exports still down 3%.

Production data also offered a more mixed picture than the first-half trade figures alone. In September, bottlings of DOC and DOCG wines rose 5%, with sparkling wines and still whites leading that increase at around 7%. The report also pointed to stronger wine tourism as a supportive factor for the sector.

The picture matters well beyond the vineyard because Veneto remains the main export platform for Italian wine, and shifts there can shape production choices, pricing strategies and destination markets across the broader drinks business. For wineries, importers and distributors, the figures suggest that the old model of relying on a few large foreign outlets and established labels may be less dependable as consumption patterns change and pressure builds on volumes and margins.

Industry voices cited in the analysis also called for broader structural action and greater coordination within the sector. The debate reflects growing concern that even regions with strong global brands cannot rely only on past export success, especially as producers face the need to balance output with softer demand and a more fragmented market.