Italian Wine Stocks Surge 8.6% to 53.4 Million Hectoliters Amid Declining Consumption

Italian wineries are facing a significant increase in wine stocks at the end of the 2025 harvest. According to data released by the Central Inspectorate for Quality Protection and Fraud Repression of Agri-food Products (ICQRF), based on the Ministry of Agriculture’s digital wine registers, there are now 53.4 million hectoliters of wine stored in Italian cellars. This figure represents an 8.6% rise compared to the same period in 2024.

The report, updated as of November 30, 2025, shows that this surplus comes at a time when wine consumption in Italy is slowly declining. The combination of higher production and lower demand is creating challenges for producers across the country. In addition to the wine already in storage, there are another 9.5 million hectoliters of new wine still fermenting and 9.7 million hectoliters of musts.

The distribution of these stocks remains largely unchanged from previous years. The northern regions hold the majority, with 60.7% of all wine stocks located there. Veneto leads among the regions, reflecting its strong production capacity. Wines with Denomination of Protected Origin (DOP) account for 54.6% of the total, while wines with Protected Geographical Indication (IGP) make up 26.5%. Varietal wines represent only 1.7%, and other types account for 17.3%.

Among the many DOP and IGP labels—526 in total—the top 20 account for 58.4% of all stored wine. Prosecco DOC stands out as the single largest contributor, representing 11.6% of all DOP and IGP wines in storage, with over 5 million hectoliters. Other significant volumes come from IGP Puglia, IGP Toscana, DOC delle Venezie, and IGP Terre Siciliane, each exceeding 1.5 million hectoliters.

Further notable stocks include IGP Veneto, IGP Rubicone, Chianti DOCG, DOC Sicilia, and IGP Salento, each holding more than one million hectoliters. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG both have more than 900,000 hectoliters in storage, while Chianti Classico and Franciacorta each exceed 700,000 hectoliters.

The current situation is causing concern among producers and industry observers. The increase in unsold wine could put pressure on prices and affect future production decisions. The Italian government and industry groups are monitoring the situation closely as they consider possible measures to support the sector during this period of oversupply.