2026-08-10
Italy’s wine cooperatives took the leading positions in a new global ranking by the German trade magazine Weinwirtschaft, with Cantina Terlano in South Tyrol named the top cooperative in the world and Cavit of Trentino placed second.
The results, published in the magazine’s 2026 competition, gave Italy a strong presence well beyond the top two spots. French cooperative Plaimont finished third in the worldwide ranking, while another South Tyrolean producer, Cantina Kurtatsch, placed fifth. South Tyrol, the Alpine province where cooperatives play a central role in wine production, also placed Cantina Andriano at No. 9, Cantina Merano at No. 10 and Cantina Bolzano at No. 13. Cantina Tramin also entered the global top 20, finishing No. 20.
The ranking adds to the long-standing reputation of South Tyrol’s cooperative wineries, which have built their standing on strict grape selection, modern cellar work and strong export markets. Terlano, in particular, has become known for white wines with notable aging potential, a style that helped distinguish it in international markets. In Weinwirtschaft’s separate South Tyrol classification, Terlano ranked first, followed by Kurtatsch, Andriano, Merano and Bolzano.
Cavit’s showing carried special weight because of its size and reach. The Trentino-based cooperative works with 5,250 winegrowers and manages more than 6,000 hectares of vineyards, representing about 60% of the region’s vineyard area. In Weinwirtschaft’s Italy ranking, which the publication treats separately from South Tyrol, Cavit took the No. 1 position.
Behind Cavit in the Italy list were CVA Canicattì of Sicily at No. 2 and Cantina Valpolicella Negrar of Veneto at No. 3. CVA Canicattì is one of Sicily’s largest cooperative wineries, while Negrar is closely tied to Amarone della Valpolicella and other wines from the Verona area. Citra Vini of Abruzzo ranked No. 4, and Cantine Settesoli of Sicily was No. 5. Settesoli’s vineyards cover about 5,700 hectares, stretching from coastal sites near Menfi to inland areas near Selinunte.
La Guardiense, based in Campania’s Sannio district, placed sixth in the Italian ranking. Cantina Colli del Soligo, a historic name in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco area, was seventh. Cantine Ermes, which began in Gibellina in western Sicily and has expanded through its own facilities and partnerships into Puglia, Abruzzo, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Lombardy and Lazio, ranked eighth. Cantina Vignaioli del Morellino di Scansano was ninth, reflecting the role of cooperatives in Tuscany’s Maremma, and Cantina Frentana of Abruzzo completed the top 10.
The broader world ranking also showed the strength of French and German cooperatives. Alliance de Vignerons Bourgogne Beaujolais took fourth place, Marrenon of France was sixth, and Germany placed several groups in the top 20, including Weingärtner Cleebronn-Güglingen at No. 7, Weinbiet Manufaktur at No. 11, Sasbacher Winzerkeller at No. 12, Weinmanufaktur Stuttgart at No. 14, Lauffener Weingärtner at No. 15 and Badischer Winzerkeller at No. 17. France also placed Cave de Tain at No. 8, Sieur d’Arques at No. 16 and Estandon at No. 18. Burkheimer Winzer am Kaiserstuhl of Germany was No. 19.
The outcome matters because cooperatives remain a major part of European wine production, especially in Italy. Industry figures cited alongside the ranking say cooperatives account for about half of wine production in Italy and across Europe. In many regions, they are the main route to market for small and midsize growers who deliver grapes rather than bottle wine under their own labels.
Weinwirtschaft said the competition evaluated wines from 106 cooperatives around the world, covering 636 labels across categories ranging from entry-level bottlings to premium wines. All samples were tasted blind by an independent panel of wine professionals using the 100-point scoring system that is standard in much of the trade.
For the final standings, the magazine combined the scores of each cooperative’s five highest-rated wines rather than averaging an entire portfolio. That method favored producers able to show consistent quality at the top end while still competing in a field that included large-scale organizations with wide commercial ranges.