Vinetur reports that the United States accounted for roughly 59% of the decline in Italian wine export value during the first five months of 2026. Italian wine exports to the US fell 15.4% to €709 million, while volumes dropped 6%, meaning producers lost about €129.1 million in revenue compared with the same period last year, while worldwide Italian wine exports fell 6.86% to €2.98 billion. The figures also indicate falling revenue per litre in America, making the US downturn considerably more damaging than the softer declines recorded in markets such as Germany and Britain.
Simon Judge
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A New EU Packaging Rule Begins to Apply Wednesday, Raising Compliance Demands for Drinks Exporters Worldwide
Vinetur reports that the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation begins applying generally from 12 August 2026, bringing new compliance requirements affecting wineries selling into the bloc. Although most wine categories are exempt from the specific 10% reusable beverage packaging availability target, wine producers remain subject to broader requirements covering packaging minimisation, recyclability, technical documentation, labelling and waste financing. Particularly significant for wine is greater scrutiny of bottle weight and decorative packaging, potentially adding further pressure for lighter glass and simplified bottle designs.
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Roman Shipwreck With 500 Amphorae Discovered off Sicily
The Drinks Business reports that a Roman-era shipwreck carrying roughly 500 amphorae has been discovered off Mazara del Vallo in western Sicily, about five kilometres offshore and 46 metres beneath the surface. The vessel is thought to date from between the second and first centuries BC, with the concentration of transport amphorae offering archaeologists potentially valuable evidence about Mediterranean commerce, including the movement of wine and other agricultural goods during the Roman Republic. Italian authorities are now documenting and protecting the wreck while further investigation seeks to establish the cargo’s origin and destination.
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Spain’s Wine and Must Output Fell 10.1% to 33.1 Million Hectolitres Through June
Vinetur reports that Spain produced 33.1 million hectolitres of wine and must in the accumulated period through June 2026, down 10.1% year on year, according to figures cited from Spain’s wine interprofessional organisation, OIVE. The figures accompany weaker demand indicators, with domestic wine consumption down 7.2% and export volumes also declining, adding to concerns about the balance between production, inventories and sales ahead of the new harvest.
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Italy Proposes Decree Expanding Wine Consortia Powers
Vinetur reports that an Italian government draft decree would give wine appellation consortia broader authority over market management, supply coordination, wine tourism and protection of denomination value. The proposal would align Italian legislation more closely with EU Regulation 2024/1143 and could allow consortia to publish non-binding market indicators, coordinate tourism services and take stronger action against commercial practices considered damaging to a protected geographical indication’s reputation or value.
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Greek Research Unlocks Science Behind Natural, Sulfite-Free Wine Production
Greek Reporter reports on findings from the University of Thessaly’s three-year BioWineries research project into producing stable wines without added sulfites or commercial yeast. Researchers working with the indigenous Limniona and Malagouzia varieties found that native yeasts could successfully dominate fermentation, while grape pomace, pomegranate peel and olive extracts showed potential as natural antioxidants, with pomegranate particularly benefiting aroma and flavour. The study also identified an organism associated with early spoilage and found that clay amphorae encouraged beneficial micro-oxygenation and bacterial development compared with stainless steel, suggesting more technically controlled routes towards genuinely low-intervention wine.
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Burgundy’s Crémant Harvest Start is Earliest Yet
The Drinks Business reports that Burgundy has begun one of its earliest Crémant harvests on record, with some producers already picking grapes over the weekend. The exceptionally early start follows months of unusually advanced vine development and hot, dry conditions across France, compressing the growing season and forcing producers to monitor acidity and ripeness particularly closely for sparkling-wine grapes. The development reinforces a wider pattern across European wine regions this summer, where heat and drought are moving harvest dates substantially earlier than traditional schedules.
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Summer Heat Drives Record-early Night Harvest at Catalan Winery
Reuters reports that Catalonia is experiencing its earliest grape harvest on record, with Gramona in Anoia beginning picking on 22 July and moving crews into the vineyards at 3am to escape extreme daytime heat. Temperatures of 35°C to 45°C have put both workers and vines under severe stress, accelerating the ripening of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir destined for sparkling wine. Technical director Roc Gramona said night harvesting could now become permanent, while Reuters Climate Monitor data showed Barcelona’s average July temperature was 5.8°C above the 1961–1990 historical norm, highlighting the increasingly significant effect of climate change on European viticulture.
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Spain’s Biggest Wine Region Drops its 2026 Harvest Forecast
Vinetur reports that Castilla-La Mancha, Spain’s largest wine-producing region, has dropped its 2026 harvest forecast amid extreme heat and increasingly unpredictable conditions late in the growing season. The decision removes an important early planning benchmark for wineries, grape growers and buyers, reflecting uncertainty over how heat and changing weather will ultimately affect yields. The development adds to evidence that climatic volatility is making pre-harvest estimates increasingly difficult across major European wine regions.
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Wine Writer Matthew Jukes Dies Aged 58
The Drinks Business reports that prominent British wine writer Matthew Jukes has died suddenly at the age of 58 while on holiday with his family in Portugal. Jukes was one of the UK wine trade’s best-known commentators, with a career encompassing newspaper and magazine columns, books, broadcasting, wine judging and extensive coverage of Australian wine, making his death significant news across the international wine community.
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Prosecco Plans Controlled Growth While Other Italian Regions Cut Production
WineNews reports that the three Prosecco consortia are considering a carefully managed increase in available supply, contrasting with yield reductions, planting restrictions and possible crisis distillation elsewhere in Italy. Proposed measures include administrative storage, releasing reserves from the 2025 harvest, permitting 2,000 additional hectares to produce wine eligible for Prosecco DOC and authorising another 180 hectares for Asolo Prosecco. Industry representatives stressed that expansion must preserve prices, vineyard profitability and the distinct identities of Prosecco DOC, Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG and Asolo Prosecco DOCG.
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Bordeaux Allows Sweetening of Wines
Meininger reports that Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur producers are moving towards allowing wines across all styles, including reds, clarets, rosés and whites, to be sweetened after fermentation to as much as 7 grams of residual sugar per litre, breaking with Bordeaux’s traditional association with fully dry wines and raising concerns that the region could follow other European areas towards softer, more commercially styled wines. The decision was approved by the appellations’ management body on 26 June 2026, following a broader ruling by France’s INAO that dry AOC still wines may be sweetened under certain conditions, a practice previously limited to IGP and Vin de France wines. Supporters, particularly négociants focused on exports and changing consumer tastes, argue that slightly sweeter wines could attract new audiences, while many growers fear that the move could weaken Bordeaux’s identity and encourage a broader shift towards sweeter styles, an issue also attracting interest from producers in Côtes-du-Rhône.
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Napa Wine Compliance Costs Near 18% of Production
Ag Alert reports that regulatory compliance cost a small, 8,500-case Napa County winery an estimated $203,832 annually when wine production and direct-to-consumer sales requirements were combined. This amounted to $23.65 per case, or 17.5% of production costs, with labour, water regulation, alcohol licensing and interstate shipping compliance among the largest expenses. The researchers caution that the study examined only one winery, but say it provides a baseline for understanding the cumulative impact of federal, state and local regulations.
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Bordeaux Revives ‘Claret’ for a New Generation of Drinkers
The Drinks Business reports on Bordeaux’s attempt to reposition claret as a lighter, fresher and more accessible style for younger consumers. The revived category emphasises fruit, lower tannins, moderate alcohol and the option of serving the wine chilled, reflecting declining demand for traditional, powerful Bordeaux reds and growing interest in easy-drinking wines.
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Henkell Freixenet Offloads UK Wine Merchant to Compagnia del Gusto Holding
Global Drinks Intel reports that Freixenet Copestick has sold London-based Jascots Wine Merchants to Italy’s Compagnia del Gusto Holding for an undisclosed amount. Staff assigned to Jascots are expected to transfer with the business, while the new owner plans to use Jascots’ on-trade network to expand its Italian food and wine portfolio in Britain, alongside continued distribution of existing partner producers.