Vinetur reports that Spanish wine-export volumes fell 20.2% during the first half of 2026, with the value of exports down 10.2% to approximately €1.56 billion. A major factor was weaker demand for Spanish bulk wine from Italy and France, traditionally important buyers, with Castile-La Mancha particularly exposed to the contraction. The difference between the fall in volume and value indicates that average export prices have risen, but the figures underline continuing pressure on one of the world’s largest wine-exporting industries.
Italy
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Wine Trends in Italy
WineItaly24 reports mounting pressure on the Italian wine sector as high inventories coincide with declining exports and the arrival of the 2026 harvest. Italian wineries held 42.6 million hectolitres of wine at the end of July, 6.9% more than a year earlier, while wine exports during the first five months of 2026 fell 6.86% in value to about €2.98 billion and approximately 5% in volume. Export value fell particularly sharply to the United States, down 15.4%, while Germany was down 8.2% and the UK down 6.5%. Against that backdrop, several regions and appellations are reducing yields or considering other production controls, as the industry tries to bring supply more closely into line with weakening demand.
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U.S. Slump Drove Nearly 60% of Italy’s Wine Export Losses
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.
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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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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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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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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.
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Italian Wine’s Share of Global Exports Rises From 18.7% to 23% in 10 Years
WineNews reports that Italian wine accounted for 23% of global wine exports in 2025, up from 18.7% in 2015, according to Nomisma analysis based on Trade Map data. The figures form part of wider growth in Italy’s food and beverage exports, which reached just over US$67 billion and gave the country a 4.7% share of the worldwide market. Wine remains one of the strongest contributors to Italy’s export performance, despite current trade and geopolitical uncertainty.
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Italian Wine Stocks Exceed 53 Million Hectolitres as Exports Slow
Wine Italy 24 reports that Italian cellars held more than 53 million hectolitres of wine and must in May 2026, an increase of 7.3% compared with the same month in 2025 and an amount roughly equivalent to an entire national harvest. Italian wine exports fell by 4% in volume and 8.3% in value during the first quarter of 2026, while prices during the first five months declined by 6% for PDO wines, 7% for PGI wines and 14.4% for common wines. The figures indicate mounting inventory pressure as producers contend with weakening consumption, slower exports and declining bulk-wine prices.
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We Are a Young Voice Eager to Drive Change and Innovate, While Respecting the Past
WineNews reports that Gabriella Favara of Donnafugata has become president of Assovini Sicilia, leading an entirely under-40 board for the association. The change puts younger producers at the centre of an organisation representing 100 Sicilian wine companies, with the new leadership signalling a focus on market responsiveness, collaboration and generational renewal in one of Italy’s most dynamic wine regions.
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Veneto Declares a Water Emergency as Drought Tightens Its Grip on Wine Country
Vinetur reports that Veneto has declared a regional water emergency after worsening drought conditions hit one of Italy’s most important wine-producing areas. The order cites a 2.4 billion cubic metre water shortfall compared with 2025, rainfall deficits since March, reduced river flows and rising concerns for viticulture, including Prosecco production around Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.
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Ancient DNA Proves Chianti Was Once a White Wine Mecca
The Drinks Business reports that ancient grape seeds from Cetamura del Chianti suggest the region, now famous for red wine, was once dominated by a long-maintained white grape variety. Researchers sequenced DNA from 80 seeds dating from roughly 300 BCE to 300 CE, finding evidence of continuity from Etruscan into Roman times and links to varieties still found in parts of Eastern Europe.
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Lambrusco’s Revival Gains Momentum
Wine-Searcher reports that Lambrusco is continuing its comeback, with a new generation of producers and restaurants helping the style move beyond its 1980s reputation. The renewed interest is being driven by its food friendliness, freshness and broader appeal to diners looking for expressive, versatile sparkling reds.
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Pinot Grigio DOC Delle Venezie Moves to Control 2026 Supply
WineCouture reports that Consorzio DOC Delle Venezie has approved new 2026 harvest measures to protect the value and stability of Northeastern Italy’s Pinot Grigio. The maximum yield has been set at 160 quintals per hectare, with 30 quintals held in administrative stock, a move designed to avoid oversupply and support market positioning.
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Chianti DOCG Set to Add Rosé and Relax Sangiovese Rules
The Drinks Business reports that Chianti DOCG is preparing a major update to its production rules, including an official rosé category, a reduced minimum Sangiovese requirement from 70% to 60%, and a new Terre di Vinci sub-zone. The proposed changes also tighten vineyard standards, with higher planting density requirements, a ban on the tendone training system, and emergency irrigation allowed only within limits.