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.
Regulation
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Douro Port Producers Warn of a Deepening Crisis
The Times reports that Portugal’s Douro Valley, the historic home of port, is under pressure from falling consumption, rising costs and a disputed law that would require port to be fortified only with brandy distilled from Douro grapes. Producers argue that the change could sharply increase costs and damage sales, while supporters say it could help local growers, leaving the region facing a difficult debate over how to modernise without undermining its traditional economy.
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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.
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Australia Details New Mandatory Wine Grape Code Of Conduct
ABC Rural reports that Australia’s federal government has released details of a mandatory wine grape code of conduct, due to take effect on 1 January 2027. The code will require wineries to publish payment terms, face monitoring of payment practices and allow anonymous complaints from growers, though some industry voices say it does not yet solve deeper oversupply and ageing-grower pressures.
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Georgia Moves to Tighten Wine Rules and Raise Agency Revenue
Georgia Today reports that the Georgian government has submitted amendments to tighten wine regulation, including mandatory organoleptic testing for all wine categories sold both domestically and for export, plus a paid bottle-labelling system that officials expect could generate €14 million to €15 million a year for the National Wine Agency. The proposal is notable because it combines stricter quality oversight with a financial and structural shake-up, lowering the threshold for “small cellar” status from 40,000 litres to 25,000 litres, affecting around 50 producers directly while leaving about 550 small cellars exempt, and adding new definitions such as “natural wine” while dropping the term “home wine”.