The Buyer reports that Garda DOC has become the first Italian DOC to permit lower-alcohol wines within its production regulations, allowing qualifying wines to retain PDO or PGI status rather than being pushed outside the protected designation system. The approach relies largely on earlier harvesting of Garganega to produce wines around 9% to 11% ABV, rather than completely removing alcohol after fermentation, with three labels now available from the 2025 vintage. Research presented alongside the development found considerable resistance among wine professionals to dealcoholising prestigious PDO wines, highlighting the wider challenge facing appellations as they respond to changing drinking habits while trying to preserve regional identity.