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The winegrowing in Piedmont is, according to the regional consortia, in a structural crisis. It is not limited to individual grape varieties but now also affects renowned wines such as Barolo and Barbaresco. Despite a production decline of four percent compared to 2024, stock levels continued to rise. For Barolo, according to data from "Cantina Italia", stocks have increased by 15 percent: from 65 to almost 75 million bottles since 2019. Barbaresco, on the other hand, recorded an increase in stocks from 19 to 21.8 million bottles. This corresponds to over 14 percent in six years.
The consortia also report a drastic drop in grape prices. Nebbiolo grapes for Barbaresco saw a decline of 27 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year, while Nebbiolo d’Alba and Langhe Nebbiolo fell by 22 and 28 percent, respectively. The Barbera d’Asti grapes, especially the top qualities, lost up to 30 percent in value. Arneis and Dolcetto had to endure losses between 14 and 21 percent.
Stefano Ricagno, president of the Asti consortium, warns: "Without support from the winemakers, the entire industry, including premium wines, is heading towards disaster." Short-term interventions to relieve the market are being discussed, including the crisis distillation of surplus wines, as well as long-term strategies to strengthen demand through targeted advertising campaigns and diversification of distribution channels. Francesco Monchiero, president of the organization "Piemonte Land of Wine", emphasized that especially wines like Barbera, Dolcetto, Cortese, and Moscato need special support.
As causes for the crisis, the associations cite the declining wine consumption over the past five years, difficult export conditions with a decline of seven percent outside the EU by the end of 2025, and increasing extreme weather events. Just last year, Piedmont was considered, according to the "Golden Vines Report 2024" by the British company Liquid Icons, the wine region with the greatest growth potential.
(ru – Image: Raffaella Usai)
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