Between the end of July and the first days of August, the situation we recorded regarding wine in Italy is as follows.
HARVEST In Sicily, early harvests have begun in recent days, particularly for Pinot Grigio. The quality is very good, but the quantity is slightly below the forecasts made in April/May.
In Sicily, it is estimated that the harvest will be about 20% higher than last year, but still about 20-25% lower than the average of recent years. These are still the effects of last year’s mildew and a very hot June, with constant temperatures between 35 and 40 degrees.
The harvest of early grapes will begin in Puglia around August 10, while in Abruzzo and Emilia-Romagna, it will start between August 20 and 25 (Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, and Pinot Grigio).
EXPECTED QUANTITY IN ITALY As of today, it is estimated that the 2025 harvest will certainly be more abundant than the last two harvests, which were very poor, across all Italian regions. As always, August will be decisive. For now, fortunately, temperatures have returned to normal, favoring better grape maturation.
MARKET SITUATION In Italy, white wine sales have continued without issues. Sparkling wines sales have also been good. However, the situation remains problematic for red wines in general. As a result, measures are being taken in various regions to reduce yields (Veneto, Piedmont, and Tuscany); new plantings are being blocked; some regions will vinify certain red grape varieties that are suffering the most from the critical situation (Lambrusco and Sangiovese in particular) as white wine.
PRECIES Over the past three months, we have witnessed a slow decline in prices, particularly for red wines and MCR. On the other hand, the white wine sector shows better stability.
We believe that at the beginning of the harvest, prices for this type of wine will remain high, then gradually decrease during the harvest.
CONCLUSIONS We are living in a historic period of great economic and geopolitical changes, and our wonderful world of wine is not spared. Resilience, innovation, flexibility, market diversification, and cohesion among the various key players remain priorities to overcome this medium-term uncertainty and lay new solid foundations for the future.
Carlo Miravalle, Miravalle 1926