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Italy’s wine producers are facing ongoing challenges in export markets, with sales continuing to decline in early 2026. Data from the ISTAT government agency, shared by the trade association Unione Italiana Vini (UIV), indicates that sales fell by 6.8% year-on-year, totaling €2.34 billion ($2.66 billion) through April, while volumes decreased by 3.7% to 641 million liters.

UIV President Lamberto Frescobaldi remarked on the industry’s struggles, stating, “These results confirm the difficulties of the wine market and its trade, which is contracting across all producing countries." He emphasized the necessity for Italian wine to increase its presence in emerging markets and reduce production to enhance its market value.

The first quarter of 2026 did not offer much relief for Italian wine exporters, following a notable decline in 2025 where export sales dropped by 3.7% to €7.78 billion, largely due to US tariffs. Although sales to the US saw a slight uptick of 1.6% in April, a more significant decline was observed over the first four months, where sales fell over 15%.

Germany and the UK—Italy’s second and third-largest markets—reported sales decreases exceeding 6%. While Canadian sales remained stable, there was a more than 12% decline in sales to Switzerland. On a positive note, sales to Brazil and China exhibited growth of 17.8% and 9.7% respectively.

Frescobaldi highlighted the need for a balanced supply and demand to protect Italian wine’s value, sustain business income, and enhance sector competitiveness. In response to the market’s challenges, UIV has introduced measures to minimize production, including a temporary halt on new plant permits and reductions in production yields, affecting both PDO and PGI wines.

Despite maintaining stable production levels of approximately 44.4 million hectolitres in 2025, cellar inventories surged by 6% to 61 million hectolitres, reaching a total of 68 million with musts included. According to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), Italy retained its title as the world’s leading wine-producing country in 2025, but domestic consumption plummeted by 9.4%, dropping to 20.2 million hectolitres.