Italy’s mission to preserve its wine culture
Isobel Salamon explores how Italy has emerged as a thought leader in addressing the wine industry's most critical challenges.
Italy’s wine culture is under threat.
Not its luxury labels, production, or exports — those remain strong, according to the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine) – but in something quieter: the daily act of drinking wine.
What was once a ritual at the family table is eroding. Younger generations are drinking less, global consumption is falling, and EU policy is placing wine under the same regulatory lens as spirits and beer — with health warnings and advertising restrictions.
Italy is fighting back. Its wine culture runs deep, and resistance is building, not just through rhetoric but through policy, generational outreach, vineyard innovation and cultural advocacy.
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Luigi Moio, president of the OIV and a winemaker in Campania, is leading the charge. ‘We must distinguish wine from other alcoholic beverages — it is civilised by its very nature,’ he insists. ‘We cannot just view it as alcohol.’
This distinction drives Italy’s regulatory approach.
Lifestyle and law
Italy’s connection with wine extends far beyond commerce. Wine is an integral part of its lifestyle.
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‘For Italy, wine is life,’ says economist Eugenio Pomarici. ‘It is history, ecology, memory, and community.’
Italy officially recognises wine as a cultural good, with Article 1 of Law 238/2016 declaring it: ‘A product of the vine and of the territory, part of the national cultural and food heritage, of strategic national interest.’
As the global leader in wine production (OIV, 2024), Italy sees protecting wine as essential to its cultural and economic sustainability. Pomarici explains that Italy’s economic resilience over the decades is rooted in its wine districts — zones that function not only as centres of production but as social and cultural ecosystems.
DOPs (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) and their consorzi (regulatory bodies) do more than regulate wine: they protect communities, promote regional identity and build reputation.
Preserving identity means anchoring wine where it belongs: in the communities that produce and consume it.
The generational challenge
The struggle to maintain Italy’s viticultural tradition isn’t just about policy — it’s about people.
‘The big challenge is keeping people in viticulture, in particular the generational turnover in the management positions, in the operational work — the “not exciting” work,’ says Pomarici.
This requires a dual strategy — one rooted in both marketing and agricultural innovation.
‘The wine market grew with people my age,’ Pomarici says. ‘It’s important to evolve — to involve the new generation, and to do it with openness.’
Consorzi are responding, increasingly leaning into social media and influencer culture. Groups like Prosecco’s Young Club (under-35s) and Sicily’s Generazione Next (30–40-year-olds) are emerging as hubs for young professionals, offering fresh strategies and innovative resources.
Enrica Spadafora, vice president of Generazione Next, says the group focuses on, ‘continuing the unity built by previous generations’ while actively linking young producers and engaging new consumers.
It’s not just a cultural fight — it’s about evolving a brand while preserving its soul. Today, brands are communicating through terroir, not technique, to bring new audiences in.
Native varieties to the fore
Climate change adds another layer. Despite Italy’s continued strength as a producer, output dropped to 44.1 million hectolitres in 2024 — down from 52.8 million in 2018 and 6% below the five-year average (OIV).
For agronomist Giovanni Bigot, the answer starts with the soil. ‘We must ask: what is nature offering us? Then we decide what to plant.’
He sees biodiversity — especially genetic diversity — as a vital tool. ‘When a vine adapts to a terroir, that genetic information becomes part of its legacy. We must protect that.’
Resilience, he argues, requires both ecological awareness and bold innovation. ‘We must plant differently and respect the future of the vine, not just its present utility.’
Through his 4 Grapes Academy training programme, Bigot advocates for deeper engagement with the vineyard. ‘There’s often too much focus on cost or labour. We need to prioritise good observation.’
Despite the threats, he remains hopeful. ‘This is a moment of transformation’, he says, pointing to a ‘positive shift’ in producers’ long-term thinking and growing awareness of soil value.
Moio agrees that biodiversity is Italy’s greatest defence. ‘Italy is the real country of wine. Nowhere else has so many varieties adapted to the soil.’
As the climate shifts, ancient grape varieties can be planted in new territories.
‘We need to share cultivation knowledge, not keep it in your local pocket,’ Bigot stresses.
That’s why he hosts a weekly podcast with producers and agronomists — a project that has found strong domestic and industry engagement. ‘It’s a good sign for the future,’ he says.
And for Bigot, resilience also means relevance. ‘Sometimes the market wants something your terroir doesn’t traditionally provide. That’s a good challenge.’
He points, for example, to rethinking red-heavy zones for sparkling wine: ‘It’s an opportunity to think outside the box.’
Redefining the Landscape
The way Italians think about wine’s role in modern life is evolving.
Silvia Bernardi, head of marketing at Feral Drinks in Mezzolombardo, Trentino – an alcohol-free drink range aligned with gastronomy – speaks to the role of these products: ‘In my generation – 30s – fewer people are drinking as much. But when they do, it’s good wine. It’s not about [our range] replacing wine, it’s about offering something else.
‘I want tradition to remain; there should still be wine,’ she continues, ‘but there’s a moment when tradition and process part ways. It’s about noticing a gap in the market and creating something meaningful.’
Bernardi’s vision suggests expansion, not erasure. Her products aren’t wine replacements; they’re alternatives with a different role.
A culture worth fighting for
Moio is unequivocal: ‘Wine is one of the greatest pleasures.’ But for Italy, it’s more than that – it’s a responsibility – and Italy is acting as a global leader in protecting wine as a symbol of identity, memory, and place.
And it’s doing so through action, from agronomy to policy, generational renewal to innovation. Because what’s at stake isn’t just a drink; it’s how this culture defines itself.
