Lamberto Frescobaldi, president Uiv: “neither alarmism , nor easy optimism. Manage the crisis”

For Italian and global wine, 2025 is drawing to a close as a complex year, with exports likely ending on a negative note (-1.9% worldwide compared to 2024 up to August, according to Istat data, totaling over 5 billion euros, -5.7% in non-EU countries in the first 9 months, according to the Observatory of Unione Italiana Vini - Uiv). This downturn is undoubtedly influenced by U.S. tariffs, which, according to everyone, will show their real effects starting in 2026, barring dramatic changes in the scenario, as well as by decidedly not brilliant domestic consumption, due to a sluggish economy, shifting consumer habits, health-conscious trends, and so on. Yet, as the sector has always done during the various crises it has faced throughout its long history, it must look ahead. And while the work of businesses is obviously essential, institutional support is now more important than ever. Clear requests must be made to these institutions, as explained to WineNews by Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of Unione Italiana Vini - Uiv, who recently convened the National Council to take stock at end of the year.
“The first request - according to the Uiv president - is to invest more in promoting our products, which is fundamental. In this regard, the Italian Government and Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida have already responded by allocating additional resources to Ice, headed by Matteo Zoppas. But, something very useful would be to allow the use of Ocm Promotion funds not only in third countries but also within Europe, given that the 27 EU countries represent a market of 400 million people who already largely appreciate wine”. Another important issue under discussion in Europe is funding for vineyard uprooting to reduce production. “Back in 2009, we squandered 1 billion euros at EU level on this measure, and then in 2010 we still had a production of over 50 million hectoliters in Italy, for example. It doesn’t work, and resources are needed elsewhere. In general, better information about wine is also necessary, and institutions must play their part here too. Wine is no longer a product consumed in large quantities as in the past, partly for economic reasons; there is no need to further restrict consumption. It has become a cultural product that sustains and develops territories. I arrived as a young man in areas like Montalcino and Bolgheri, for example, which 30 or 40 years ago were practically unknown, and which have thrived thanks to vineyard care and the success of their wines”.
It is impossible, however, not to address the issue of 15% tariffs on European wines in the U.S., the number one foreign market for Italian wine. “Companies have done everything possible to absorb the tariffs - underlines - and some importers, many of whom vote Republican, i.e., for Trump, have also tried, but prices are rising. We hope that what happened with other regions, such as South America and beyond, where Trump took a step back, will also happen for Europe and its agri-food products, including wine. In any case, “we must manage the tariff problem because we will unfortunately have to live with these duties. What can’t last long is the self-taxation imposed by Italian and European wine companies to remain competitive in the market. In the third quarter, the price of Italian wine shipped to the U.S. fell by an average of 15%, while French wine dropped by as much as 26%. At the same time, the average price of these wines leaving U.S. distribution rose by about 4/5 points in October, and orders for Thanksgiving at retail outlets have hardly picked up”, underlined Frescobaldi. Who added, concluding: “it is useless to deny that we are experiencing market tensions, with nearly 110 million euros lost in the last quarter alone compared to U.S. exports in the same period last year. The wine world must now avoid alarmism but also easy optimism and focus on crisis management. The allocation of 100 million euros for promotion included in Ddl Bilancio - the Budget Bill is therefore a positive and concrete signal from the Government, provided that our sector is at the top of the list of made in Italy products to be supported. It is also essential that U.S. trade understands that no one can think of profiting from their partners at this stage: today, the imperative is to reactivate consumption by stabilizing prices. Because if until a few months ago every dollar invested in European wine generated 4.5 in the U.S. market, today the multiplier could reverse, with the risk of a missed gain for the American market 4.5 times greater than ours”.