Lamberto Frescobaldi, president Unione Italiana Vini (Uiv), opens to vineyard extirpation

From “no” to a broad vineyard extirpation plan aimed at rebalancing supply and demand, to a conditional “yes” where needed, provided there is a “Plan B” to protect farmers: this marks a change of direction and an opening toward a controversial measure, namely the funding of vineyard removals (a policy already widely adopted in France and other wine-producing countries). These are the words by Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of Unione Italiana Vini - Uiv (and producer heading the Frescobaldi wine group). Until now, in a debate which remains very much open within the wine sector regarding which measures should be adopted to reduce wine production that is struggling to find a market (On July 31st, Italian wineries still stocked 42.6 million hectoliters of wine in stock, +6.9% compared to July 31st, 2025, according to “Cantina Italia” data published by Icqrf), Frescobaldi has primarily advocated reducing yields for generic wines (a measure that many consider difficult to implement and unsustainable in certain areas that depend on volume production), as well as halting authorizations for new vineyard plantings (which, if applied indiscriminately, would also penalize denominations and producers which continue to grow despite the broader contraction in the market). Now, however, he is also opening the door to vineyard removals, but only “under certain conditions”.
Frescobaldi, who in a recent interview with “Corriere della Sera” (Florence edition, signed by Aldo Fiordelli) described vineyard removals as “inevitable, but dangerous”, explained to WineNews: “I have always been very skeptical about vineyard removals. However, it is true that there are some areas that, over the years, jumped on the wine bandwagon rather opportunistically and are now struggling to survive. So yes, let us remove vineyards where and if there is a need, but only with a “Plan B” to safeguard farmers. We need to sit down with the relevant organizations and determine what farmers can do if vineyards are removed. In certain areas, if the vineyard disappears, the entire local economy disappears with it: the café closes, healthcare services disappear, and the community loses essential support structures. Nor can we assume that someone who removes a vineyard today will simply switch to growing wheat, which is now imported from all over the world, or raising pigs, which also increasingly come from global markets, and so on. If we are going to remove vineyards, we must provide an alternative; otherwise, we risk total abandonment of the land. Even today, 56,000 hectares of agricultural land are abandoned every year, amounting to 560,000 hectares over ten years. Most importantly, we must not impoverish our mountain and hillside areas, because there is a real risk that these vineyards would disappear first, given that they are more costly to cultivate than those on the plains”. And, et us remember - continues president of Unione Italiana Vini (Uiv) and producer heading the Frescobaldi Group Lamberto Frescobaldi - that there are parts of Italy where the vineyard register has still not been fully completed. It is no longer acceptable that table grapes, which for one reason or another can’t be sold, end up being turned into wine. Simply regulating this aspect properly would already improve the situation”.
These issues highlighted by Frescobaldi are expected to be discussed, among others, at the next wine supply chain roundtable, scheduled after the summer recess of parliamentary activities, when Italy will be fully immersed in the grape harvest season ...