“Manifesto for Italian wine” by Riccardo Cotarella: less production, and markups and…

Reducing yields per hectare across the board to consequently lower stock levels and preserve value; avoiding excessive markups in the restaurant industry; revisiting the map of Vigneto Italia - Vineyard Italy to identify areas where it might be appropriate to reduce vine cultivation in favor of other crops, experimenting with new types of wine, including those with lower alcohol content, to attract new health-conscious consumers, promoting sustainability at every phase of the supply chain, investing in education, including innovation, without forgetting tradition, and, still, establishing a sort of supply chain pact among winegrowers, producers, distributors, and promoters, with a unified communication strategy which highlights Italy as an “expression of territory, culture, and lifestyle”; more protection is needed against those who “trivialize denominations and grape varieties”, along with investments in emerging international markets, from Africa to Asia, without forgetting the established ones. These are ideas which have been frequently voiced in recent months and in this historical phase, when the wine industry, after decades of rapid growth, is facing a crisis that appears structural and more insidious than those experienced during 2008–2009 financial crisis or the Covid-19 pandemic. These proposals, often repeated, are now systematized in the “Manifesto per il vino italiano” - “Manifesto for Italian Wine” in 10 points by Riccardo Cotarella, one of Italy’s most experienced enologists and president of Assoenologi. The manifesto was previewed in Corriere della Sera on September 6th, 2025, in an article by vicedirector and wine columnist Luciano Ferraro (and will be published in a more extend form in the coming days).
Among the points (some already presented by Cotarella following the Supply Chain Roundtable at the Ministry of Agriculture in early August, as reported here), Ferraro also summarizes the idea of “slowing the opening of new wineries to avoid flop risks” with the manifesto by Cotarella, urging aspiring entrepreneurs to rely on professionals and market analysis. The manifesto is rich in sensitive topics which are central to the debate and reflection on future strategies for a key sector of made in Italy, which is currently experiencing significant tension, as it is also evident from the comments to “Corriere” article, often with decisively headed tones on social media.