Wine must be known how to tell and innovate: the Manifesto “Envisioning2035 Wine (R)evolution”

Addressing crucial issues in the world of wine today, and thus from value creation to managing climate change, from market changes to the alcohol-health relationship. All with a practical approach with ideas to implement, shared reflections and effective actions: these are the objectives of the summit “Envisioning2035 Wine (R)evolution - Strategic Plan for Italian Wine”, the same title as the first Manifesto of the entire Italian wine industry, which was launched, today, at the Terrazza Belvedere, in the Palazzo Regione Lombardia, in Milan, promoted by FreedL Group, the Italian family-owned multinational company founded by Edoardo Freddi in 2018 - which invests and grows in the world of food & beverage and of which Edoardo Freddi International is also a part, one of the most advanced Italian wineries dedicated to export, with more than 60 wineries, with brands ranging from Marchesi di Barolo to San Michele Appiano, from San Leonardo to Suavia, from Villa della Torre to Michele Satta, from Vallepicciola to Citra, from Montevetrano to Librandi, from Mottura to Pellegrino 1880, to name a few - and Ettore Nicoletto, a longtime manager in the wine world and one of the promoters, in recent years, of the “Vision 20/30” think tank. A summit that brought together institutions, entrepreneurs and international experts to analyze trends and critical issues in the sector, with the aim of defining shared strategies to strengthen the competitiveness of Italian wine globally.
Despite a moment not without difficulties, the Italian wine world is solid. Certainties start with numbers and data (Nomisma Wine Monitor by Denis Pantini) that attest to the socio-economic role of wine in Italy: 30,000 companies that turnover 16 billion euros (including 8.1 billion euros in exports) and employ 74,000 people. Also, 681,000 hectares planted with wine vines, 60% of which are in the hills and mountains, and 19% using organic methods. And if Italy is the world’s leading wine exporter in volume and second in value (8.1 billion euros compared to France’s 11.6) with a leadership in wine exports to 46 foreign countries, considering also that in the last 10 years the average export price of bottled still wines has increased by +41% in value, there are still opportunities in the future scenarios, but also some threats. Worldwide, as is well known, wine consumption has declined: from 236 million hectoliters in 2019 to 214 million in 2024. However, contrary to what happened to France (ballasted by the decline of Champagne), exports of Italian wines grew, thanks to the driving force of sparkling wines (+8.9% in 2024 compared to 2023), especially Prosecco Dop (+11.1% export in value). In Italy, aided by changing consumer tastes, sparkling wine consumption is growing, while red wine consumption is shrinking.
But the Summit took stock of the entire wine sector from various angles, together with some of the most important players in the sector, from Danny Brager, alcoholic beverage consultant “Brager Beverage”, to Gabriele Castelli, head of legal-administrative area Federvini, from Roberta Crivellaro, managing partner Withers, to Luca Ferrari, partner Withers, from Vladi Finotto, director Master of Agribusiness Economics Ca’ Foscari University Venice, to Edoardo Freddi, exporter and ceo FreedL Group, from Roberta Garibaldi, president Italian Association of Food and Wine Tourism, to Priscilla Hennekam, wine influencer and consumer expert, from Robert Joseph, journalist and wine expert, to Christine Mauracher, director Master Food and Wine University Ca’ Foscari Venice and president Agribusiness Economics Society, from Alessandro Mutinelli, ceo Italian Wine Brands, to Ettore Nicoletto, Industry Expert, from Denis Pantini, head Nomisma/Wine Monitor, to Fabio Piccoli, director “Wine Meridian”.
Alessandro Beduschi, Assessore Agricoltura Regione Lombardia, stressed that “the Italian wine sector is a strategic excellence for our economy and culture, but it faces complex challenges to maintain its competitiveness at the global level. Initiatives such as “Envisioning2035 Wine (R)evolution” represent a valuable opportunity to compare experiences, ideas and visions, with the aim of building a shared and innovative strategy. Regione Lombardia is at the side of entrepreneurs and operators in the sector to support this path of growth and enhancement. In the last 15 years, the export value of Lombardy wines has almost doubled, from 176 million euros in 2009 to more than 312 million euros in 2024. This is thanks to a constant search for excellence. In fact, Lombardy contributes 3% to national wine production, but boasts 8% of Italian Quality Denominations”.
But, according to Edoardo Freddi, “it is not enough to produce great wine. You need to know how to tell, sell and adapt to a changing world. You need strategic vision, collaboration between companies and investment in human capital. In this framework, five priority areas are identified on which to act: product innovation, opening to new markets, evolution of distribution channels, aggregation between companies and enhancement of human capital”. Traditional markets (U.S., Germany, Uk, Switzerland and Canada) remain central, but show signs of maturity. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the presence with more sophisticated strategies and at the same time explore new outlets such as Asia-Pacific (for example, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines), but also Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean (primarily in countries such as Mexico, Colombia and Brazil). Freddi added that “I decided to promote, through FreedL Group, this summit together with Ettore Nicoletto because I feel, first of all as a person deeply involved in this sector, the need to open a space for real dialogue. Italian wine needs a structured moment of collective reflection. As entrepreneurs, we feel the responsibility to facilitate discussion and stimulate a shared vision that looks beyond individual companies and aims at the competitive strengthening of our country system. This is just the first step on a path that we want to make continuous and increasingly inclusive”.
For the occasion, the “Envisioning2035 Manifesto”, a strategic document for the development of the sector that, through the analysis of areas of weakness and improvement, aims to elaborate and offer direct measures and proposals to make the Italian wine system more competitive and high-performing, was presented.
Italian Wine Brands, Italy’s first listed company in the wine sector and “ambassador” of quality Italian wine abroad, participated in the debate with the speech of its president and CEO, Alessandro Mutinelli, who took part in the session “What sales strategies to successfully navigate through the turbulence of the current context”. For Mutinelli, “at a challenging time for the world of wine, it is important to share a vision of the future, listening to all voices, particularly those coming from consumers, in order to put into action initiatives directed at the development of the entire sector, which represents a substantial part of Italian agribusiness. As Iwb we participate and make our contribution, based on a global vision of the market and a growth model that combines sustainability, innovation and industrial capacity”.