Wine, slow market: even in Tuscany, discussions are beginning about distillation and yield reduction

The 2025 harvest is approaching, with a market that is not helping to reduce the high cellar stocks (46.6 million hectoliters as of May 31), and with a harvest that, without measures to limit production yields, risks leaving Italian wineries with 90 million hectoliters in storage once the campaign is over, as hypothesized in recent days by Unione Italiana Vini (Uiv). And if in several regions important for Italian wine there is already talk of evaluating measures such as crisis distillation, in addition to lowering the maximum yields provided for in the production regulations, as is rumored, for example, in Piedmont or Puglia, even in Tuscany there are those who are beginning to ask for discussions with trade associations to understand which path to take, hypothesizing urgent measures such as green harvesting, support distillation, but also “voluntary” uprooting to encourage the disappearance of less suitable vineyards, as written in a motion sent to the Tuscan Regional Council by the members of the Fratelli d’Italia Council Group (a meeting on the subject is scheduled in the coming days to decide on the measures to be taken, according to the vice-president and councilor for agriculture of the Tuscany Region, Stefania Saccardi).
These are indications of a situation of general suffering, albeit with some distinctions, at least judging by the figures for the first six months of 2025 from Avito, the organization that brings together the wine consortia of Tuscany, on bottling and DOP labels, which, while not providing a detailed picture of the situation, are nevertheless considered a good litmus test of the market, given that bottling and the application of labels (which producers pay for) usually take place shortly before shipments are made in response to orders received. Overall, the region (which exported €1.2 billion worth of wine worldwide in 2024, out of a national total of €8.1 billion) placed 948,583 hectoliters of wine on the market in the first half of 2025 (-2% compared to 2024). Among the three largest appellations, the only one showing slight growth is Chianti Classico, with 125,646 hectoliters (+3% compared to mid-2024), while IGT Toscana is down 5% with 330,503 hectoliters, and Chianti is down 4% with 294,781 hectoliters. In the smaller and more famous appellations of Montalcino and Montepulciano, on the other hand, there is a contrasting trend. In the first case, for example, Brunello di Montalcino recorded a sharp -9% decline, to 28,727 hectoliters, while Rosso di Montalcino grew significantly, to 16,104 hectoliters (+14%). In the land of Poliziano, on the other hand, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano recorded a 4% decrease, to 24,459 hectoliters, while Rosso di Montepulciano increased by 20%, to 10,723 hectoliters. This could be interpreted as consumers’ desire (or need) to turn to wines that are still regional, but at more affordable prices than the “first wines”, to put it simply.
Bolgheri remained essentially stable at 29,650 hectoliters (-1%), while Morellino di Scansano also performed well at 25,413 hectoliters (+17%). Fully reflecting the growth trend of white wines, but also taking into account recent years of very low production, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, the “white queen” of Tuscany’s great reds, grew by +29% to 21,132 hectoliters, as did Maremma Toscana, which in recent years has seen significant growth driven by Vermentino, growing by +5% to 34,619 hectoliters. Among the smaller appellations, Val d’Arno di Sopra stands out with +63% (but only 507 hectoliters), and Vini Orcia with +19% (1,064 hectoliters), while Montecucco is down -11% (2,835 hectoliters) and -15% for Pomino (2,420 hectoliters).
It is therefore a varied and complex picture, and it could not be otherwise in a socio-economic context which, as we have been reporting for some time, is profoundly shaking up the wine market, even in the most important and prestigious areas.