Piedmont wine, Coldiretti rails against yields, stocks, labels and bureaucracy

The Piedmont wine sector returns to the center of institutional discussion. Last Friday, at the Palazzo di Vetro, a regional meeting was held between Coldiretti Piedmont leadership and the relevant department, led by Councilor Paolo Bongioanni.

The meeting addressed a broad agenda. Among the topics: operation of the regional wine roundtable, modification of the Langhe Nebbiolo regulations, introduction of bag-in-box, issues with regional applications. And also: 2026 harvest yields, stock management, financial support for the sector and development of the Piedmont IGT project.

The meeting was also attended by Monica Monticone, winemaker, president of Coldiretti Asti and delegate for the wine sector in Coldiretti’s regional board.

“The particularly delicate moment the wine sector is going through requires serious and operational dialogue, capable of providing answers to producers and territories, who are experiencing a phase of severe economic and commercial difficulty,” Monica Monticone stated at the opening of the meeting.

Coldiretti called for more transparency and greater involvement of the affected production base in the operation of the regional wine roundtable. The organization also urged recognition of the role of professional trade organizations.

“Regarding the designated Regional Wine Roundtable, we have requested greater transparency and involvement of the affected production base, as well as recognition of the contribution expressed by professional trade organizations, whose assessments and observations derive from constant dialogue with members and the real needs of the territories. We believe it is essential that the Roundtable’s directions and decisions be the result of collaborative work among the various stakeholders, in the general interest of Piedmont viticulture.”

Among the points discussed is also the proposal to modify the Langhe Nebbiolo regulations, with the possibility of introducing bag-in-box. The meeting revealed the need for further analysis.

According to what emerged at the meeting, the issue requires verification of the actual orientation of the production base. The possible impact on image, commercial positioning and the value of the denomination involved must also be evaluated.

The discussion also addressed operational difficulties related to regional IT applications. These are the tools used for managing procedures, communications and administrative compliance in the wine sector.

“At the same time,” Monticone emphasized, “there are delays in processing applications and issues in the normal operational procedures of the competent offices, with resulting inconvenience for our operators and direct repercussions on our member companies.

“It therefore becomes urgent and necessary to initiate technical discussions aimed at improving the efficiency of IT tools, simplifying procedures and ensuring greater timeliness in managing administrative procedures. In this context, it is also considered appropriate to evaluate a strengthening of regional territorial offices, so as to ensure greater operational efficiency and more timely support for the needs of the territory.”

The issue of harvest yields has returned among the central questions. Coldiretti calls for the topic to be addressed promptly, taking into account the differences between territories, companies and denominations.

“We need to address the issue of yields promptly,” Monticone stressed, “evaluating possible territorial or company-level differentiations, based on actual market conditions, stocks and the production specificities of the various denominations, avoiding uniform approaches that risk penalizing some territories.”

On this topic, Gianfranco Torelli, winemaker and vice president of Coldiretti Asti, also spoke. The reference is particularly to the situation of Asti DOCG and the choices already made for the 2025 harvest.

“Each DOC/DOCG has its own specific situation related to individual realities,” Torelli observes. “The reduction in yields for the 2025 Asti DOCG harvest had already resulted in decreased storage in cellars, creating a trend contrary to most Italian Denominations.

“Unfortunately, international scenarios are far from optimal. And, although the industrial sector would favor a further reduction in yields compared to last year, a discussion with the agricultural sector remains necessary, which, precisely in light of production costs that have skyrocketed, might in turn consider it unsustainable. Managing stocks is important and helps avoid speculation with downward prices.”

The meeting also revealed the possibility of allocating part of the stocks to vinegar production. A solution that, according to what was discussed, would need price support to become economically sustainable.

Torelli also drew attention to some policy choices considered priorities by Coldiretti. Among these, origin and transparency on labels of grapes in generic sparkling wines, clear indications on beverages based on wine products and use of 100% Piedmont wine in Vermouth di Torino PGI.

“Above all, the Region needs to implement important policy choices, as Coldiretti has long been urging,” Torelli stated. The issue of financial support remains central ahead of the next harvest campaign. Coldiretti calls for evaluating extraordinary measures to support Piedmont wine companies.

“It is necessary to evaluate extraordinary financial support measures and concrete actions to support wine companies in the next harvest campaign,” Monticone adds. “While acknowledging the difficulties related to the timing of resource activation, it is considered essential to verify every possible solution already starting from the 2026 harvest.”

In closing, appreciation was expressed for the Piedmont IGT project. The tool is considered potentially useful for offering new opportunities to the regional sector, particularly in terms of production flexibility, commercial development and support for research and experimentation. The director of Coldiretti Asti, Giovanni Rosso, emphasized the scope of the topics discussed and the need for shared responsibility.

“Many weighty, substantive and urgent topics were brought to the table, which can no longer be deferred,” Rosso concluded. “Wine, through its Wine Landscapes of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato, has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, therefore, we are all called to a common and collective responsibility to advocate, at different levels and working groups, with vision and synergy to protect Asti and Piedmont viticulture.”