Vinitaly 2025: New Markets, Bold Trends, and Resilient Winemakers

Vinitaly 2025: New Challenges, Clear Vision

Vinitaly 2025 opened its 57th edition in Verona with a strong message: Italian wine is ready to face global uncertainty with resilience and strategy. With 97,000 attendees from over 130 countries and 4,000 exhibiting companies, this year’s fair confirmed its role as a driving force for internationalization and innovation in the wine world.

Over 30,000 foreign buyers attended, including 3,000 from the United States, reaffirming the U.S. as a vital market, especially crucial in a year marked by geopolitical friction and new tariffs.

Veronafiere president Federico Bricolo emphasized Vinitaly’s commitment to supporting institutions and businesses abroad. Upcoming initiatives include a promotional event at the Italian Embassy in Washington, targeting U.S. lawmakers and reinforcing ties ahead of the second Vinitaly USA in Chicago this October.

But behind the celebrations were tough conversations, about tariffs, regulatory bottlenecks, and the future of low-alcohol wines. Vinitaly 2025 was not only a showcase of excellence but a sounding board for the concerns, strategies, and opportunities shaping Italian wine’s next chapter.

Veronafiere president Federico Bricolo reaffirmed Vinitaly’s commitment to supporting institutions and businesses internationally.

Tariffs and Tough Calls: U.S. Market Tensions Escalate

One of the most debated issues this year was the impact of newly imposed U.S. tariffs on Italian wine. According to Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of the Unione Italiana Vini (UIV),  American distributors are refusing to absorb the extra cost, leaving Italian producers under pressure to maintain shelf prices or risk market loss.

The estimated hit? €323 million annually, affecting nearly 480 million bottles. Frescobaldi urged Italian companies to hold their ground and called for collective sacrifice across the supply chain, including retailers and logistics partners. He also appealed to the Italian government to push for diplomatic solutions at the EU level to prevent a repeat of the French scenario in 2020, where similar tariffs led to a 28% drop in wine exports to the U.S.

Faced with this pressure, the urgency of market diversification is growing. While the U.S. remains a pillar of Italian wine exports, relying too heavily on one market is a vulnerability the sector can no longer afford. Encouragingly, Vinitaly 2025 highlighted this shift: buyer attendance from the UK surged by 30%, while Belgium and the Netherlands saw increases of 20%, and Japan and Switzerland rose by 10%. These signals confirm growing demand from countries with mature and premium-oriented consumer bases, offering Italian producers new growth paths beyond the Atlantic.

Despite these hurdles, the U.S. remains Italy’s largest export market, accounting for 24% of total wine exports. It’s a relationship Italy can’t afford to weaken, and Vinitaly made that crystal clear.

Non-Alcoholic Wines: Caught Between Innovation and Regulation

The No-Lo (no and low alcohol) segment drew major attention at this year’s Vinitaly, both for its growth potential and the regulatory gridlock stalling its development in Italy. Globally, the market is projected to reach $3.3 billion by 2028, led by the U.S., which holds a 63% market share. But in Italy, No-Lo wines represent just 0.1% of sales.

Producers expressed frustration over tax ambiguities and space separation rules that make domestic production practically impossible until at least 2026. As a result, leading Italian brands are outsourcing dealcoholization abroad, hurting competitiveness and innovation.

“While other countries build ships, we’re still drawing plans,” remarked Martin Foradori, CEO of Tenuta J. Hofstätter, echoing the industry’s sentiment. Calls for a clear legal framework intensified during the fair, as industry leaders pushed for a “bridge regulation” to unlock investment and protect early adopters from reputational risks.

Despite the roadblocks, consumer interest is surging. According to UIV’s Observatory, Italian consumers are increasingly drawn to No-Lo wines for health, safety, and curiosity, especially among younger demographics. With proper regulation, this niche could become a vital diversification channel for Italian wineries.

Wine Tourism: A Fast-Maturing Asset

“Differentiation is the key to meeting the needs of the contemporary wine tourist. It’s no longer about just showing the cellar, it’s about creating memories.”

One of the most encouraging signals at Vinitaly 2025 came from the wine tourism sector. The new “Vinitaly Tourism” format and a landmark report by the Movimento Turismo del Vino and CESEO highlighted how wineries are adapting to experiential trends and regional identities.

Italian wine tourism is no longer limited to tastings. Across the country, especially in central and southern regions, wineries are offering yoga in vineyards, vineyard cycling tours, wine festivals with live music, and even art workshops among the vines. Tuscany and Umbria lead with premium experiences priced up to €170, while southern wineries have embraced digital outreach and social media engagement, despite conversion rates still lagging behind.

One challenge remains: many wineries in central and southern Italy are still closed on weekends, missing key opportunities to attract casual visitors. Still, the message is clear—wine tourism is evolving fast and has become an essential driver for brand loyalty and market differentiation.

As Violante Gardini Cinelli Colombini, president of MTV, stated: “Differentiation is the key to meeting the needs of the contemporary wine tourist. It’s no longer about just showing the cellar, it’s about creating memories.”

Vinitaly 2025 attracted 97,000 attendees from over 130 countries and 4,000 exhibiting companies.

A Fair That Reflects a Sector in Motion

Vinitaly 2025 closed with positive momentum: a 7% increase in foreign buyers, strong performance from key markets like the U.S., UK, and Germany, and record engagement for new sectors like No-Lo and wine tourism. Despite a 20% drop in visitors from China, the overall international presence remained robust.

For the first time, two European Commissioners visited the fair, signaling its growing policy relevance. With new trade negotiations and regulatory reforms on the horizon, Vinitaly isn’t just a fair. It’s a stage where the future of Italian wine is being negotiated, trend by trend, deal by deal.

As the industry braces for uncertainty, one thing is clear from Verona: Italian wine is not retreating, it’s adapting.