Piedmont defied Italy’s wine export slump with first-quarter growth

Piedmont was the only Italian region to post growth in wine exports in the first quarter of 2026, rising 0.5% from a year earlier to €255.2 million, according to figures cited Monday by regional president Alberto Cirio.

The result stood out against a broader national decline of 8.2% in the same period. Other major wine regions also fell, with Veneto down 9.7% and Tuscany down 8.3%, according to the data referenced by Cirio.

Cirio said the numbers show the strength of Piedmont’s wine sector at a time when Italian producers are facing weaker foreign demand. The first-quarter performance suggests that buyers abroad are not moving evenly across Italy’s wine map and that some territories are holding up better than others even as the national market contracts.

That gap matters for the beverage industry because it may help wineries, exporters and distributors decide where to focus investment, promotion and market development while overseas sales remain under pressure. For producers of wine and related beverage businesses, the divergence points to a more selective export environment rather than a uniform slowdown across all regions.

Piedmont is home to some of Italy’s best-known appellations, including Barolo, Barbaresco and Asti, and wine is one of the region’s main agricultural export categories. The latest figures add to signs that regional brand strength and positioning in foreign markets can make a difference when overall trade conditions weaken.

The data were released as Italian wine producers continue to navigate softer international demand and tougher competition in key export markets. In that setting, even modest growth carries weight for regional economies tied closely to vineyard production, bottling, logistics and hospitality linked to wine tourism.