Published every MondaySelection and commentary: Jean-Luc Kursner
Weekly review
Week 469 to 15 November 2026
What mattered for the wine market
The week's news, selected from the Swiss and international press and summarised for winegrowers, wineries and merchants.
01
Subsidies and policyFrench-speaking Switzerland
Four challenges facing Swiss viticulture: consumption, outlets, grubbing-up and drought
Consumption of Swiss wine fell by 16% in 2024 before a 2.3% rebound in 2025. All French-speaking cantons support vine removal, and Vaud has cut its yield limit from 1 kg to 950 g per m2. Schenk told 200 growers it would no longer take in their harvest.
Key takeawayGrowers and cellars that deliver grapes, as well as buyers and merchants, should follow supply contracts and vine removal, which are reshaping Swiss supply.
Italy: 47.7 million hl of wine in cellars at end of October
The Cantina Italia report no. 10/2026 puts Italian cellar stocks of wine at 47.7 million hl on 31 October, up 16.2% on September and 7.2% on a year earlier. With 15.8 million hl of must and 13.7 million hl of new wine still fermenting, the total reaches about 77.2 million hl.
Key takeawayBuyers of bulk wine face a larger Italian supply than a year ago; for Swiss sellers it is a benchmark to watch for prices.
As at 1 November, the Ministry of Agriculture puts French wine production for 2026 at 36.7 million hl, revised upwards since October: 3% above 2025, but 10% below the 2021-2025 average. Yields are proving better than expected in Languedoc-Roussillon, Charente, Champagne and the South-East; the north remains penalised.
Key takeawaySwiss importers and merchants buying in France will find a somewhat larger supply than in 2025, but below average, with a clear gap between north and south.
Castilla-La Mancha opens Vinati grants until 25 January 2027
On 9 November Castilla-La Mancha published the amendment to Order 48/2023 on Vinati grants, which cover investment in processing plants, infrastructure and marketing. The 2027 call is open from 10 November 2026 to 25 January 2027, projects can be carried out in 2028 and 2029, and some wine tourism investments now qualify.
Key takeawayWineries in Castilla-La Mancha have until 25 January 2027 to apply; buyers of the region's wines may see it as support for their suppliers' investment.
Global bulk wine trade 2025: value down 4.8%, average 0.74 EUR/l
According to UN Comtrade data, world bulk wine exports fell by 4.8% in value in 2025, to about 2.4 billion euros, and by 2.1% in volume, to 32.9 million hl. The implied average price drops 2.8% to 0.74 EUR/l. Spain gains 7.4% in value while Chile loses 21.2%.
Key takeawayBulk buyers get a world average price of 0.74 EUR/l; Swiss sellers can use it as a benchmark, with Spain still the leading supplier in the low-price segment.
Lugana DOC: value up 18.1% in Italian supermarkets
In the twelve months to August 2026, Lugana DOC grew 18.1% in value and 18.4% in volume in Italian supermarkets, according to NielsenIQ, while the market contracted. Among white wines it adds 3.2 million euros in sales, as the white wine market falls 0.7%. Consortium president Fabio Zenato remains cautious about the HoReCa channel.
Key takeawaySellers and buyers of Italian white wine see that an appellation can grow in supermarkets despite a shrinking market; the more complex on-trade channel remains to be watched.
Spain: wine consumption down 6.5% year on year to September
In the twelve months to September 2026, apparent wine consumption in Spain falls by 6.5% to 8.91 million hl, and per capita consumption to 17.98 litres. Red and rosé wines slump 13.6%, losing four percentage points of share in a year, while whites gain.
Key takeawayFor buyers of Spanish bulk wine, falling domestic demand, mainly in reds and rosés, is worth watching for available supply and prices.
Hospices de Beaune: only 432 barrels in the 15 November sale
The 166th Hospices de Beaune sale on 15 November will put 432 barrels and 2 feuillettes under Sotheby's hammer, the second lowest volume in the history of the auction, which began in 1849, because of repeated summer heatwaves. Éric Judor, Ramzy Bedia and Mélanie Doutey sponsor the president's barrel, whose record stands at 810,000 euros (2022).
Key takeawayBurgundy buyers will watch the small volume on offer, a sign of a harvest cut by heat, and the price of the president's barrel as a top-end benchmark.
Veneto: 11.4 million hl of wine in 2025, up 7% per ISTAT
According to ISTAT, Veneto produced 11.4 million hl of wine in 2025, up 7% on 2024, or 24% of a stable national harvest of 47.8 million hl. White wines make up 83% of output, while red DOC wines fall to 800,000 hl, the lowest since 2015. Estimated vineyard area reaches 96,400 ha, up 1.9%.
Key takeawayBuyers of Veneto white wines, Prosecco included, see supply driven by whites, while red DOC wines become scarcer.
Alpina Vina makes Alpine wines a category, with the Chablais
The international platform Alpina Vina, founded by Simon Hardy and Jean-François Genoud, wants Alpine wines to be recognised as a category in their own right. It covers nine regions in Switzerland, France and Italy, including the Chablais and Valais, and rests on five shared traits: topography, climate, mountain viticulture, native grape varieties and traditions.
Key takeawaySellers of mountain wines, from the Chablais to Valais, gain a common frame for positioning; the commercial effect for buyers remains to be confirmed.
On 5 November, the La Rioja government and players in the wine sector agreed on the urgent need for measures to keep the oldest vines voluntarily, so that they remain profitable and competitive. They are pushing for a law on the protection and conservation of old vineyards. The details of the law have yet to be specified.
Key takeawayBuyers of Rioja old-vine wines will be following this text, whose effect on supply and prices has yet to be established.