New signals of recovery for Italian wine exports in 2026, which, after a difficult start, are regaining momentum, although still far off and showing a clear decline compared to 2025 levels. According to Istat data, published today and analyzed by WineNews, in the first quarter of 2026 Italian wine exports to foreign markets totaled 1.7 billion euros, down -8.2% compared to the same period in 2025, but with a clear improvement compared to January 2026 (-18.7% in value) and the first two months of the year (-13.3%). Volumes stood at 472.8 million hectoliters (-4% compared to the first quarter of 2025), slightly declining from the figure published in February 2026 (-3.2%).
A step forward for the sector, despite the obvious remaining challenges, with the standout performance of the market No. 1, i.e. the United States: in the first quarter of 2026, exports reached 407.9 million euros and, although the year-on-year comparison is clearly negative (-20.5%), it shouldn’t be forgotten that the first two “reports” of the year showed -35.2% in January 2026 and -27.5% in February 2026, confirming that something is changing.
