27,000 hectares of vineyard area, 1.7 million hectolitres bottled in 2024. These are the figures of DOC Delle Venezie, a global benchmark for the production of Pinot Grigio and for the stylistic identity so beloved by an international, worldwide audience of consumers. Numbers sufficient to convey, with a certain firmness, the responsibility towards issues such as the future of territories and quality in relation to climate change, sustainability, and consumption trends.
On 19 November 2025, in Trento, the annual Congress organized by the Protection Consortium was held to outline new trajectories for Pinot Grigio in the Triveneto area.
Two macro-themes were addressed. The first round table sought to dissect (or at least begin to) the topic of climate change. No small task, considering that the vineyard area is not only extensive but encompasses an extraordinarily wide range of different environments—an aspect that is undoubtedly distinctive and not negative. Considerations on 360° sustainability were also abundant. The second round table addressed, from a production standpoint, what can practically be done to obtain increasingly fresh and approachable DOC Delle Venezie Pinot Grigio wines, with naturally contained alcohol levels.
The panels involved Luca Rigotti, President of the DOC Delle Venezie Consortium, and representatives of local institutions: Stefano Zannier, Councillor for Agri-food, Forestry and Fisheries Resources of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia; Alberto Zannol, Director General for Territorial Marketing, Culture, Tourism, Agriculture and Sport of the Veneto Region; and, acting as host, Giulia Zanotelli, Councillor for Agriculture, Promotion of Trentino Products, Environment, Hydrogeological Protection and Local Authorities of the Autonomous Province of Trento.
Experts contributing to the reflections presented during the Congress included: Dino Zardi, professor at the University of Trento, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering and the Agriculture Food Environment Centre (C3A); Giuseppe Blasi, Head of the Department for the Common Agricultural Policy and Rural Development of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (Masaf); Maria Chiara Zaganelli, Director General of CREA – Council for Agricultural Research and Agricultural Economics Analysis; Alessandro Armani, Head of Assets for North-East Italy at FAI – the Italian Environment Fund; Paolo De Castro, Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Parliament; Filippo Moreschi, UGIVI – Union of Vine and Wine Lawyers; Luigi Bavaresco, professor at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart; Paolo Sivilotti, professor at the University of Udine, Department of Agro-food, Environmental and Animal Sciences; Simone Vincenzi, professor at the University of Padua, DAFNAE; Riccardo Velasco, Director of CREA-VE; Marco Stefanini, technologist and researcher at the Edmund Mach Foundation; Michele Zanardo, President of the National Committee for PDO and PGI Wines.
The event was brilliantly moderated by Dr. Costanza Fregoni.
The Reality of Climate Change
Climate change is a factual reality, perhaps not yet fully understood by everyone. It is not only a matter of rising seasonal temperatures or water shortages, but also of increasingly violent and uncontrollable phenomena. Too much really does become too much, and for the moment, this is what we are dealing with.
Pinot Grigio: the Importance of Research and the Evolution Toward New Frontiers
Knowledge is the foundation of everything. Understanding the issues, studying them and disseminating this knowledge are the key messages coming from all the institutions involved: from universities to CREA, including the VCR research centre.
Sharing and exchanging information between theory and practice, therefore. Only this kind of approach can be constructive for the future. And it is precisely in this way that new prototypes of Pinot Grigio have been developed—clones destined to produce naturally low-alcohol grapes and wines. Research also continues in the creation of resistant hybrids with this characteristic, considered contemporary and aligned with current trends and market demands.
DOC Delle Venezie: significant changes to the production regulations coming soon
Last but by no means least, the human factor: during one of the round tables, a representative of FAI also spoke. A sign that environment, culture and people are strongly interconnected. Typical products, tradition, and the vocation of a territory to express itself through various forms of art all play a role in this interweaving.
Interdisciplinarity was one of the key words of this discussion dedicated to Delle Venezie. A dialogue between agronomic, legal, environmental and cultural expertise rich in insights that concern not only the wine sector but the daily life of us all.
Because in the end, wine is and remains a bridge between different cultures, a vehicle of information, an ambassador of Made in Italy around the world—carrying a great responsibility: to continue to exist in the least impactful, most respectful way possible, while remaining faithful to itself.
