The fine‑wine market is shifting gears. And within this new balance, one protagonist stands out for its ability to intercept renewed demand: Italian wine. “At iDealwine we closed 2025 with total revenue of 58 million euros,” begins Angélique de Lencquesaing, co‑founder of iDealwine. “As for auction market trends, in 2025 we observed a 9% drop in the average price per bottle, but a 19% increase in volumes sold. This suggests that buyers paid close attention to prices: fewer bidding battles, less determination to secure a bottle at any cost.” Less euphoria and more rationality define today’s scenario — a context in which Italian wine delivers one of the most interesting performances in the global secondary market.
Italian wine at iDealwine auctions: +33% in volume and +37% in value in 2025
While the overall market slows in terms of prices, Italy accelerates. In 2025, iDealwine auctions recorded more than 10,000 Italian bottles sold, an increase compared to 2024. Total value approached one million euros, up 37%.
This figure becomes even more significant when paired with price dynamics: while the global average fell by around 8%, the average for Italian wines rose by 2%, reaching 96 euros.
“Italian wines account for 50% of all non‑French wines sold at auction on our platform, even though this category represents only 6.5% of total volumes,” explains Angélique de Lencquesaing.
Demand for Italian labels experienced a real rebound in 2025 compared to previous years, growing by one third. The interest is clear: “This performance clearly demonstrates the strong appeal of Italian wines among collectors.”
In the iDealwine auction rankings, Italy confirms itself as the leading foreign vineyard and the sixth overall in demand. Italian labels represent 51% of volumes and 54% of the value of all non‑French wines sold at auction. A result that strengthens Italy’s role as an increasingly sought‑after alternative in the fine‑wine universe.
This performance fits into an evolving market, where enthusiasts are beginning to explore new producers and regions beyond France. “In recent years, wine lovers have broadened their horizons beyond the traditional fine‑wine regions,” notes Angélique de Lencquesaing. “Many enjoy discovering producers before they gain fame and higher prices. This has led some lesser‑known regions to record very significant growth in traded volumes.”
Reds dominate, with Piedmont and Tuscany at the centre
The message from the auction market is clear: Italian red wines dominate almost entirely, representing 95% of volumes and 97% of total value. Their average price, 98 euros, exceeds the overall average for Italian wines.
Geographically, the map is just as clear, with the centre of gravity unchanged: Piedmont accounts for 60% of bottles sold, followed by Tuscany with 21%.
These territories continue to embody the two souls of Italian fine wine: on one side, the finesse and longevity of Nebbiolo, reminiscent of Burgundy’s Pinot Noir; on the other, the structure and international appeal of Tuscany’s great reds, echoing Bordeaux models.
Alongside these two pillars, Veneto, Sicily and Abruzzo are also gaining traction, with smaller shares but growing attention from buyers.
Italian wine at iDealwine and the value of time
One element defines collectors’ behaviour toward Italian labels: the search for wines that are already mature, with history behind them.
In 2025, 41% of Italian bottles sold were more than 20 years old, while another 24% fell between 2006 and 2015. This is a highly relevant figure, confirming growing confidence in the aging potential of Italian wines and marking their full entry into the international collecting circuit.
Italy’s success at iDealwine auctions is also rooted in a delicate balance between tradition and discovery — between historic names, especially from Piedmont, and producers capable of interpreting their territories with a personal vision.
Tuscany maintains a prominent position, embodying the aristocracy of Italian wine: while Tenuta San Guido and Ornellaia remain benchmarks, driven by iconic cuvées such as Sassicaia and Masseto, the Antinori family also confirms its leadership in 2025 with Tignanello and Solaia. Alongside these giants, outsiders like Quintarelli in Veneto and Frank Cornelissen on Etna are emerging, reflecting a market increasingly open to new voices.
The ranking of the most represented estates at iDealwine mirrors this dynamic: the top 20 producers account for 55% of total value, while still leaving room for smaller wineries. Piedmont dominates, with 14 estates in the ranking, and at the top stands Comm. Giovan Battista Burlotto, surpassing Tuscany’s icons. A primacy that reflects a return to wines capable of expressing themselves fully only after many years. Unsurprisingly, the most sought‑after Italian bottles range from the 1980s back to historic vintages such as 1973, 1971, 1961 and even 1951.
In this context, the market rewards figures like Giacomo Conterno, Bartolo Mascarello, Gianfranco Soldera, Angelo Gaja and Roberto Voerzio.
Among the most iconic bottles stands Sassicaia 1985, considered one of the greatest vintages ever, sold for 2,629 euros. The same vintage appears in other legendary wines, such as Giacomo Conterno’s Barolo Riserva Monfortino and Montevertine’s Le Pergole Torte.
The comparison between Piedmont and Tuscany continues in this segment as well, with a slight Piedmontese prevalence in the number of labels, but with Tuscan wines taking the top positions.
Beyond Piedmont and Tuscany: the new frontier of Italian wine
The 2025 iDealwine results also tell the story of Emidio Pepe’s return to the Top 20, after four years of absence but now back in the spotlight with vintages from 1973 to 1982 reaching up to 300 euros per bottle. A clear sign that the market is rediscovering interpretations outside the most established circuits.
The same movement opens the door to new territories of desire: from Quintarelli’s Veneto, with its Amarone Classico Superiore 1993 sold for 601 euros, to Frank Cornelissen’s Sicily, where Magma reached 401 euros in 2025.
This is where Italian wine plays a new game: not only through its most iconic denominations, but also through a constellation of producers capable of telling different, often more intimate stories — yet increasingly relevant.
