The conflict in the Middle East is once again being felt across wine markets — and this time with figures that are beginning to weigh concretely on company balance sheets. Unione Italiana Vini (Uiv) has raised the alarm: due to the war in the Iranian area, orders have come to a halt in around twenty markets, mainly in the Gulf and surrounding regions, with an estimated total value of roughly €80 million in annual exports. A warning that arrives at an already delicate moment for the sector, grappling with shrinking demand and increasingly compressed margins. The alert was reiterated by Uiv President Lamberto Frescobaldi during the National Council meeting hosted by Cantina Girlan in Cornaiano (BZ).
Frescobaldi: “Extra costs are unsustainable for businesses”
“The wine sector is already suffering the first direct damages caused by the Iranian conflict,” Frescobaldi stated. “We are seeing a halt in orders across about twenty markets — from the Gulf to neighbouring areas — which together represent around €80 million in annual exports.”
This freeze is compounded by cross‑cutting critical issues that risk amplifying the economic impact: “We are facing significant challenges — from the rising cost of dry raw materials to transport costs, to the decline in tourism and wine tourism — that are unsustainable for a sector already weakened by a clear contraction in demand.”
Hence the appeal to institutions: “As Uiv, we call on the Italian Government and the EU to provide urgent responses on possible measures to support our sector and mitigate current and future negative dynamics.”
Raw materials and transport: cost pressure on Italian wine
According to Uiv’s Observatory, extra costs on dry raw materials alone — glass, paper, cardboard, capsules and wire hoods — could increase the final price of a €4 bottle by between +10% and +20%. An increase that companies would struggle to absorb.
The context is already burdened by the effects of U.S. tariffs, which have forced many producers to reduce export price lists to the United States: –11% in 2025 and –13% in the first quarter of 2026. “Wine companies cannot absorb these extra costs,” Uiv stresses, noting that the price lever is now almost entirely exhausted.
Global logistics under stress
On top of material costs comes pressure on transport, both domestically — where the first tariff increases are already being recorded — and on international routes. Container prices are expected to rise between +20% and +50%, further aggravating export costs.
Additional variables remain difficult to quantify from the potential impact on tourism and wine tourism to risks linked to inflation and recession, which could affect consumer spending in key markets.
Italian wine: a fragile sector facing new geopolitical tensions
The picture outlined by Uiv portrays a sector facing a perfect storm, where structural shifts in demand intersect with geopolitical shocks and cost pressures.
The message emerging from the National Council is clear: without rapid, coordinated action at national and European level, the risk is a further erosion of the competitiveness of Italian wine on international markets.
In a sector that represents not only an economic pillar but also a cultural and territorial identity for the country, the war — once again — shows how global dynamics can directly and immediately affect the value contained in a single bottle.
