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Seven north Italian wine trends to brighten up your tastebuds in 2026

Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Chair for northern Italy, Michael Garner investigates some key wine trends to look out for in 2026 across the country's northern provinces.

North Italy is a melting pot of cultures and landscapes. Flag-bearers for these northern regions include Barolo and Amarone, but there’s so much more to discover.

And with changes in winemaking and the impact of climate change, new opportunities are opening up for wines which previously languished in the background.

In an interview for Decanter with Tim Atkin MW all the way back in 2010, renowned winemaker Angelo Gaja declared that Italy’s future would lie with white wines.

But one grape variety he omitted to mention was Cortese, the most widely planted dry white variety in Gaja’s native Piedmont.

Let’s start there, therefore, and then look at six other exciting areas in northern Italian winemaking.

Gavi’s renewed ambition

Cortese’s finest expression is in the wines of Gavi and Gavi di Gavi, yet despite healthy sales in both the UK and USA, Gavi has not always been renowned for premium quality.

However, today’s warmer growing conditions combined with a greater belief in the area’s potential, and savvy marketing campaigns are changing all that, and the wines now are far better than they ever been before.


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