ECONOMIC CONTEXT

Winery decisions under pressure

How they affect wine evolution in bottle

May 2026

In recent years, the wine sector has become increasingly accustomed to operating in a more demanding environment. The latest campaign has reinforced this feeling: lower production in several regions, rising costs and more selective demand are forcing wineries to make decisions more quickly and with less room for manoeuvre.

According to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, global wine production in 2025 reached low levels compared to the recent historical average, in a context marked by climate variability and pressure on raw material availability. At the same time, the market is evolving towards more moderate volume consumption but greater demands in terms of value and positioning, as highlighted by the International Wine and Spirits Research in its 2026 outlook.

In this scenario, many decisions are being made out of operational necessity rather than long-term planning. Cost adjustments, process simplification and the acceleration of certain decisions are part of the daily reality for many wineries. It is less a matter of choice than a response to the context.

However, time introduces nuances. Not all decisions behave in the same way as wine evolves in bottle. In several comparative tastings conducted with clients, we have observed how identical wines, produced under the same conditions, evolve differently depending on the type of closure used. And these differences become more pronounced over time in bottle.

In this sense, the current challenge is not only about making decisions under pressure, but doing so without losing sight of the trajectory those decisions may shape over the medium and long term.

This is precisely our role: to support each winery in defining the most suitable closure according to the wine style, its ageing potential and the bottle evolution sought.

Sources:
OIV – State of the World Vine and Wine Sector 2025
IWSR – Global beverage alcohol trends 2026 outlook
Silicon Canals / Wine industry reports 2026 on premiumisation and consumption shifts