More flexibility in authorizing new plants; same commitment to the restructuring of existing ones. Fortunately, the commitments of the CMO (Common Market Organization) respond to European logic of multi-year planning and are not affected by the volatility of national politics.

Thus, the ministerial decree of last December 12, signed by the department head Giuseppe Blasi, also confirmed for 2025/26 the same financial allocation as the two previous years, in which the vineyard restyling measure continues to dominate, winning 44% of the total resources, just over 144 million euros (see table).   

The deadline for submitting applications is set for February 28 and the Regions have four and a half months to complete the investigation and communicate the commitments to the ministry by July 15. An intervention that has become routine, but this year deserves more attention because the geopolitical, climatic, and commercial crisis affecting the world of wine has convinced the central authority to grant greater leeway to the regions both for the measure of restructuring and investments. 

More discretion for the Regions

The Masaf decree 635206 of last December 2, in fact, expands the discretionary power of the Regions, which, with their own resolutions, can manage the measure by defining the areas concerned, the categories of beneficiaries, the varieties, and the forms of cultivation to be given priority. An opportunity not to be missed (or so it should be).

Adapt (quickly) to avoid extinction. 

This is, after all, the fundamental law of evolution and also applies to the vineyard. The crisis of the great French denominations, with the sharp decline of Champagne and Burgundy and massive uprooting in Bordeaux, is the most visible symptom of the revolution underway in the world of wine. The need, in many viticultural areas, for a targeted renewal of the plants is urgent due to the impact of climate change and the sudden change in wine consumption styles. 

The new trends

Sustainability, health, territoriality: these are the trends dictated by millennials and Gen Z, the new magnetic poles that are reorienting the compass of the global market. Compared to France, our country has more alternatives and can meet these needs by playing the card of its varietal biodiversity. VCR, Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo, has been committed for 60 years to its protection and enhancement through clonal selection and genetic improvement. The 14 grape varieties resistant to downy mildew and powdery mildew, developed together with the University of Udine, allow to combine environmental sustainability and oenological quality achieving the best performance in reducing the carbon footprint. The new rootstocks of the M series developed together with the University of Milan are the most effective response in terms of resilience to climate change. 

The over 540 clones approved by VCR ensure the variability from which to draw to meet the emerging demand for low natural alcohol content in wines. The Regions now have greater discretion in allocating resources for vineyard restructuring. The hope is that they will use this new superpower to promote the spread of the most performing varieties, clones, and rootstocks in terms of quality and environmental impact. 

For info: www.vivairauscedo.com