The 2025 harvest promises to be exceptional, but Italian wine risks going unsold. Italy's alcohol consumption has been decreasing for decades. In 1970, the average Italian consumed the equivalent of 16.6 liters of alcohol annually; today, it is less than 5 liters. "We've replaced the glass at the table with happy hour", reports Emanuele Scafato of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità. Meanwhile, cellars are overflowing, with 49.7 million hectoliters stored, more than the total 2024 production. "This year we estimate a 10% increase", says Riccardo Cotarella, head of Assoenologi. The risk? That extra wine will be distilled into industrial alcohol, as was done during the pandemic. Cultural shifts are also having an impact: young people are drinking less, have concerns about their health and calories, and are increasingly choosing de-alcoholized wines. Despite this, Italy's vineyard area continues to expand, reaching 728 thousand hectares in 2024, defying global trends. "Production limits are needed", argues Cotarella. "Wine is part of our culture, but we must adapt to the market to avoid wasting it".