Vineyards Magazine

The Garda DOC Consortium opens 2026 with production figures confirming a solid and well-structured growth trend. In 2025, total bottlings reached 175,352 hectolitres, equivalent to more than 23.3 million 0.75-litre bottles, marking a +20% year-on-year increase. These figures are even more significant against a backdrop of a general slowdown in the wine sector and further confirm the ability of the Garda DOC appellation to respond effectively to market dynamics.

“The 2025 production data clearly confirm the soundness of the path taken by the Garda DOC Consortium in recent years,” stated Paolo Fiorini, President of the Garda DOC Consortium.The strategic choices we are making—from updating the production regulations to increasingly market-focused management—are delivering concrete, measurable results. At a time of widespread difficulty for the wine industry, this growth shows how Garda DOC is now a contemporary denomination, capable of interpreting the needs of consumers and international markets. Export plays a central role, with particularly strong performances in key markets such as the United Kingdom and Germany, where Garda DOC wines are consolidating their presence thanks to a recognizable, reliable style aligned with new consumption trends. It is a DOC that looks to the future without losing its connection to the territory, enhancing quality, typicity and production flexibility.”

Supporting the overall increase are also the performances of several key categories, in particular Pinot Grigio and Garda Bianco.

This strong start to the year further strengthens the positioning of Garda DOC as a modern, versatile denomination, capable of facing sector challenges with a coherent, future-oriented strategy. 

CONSORZIO GARDA DOC

A hilly territory of unique landscape features, straddling Lombardy and Veneto, protected by mountains and overlooking Italy’s largest lake: here, among the provinces of Brescia, Mantua, and Verona, lies the Garda DOC, a winegrowing area where special climatic conditions have over time shaped the qualities of the grape varieties that thrive here — and continue to define their distinctiveness today. First recognized in 1996 with the aim of enhancing varietal wines produced in the ten historic winemaking zones of the Lake Garda area, the Garda DOC is a denomination driven by a strong spirit of innovation, capable of evolving over the years to meet consumer needs while honoring a product with ancient roots.

Having obtained ministerial recognition in 2015 and operating erga omnes since 2016, the Garda DOC Consortium today represents 250 producers, giving voice to and promoting one of Italy’s most valuable food and wine excellences.