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Green light for the production of alcohol-free wines in Italy. Today the interministerial decree (Mef-Masaf) was finally launched which defines the tax regime and excise duties for the production of dealcoholised wine. Above all, the taxation of alcohol obtained from dealcoholization processes is at the center of the measure.
A measure much awaited by Italian producers who in many cases have already experimented with this market segment, among other things, which is growing strongly especially abroad. However, up until now, Italian entrepreneurs, precisely due to the absence of a defined regulatory framework, have been forced to carry out the delcolation operations of their wines abroad, primarily in Germany or Spain.
“With this decree – commented this afternoon the Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Francesco Lollobrigida – we are giving the wine sector a clear regulatory framework to be able to produce dealcoholised wines and thus offer new opportunities to companies in the sector. Masaf is at the producers’ side and this is demonstrated by the interventions made in the last year. Today we are defining the tax regime for excise duties in the production of dealcoholised wine. I am sure that our producers will be able to achieve positions of excellence even in this sector.”
“The green light to the Mef-Masaf interministerial decree on the Italian production of dealcoholized wines – commented the general secretary of the Italian Wine Union, Paolo Castelletti – represents good news at the end of the year after a troubled 2025 for the wine sector in general on the market front. More and more Italian companies are ready to invest in the dealcoholized category, and this measure represents a turning point to operate on competitively equal terms with other European producers. We hope for the administration’s support in the first phase of implementation of the rule, in particular with reference to obtaining the necessary licenses and authorizations”.
According to the Observatory of the Italian Wine Union, the Nolo sector (i.e. wines both no alcohol, i.e. completely free of alcohol content, and low alcohol, i.e. low alcohol content) is one of the few to grow in a global context of great difficulty for wine. The current global market for the freight category – which also includes dealcohols – is worth 2.4 billion dollars and is destined to reach 3.3 billion dollars by 2028.
