LinkedIn is on the rise, Facebook is declining along with Messenger chats, and TikTok continues to struggle. This is the key takeaway from Il Gusto Digitale 2025, an analysis by Omnicom PR Group Italia, which examined the online activity of the top 25 Italian wine companies by revenue (Mediobanca data).
Tenute Piccini is the most digital winery
There are some changes in the rankings this year: in the 2025 edition (here is last year’s), Tenute Piccini takes first place for digitalisation, while Mezzacorona drops to second, followed by Compagnia de’ Frescobaldi.
This year also sees honourable mentions: Marchesi Antinori (fifth place) for the best social media strategy; Herita Marzotto Wine Estate for being the first Italian wine company to obtain 'Carbon Neutral' certification, in recognition of its commitment to sustainability and biodiversity; and Tenute Piccini for its investment and engagement in educational and social projects that enhance wine culture and strengthen ties with the community and the environment.
The social platforms most used by Italian wineries
Today, 21 out of 25 wineries are active on LinkedIn (a figure unchanged from last year), with an aggregated follower increase of more than 29% compared to 2024. Mostly used to connect companies and professionals in the sector, LinkedIn is increasingly replacing Facebook in communicating initiatives and projects. Instagram shows slight growth, with a marginal aggregated follower increase of 0.1% compared to 2024 (versus +6% from 2023 to 2024). Currently, 21 out of 25 companies have an official account (unchanged).
Facebook, on the other hand, continues to decline: follower numbers are down by 5.6%, and it is used by 21 wineries out of 25. There are also significantly fewer wineries using Messenger chat: only 5 out of 25 (20%) provide personalised replies within 24 hours, while 11 have implemented an automated bot.
YouTube still struggles to gain traction: it is used, albeit minimally, by 17 companies. X (formerly Twitter) is used by just eight wineries and has seen a sharp decline in followers: –14.1% compared to 2024. The relationship between Italian wineries and TikTok remains underdeveloped: there has been only a small increase, from 6 out of 25 in 2024 to 7 out of 25 in this edition.
One in two wineries has its own e-commerce platform
Another area with room for improvement is e-commerce, which remains fairly basic, with platforms generally limited to product presentation and purchase processing, without enhancing the consumer experience. Nevertheless, the number of proprietary online shops is slightly up: 13 out of 25, compared to 12 last year.
More mentions of de-alcoholised wines and native grape varieties
Looking at wineries’ websites, 17 out of 25 have sections dedicated to tasting experiences or experiential activities. Food pairing remains an established trend, featured by 18 out of 25 wineries (slightly down from 19 out of 25 in 2024). It continues to be an interesting phenomenon, even though the quality and quantity of available information are generally decreasing.
Conversations about de-alcoholised wine are growing, suggesting this is an area to watch in order to capture the tastes of new consumers—some wineries are already experimenting with it.
Native grape varieties are highlighted, to varying degrees, by 64% of the companies (down from 72% in 2024): 16 wineries feature dedicated content on their websites. Beyond Italian, the languages used include English (24 out of 25, unchanged), German (8 out of 25, down from 10), French (3 out of 25) and Russian. Chinese, however, has declined sharply, from 4 out of 25 in 2024 to just 1 out of 25, mirroring trends in export markets.
Italian wineries rely on LinkedIn and Instagram for online communication
What does it take to feed the Italian rugby team?
Why it's an organic focus for Bertinga
Six of Brussels' best Italian restaurants
Where to have a festive brunch in Florence
