What you need to know about Italy's new decree on dealcoholised wine

After months of waiting and repeated delays, the signature has finally arrived. The interministerial decree on excise duties and the tax regime for dealcoholised wine has been approved, at last providing a fiscal framework for a production that, until now, was only partially possible and fraught with operational uncertainty.

What is the decree on dealcoholised wine?

The measure allows operators already authorised as tax warehouses for intermediate alcoholic products and wine to carry out dealcoholisation processes, under specific conditions and within set quantitative limits. The decree also introduces a distinction between producers based on the volumes they handle, separating those who exceed and those who remain below the threshold of 1,000 hectolitres per year.

Who can produce dealcoholised wine?

The text regulates the issuing of the authorisation required for the production and storage of dealcoholised products, sets out the administrative requirements and defines the rules governing the movement of the product. It also makes clear that only activities strictly linked to the production of dealcoholised wine are permitted, while any additional ancillary activity is restricted.

Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida commented that the decree provides the sector with a regulatory framework for the production of dealcoholised wines and for identifying their fiscal treatment.

“With this decree we give the wine sector a clear regulatory framework to produce dealcoholised wines and thus offer new opportunities for businesses. The Masaf stands alongside producers, as demonstrated by the measures adopted over the past year. Today we define the excise regime for the production of dealcoholised wine. I am certain that our producers will achieve excellence in this sector as well,” he said.

Pressure from the associations

The decree comes after a long period of anticipation from the wine sector and industry associations. In recent months the topic of dealcoholised wine had remained suspended in a regulatory vacuum that slowed investment, experimentation and industrial planning, despite the fact that EU regulations were already in force.

Trade associations had repeatedly called for an intervention to clarify fiscal and authorisation aspects, widely considered the main obstacle to the segment becoming fully operational in Italy. The lack of clarity on excise duties and the management of tax warehouses had created legal uncertainty for producers interested in developing ranges of dealcoholised or partially dealcoholised wines.

With the signing of the decree, the regulatory perimeter within which the sector can now operate has been established, at least with regard to fiscal treatment, authorisations and operating procedures related to production and storage.

Dealcoholised Wine Decree: What the New Tax Regime Provides

What is the decree on dealcoholised wine?
An interministerial decree that defines the excise duty regime for the production of dealcoholised wine in Italy.

Who signed the decree?
It was signed by the Ministry of Economy (MEF) and the Ministry of Agriculture (Masaf).

What does the decree regulate?
Excise duties, authorisations, quantitative limits, administrative rules and circulation of dealcoholised wine.

Who can produce dealcoholised wine?
Operators authorised as tax warehouses for intermediate alcoholic products and wine, under specific conditions.

Are there production limits?
Yes, the decree distinguishes between producers above and below 1,000 hectolitres per year.

Is a specific authorisation required?
Yes, an authorisation is required for production and storage.

Are activities other than production permitted?
Only those strictly connected to the production of dealcoholised wine.

Why was the decree so important for the sector?
Because a clear fiscal framework was missing—especially regarding excise duties and tax warehouses.

Does the decree also apply to partially dealcoholised wine?
It concerns dealcoholisation processes as laid out by the regulatory framework.

Does the decree open the market for dealcoholised wine in Italy?
It establishes the fiscal and regulatory perimeter, enabling the sector to operate with greater legal clarity.