PIWI Wines in Italy: Fungus-Resistant Vines, Flavor-Forward Bottles, and the Future of Sustainable Winemaking 🍇

Two wine glasses with bread. Photo credit.

The latest episode of the Flavor of Italy podcast with sommelier Cynthia Chaplin dives deep into the exciting—and eco-powered—world of Italian PIWI wines. You might ask: what exactly are PIWIs? The term comes from Pilzwiderstandsfähig, German for “fungus-resistant,” and it refers to a family of hybrid grape varieties bred to resist powdery and downy mildew. That means no—or very minimal—fungicide treatments. And in a world where climate change, sustainability, and health are becoming central concerns in viticulture, PIWI grapes are turning into quiet heroes across Europe, including in Italy.