Starting a wine estate, from the land to the first bottle

Before the vineyard: the land and the idea of wine

Everything starts from a simple question: what wine do you want to make, and where. Soil, exposure, slope, water availability and altitude tell which varieties will give their best on that land; the area tells which appellations the wine can belong to. Campania has 29 wine specifications: 4 DOCG, 15 DOC and 10 IGT. Each sets the production area, the permitted varieties, the yields and the winemaking rules, so it must be read before choosing the vines, not after.

The planting authorisation: the first formal step

From 2016 until 31 December 2045, a wine-grape vineyard in Italy may be planted only with an authorisation. Authorisations are free of charge and, except in specific cases such as inheritance, cannot be transferred (Ministerial Decree MASAF no. 649010 of 19/12/2022, art. 2). There are two routes.

New planting. The application is submitted to the Ministry, online through the SIAN system, from 15 February to 31 March each year, based on the updated farm file. It is admissible if the farm file shows agricultural land in use, not already under vines, at least equal to the area requested, and it entails a commitment to keep the vineyard for at least five years (art. 5). The Regions issue authorisations by 1 August, published in the regional bulletin; the authorisation is valid for three years (arts. 6 and 10). If less than half of the requested area is granted, the applicant can decline within thirty days without penalties (art. 10). Regions may give priority, for example, to steep slopes, to land above 500 metres and to vine-growing farms between 0.5 and 50 hectares (art. 8).

Replanting. Whoever grubs up a vineyard obtains a replanting authorisation for an equivalent area, on the same farm, valid for three years, or six if replanting on the same plot (art. 12). The application must be submitted by the end of the second wine year after the grubbing-up (art. 13).

Then there is the family vineyard: up to 1,000 square metres and with wine that is never sold, it is exempt from authorisation (art. 3). In Campania it must still be notified to the Region, and turning it into a productive vineyard requires a new-planting authorisation.

Planting: the choices that last

Variety, rootstock, spacing, training system and soil management are decided together, on the actual land: one choice leads to the next. The variety must be permitted by the specification and suited to the site; the rootstock must match the soil; spacing and training system determine forever how the vineyard is worked, how far it can be mechanised and the microclimate of the clusters. It is the moment when the agronomist’s work pays off most, because a planting error can only be corrected by grubbing up.

Grants for vineyard and cellar

Two measures of the EU wine CMO, managed in Campania by the Region with annual calls, support those who invest.

Vineyard restructuring and conversion (RRV). It funds the renewal of existing vineyards, varietal conversion and replanting, with a grant of up to 75% of the expenditure, calculated on standard cost tables. It is aimed at farmers who run vineyards or hold planting authorisations; the minimum area of the completed project is 0.3 hectares in a single block, 0.25 hectares in the areas of the DOCs Cilento, Costa d’Amalfi, Vesuvio, Campi Flegrei and Penisola Sorrentina. The application includes a technical report signed by a qualified professional in agriculture (Campania Region, Decree no. 34 of 24/04/2026). New-planting authorisations are not eligible for this grant (DM 649010/2022, art. 6): RRV rewards those who renew.

Investments. It supports businesses that produce or process wine, for cellar equipment, winemaking, ageing, bottling, analysis laboratory and wastewater treatment. For micro, small and medium enterprises the grant reaches 50% of the expenditure (Campania Region, Decree no. 25 of 06/03/2026).

The calls for the 2026/2027 season are closed: RRV on 14 May 2026, Investments on 30 June 2026. The calls are annual (in 2026 they were published in March): it pays to arrive with the project already prepared.

The cellar

The cellar is sized on the wine you want to make and on the grapes the vineyard will give at full production, not on those of the first years. Vessels, flows, temperature, hygiene and ageing spaces are designed together with the vineyard, so that the two grow together. In Italy, the design and works supervision of buildings for agricultural industries, wineries included, fall within the competences of the dottore agronomo (Law 152/1992, art. 2, letter d).

The label and the story

The story of the wine is born with the vineyard. In the EU, environmental claims on labels, websites and social media must be specific and verifiable: in Italy this applies from 27 September 2026. Better to set them up well from the start: see Environmental claims on wine labels.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need an authorisation to plant a vineyard in Campania?

Yes, for every wine-grape vineyard, until 31 December 2045. Family vineyards up to 1,000 square metres whose wine is not sold are exempt; in Campania they must still be notified to the Region.

When can you apply for a new-planting authorisation in Italy?

Every year from 15 February to 31 March, through the SIAN system, starting from the updated farm file. Authorisations are issued by the Region by 1 August and are valid for three years.

Are there grants to plant a new vineyard?

The grant for vineyard restructuring and conversion, up to 75% on standard costs, does not apply to new-planting authorisations: it concerns renewal and replanting. Those starting out in agriculture for the first time can look at the young farmers’ start-up grant.

Are there grants to equip the cellar?

Yes, the Investments measure of the wine CMO: for micro, small and medium enterprises up to 50% of the expenditure on cellar equipment, winemaking, bottling and laboratory. The call is annual.

How long does a replanting authorisation last?

Three years from its issue, or six if the vineyard is replanted on the same grubbed-up plot.