Wine after the pandemic? All the doubts in a glass

COVID-19 has triggered an unprecedented global crisis, the increasing recessions in many countries and related trade uncertainties are affecting the whole wine sector, from production to distribution, sales, and consumption. While the full recovery is still uncertain, and even worse scenarios are possible if it takes longer to recover trust and financial stability on wine markets, the crisis risks to jeopardies recent developments and sustainability in wine territories. Building on a tailored revi-sion with a mixed-method participatory research process of the conceptual framework on Condition, Strategies, and Performance of Grando et al. (2020), we offer a critical reflection made by researchers and stakeholders supporting several socio-econom-ic narratives and policy implications in the light of the current crisis. Distinguishing between short and long-term implications, we analyse the impact of disruptive changes in the external and internal conditions of the business environment, the strategies adopted by the wineries and their implication on performances, as well as a reflection on the policy needs to alleviate the ongoing suffering of the sector. The speed and scope of the pandemic crisis underscore the need for the wine sector to become more resilient by increasing the ability to cooperate and coordinate among supply chain actors and between policy levels. The latter offers a reflection on the balance between short-term interventions and the complementarity of post-2020 CAP measures to sta-bilize market and future incomes. We conclude that once the crisis abates, it will be necessary to reaffirm credible commitment and trust at all levels, not only with regard to production side but also on sale and distribution, especially in the face of changing consumption patterns that in the future will become more pressing for issues related to safety and sustainability.