Chapter 2023 opens for the Consorzio Tutela Lugana DOC, which, after the positive results achieved in the year just ended, restarts with promotional activities and events aimed at promoting its presence on the Italian and international markets and increasingly strengthening the value of the Denomination.
The Consortium for the Protection of Lake Garda is today on the strength of a growth path that has been established in recent years and which has led to truly surprising results both in terms of quality and in terms of appreciation by world consumers.
The numbers 2022
Flagship of the Lake Garda area in the world, with 210 members, including winegrowers and bottlers, and 2560 hectares of vineyards , the Lugana DOC observes regular growth in production which at the end of 2022 reached 27,900,000 bottles produced (compared to 27 million and half produced in the whole of 2021) for a total of 209,181 bottled hectoliters.
"2022 was a positive year: the Lugana DOC proved to be, by renewing the positive trend compared to 2021, one of the few Italian denominations bucking the trend with respect to the uncertainty that characterized the markets, particularly in the second half of the year and which see many wines declining compared to the previous year (-3.5% in value according to the Federvini Nomisma Observatory)" explains Fabio Zenato, president of the Consorzio di Tutel a.
Even the average price of the grapes and of the cask confirms the golden moment and the real economic value of the Lugana Denomination: average price of the grapes equal to € 1.90 per kg and of the wine € 3.65 per liter (data from the Chamber of Commerce of Verona).
As regards the period January-October 2022 (IRI data) the cumulative data of off-trade sales of Lugana shows a slight decrease in volume but an increase in the average price of 5%, which goes from € 7.43 to € 7, 82 a bottle. This figure confirms the commercial priority of Lugana for the Ho.Re.Ca. channel, i.e. the bar and catering.
2022 was also the year that face-to-face events reopened and the Consortium responded by undertaking various promotional initiatives in Italy and abroad. In spring 2022 they returned
in presence the two main sector fairs for the world of wine: Vinitaly (from 10 to 13 April 2022) and Prowein (from 15 to 17 May 2022). The Lugana Consortium participated on both occasions with a collective stand renewed in style and in the communicative message.
Exports
"The US market has been and will be one of the main targets of the promotional action - adds Zenato - it is among the destinations on which the Consortium has chosen to invest and concentrate its energies in 2022, organizing commercial and promotional events, aimed at telling the story of Lugana to American operators, journalists and wine lovers . The most important Destination Lugana in autumn 2022. We have also opened new channels and consolidated existing ones such as Japan and the United Kingdom".
Other important investments have been made on the national front with events (Armonie Senza Tempo, Vini e Chef della Lombardia and Milano Wine Week) in collaboration with important sector organizations. Of particular interest is the decision to explore new territories and consumers, also seeking new frontiers during the year: an example, the partnership with Fiera Cavalli , in the three evenings of the Galà d'Oro, which has brought Lugana to be the absolute protagonist on tables of the Verona event. Also worthy of mention is the project aimed at enhancing wine tourism in the Lugana area with a survey conducted by the Wine Meridian magazine and a training project for producers which gave interesting results.
2023 goals
Among the main objectives for 2023, which will involve macro-themes such as the sense of belonging and awareness of the value of the Lugana area and the promotion of Lugana as a wine destination, there will be a communication that aims to enhance the strengths of the our Denomination both in Italy and abroad : "We are talking about a wine produced with a single vine, the Turbiana, which benefits from a soil derived from the important glacial thrust and a microclimate linked to the lake breeze regime. The lands where this vine is grown overlook the banks of the Bènaco and, therefore, in an environment with a strong "territorial" character. Unique and unrepeatable elements of nature that make Lugana a true excellence of its kind", concludes Fabio Zenato.
Consortium for the protection of Lugana DOC
The Lugana DOC extends into just 5 municipalities in the hills of the southern shores of Lake Garda, a true jewel region from a wine-growing point of view. This Mediterranean microclimate, combined with the characteristics of the native Turbiana vine, gives life to a unique white in Italy for its personality, characteristics and versatility.
