Wine Trends in Italy - Week of January 13-17, 2025

The Change in Wine Consumption in Italy

In recent decades, wine has stopped being considered an everyday food to become a hedonistic and intellectual pleasure. Alessandro Torcoli, director of the magazine "Civiltà del Bere", highlights how consumption is constantly declining: between 2019 and 2023, sales in Italian supermarkets decreased by 8%, with a more marked decline for red and table wines.

Italian exports driven by Prosecco

Despite the reduction in domestic consumption, Italian wine exports continue to show signs of growth. In the first ten months of 2024, Italy exported wine for a value of 6.75 billion euros (5.75% compared to 2023), with a 4% increase in volumes shipped (1.82 billion liters). The average price per liter of wine increased to 3.7 euros. The main reference markets remain:

• United States : €1.6 billion (8.8%), with a 4.5% increase in volumes;
• Germany : 980 million euros (4.2%), with a slight decrease of 2% in volumes;
• United Kingdom : €709 million (1.3%), with a growth of 2.8% in volumes;
• Canada : growth of 18%, reaching 385 million euros.

New export record in 2024

Italian wine aims to exceed 8 billion euros in exports by the end of 2024. A key role is played by sparkling wines, which have almost reached 2 billion euros in value (9.6%) and now represent 29% of total exports. Prosecco DOC has recorded a 7% increase in bottles bottled, reaching 660 million. Particularly significant is the boom in Prosecco DOC Rosé, with a growth of 20%.

Difficulties and challenges for the sector

Despite the encouraging data, the Italian wine sector faces several problems:

• Reduction in purchasing power and global economic recession , which is leading to a decline in sales in many European countries;
• Greater attention to healthy consumption , with an increase in low- or no-alcohol drinks;
• New UK excise duty regulations could penalise entry-level wines;
• Possible tariffs in the US , following the trade policies of the new Trump administration;
• Decline in imports from China , which recorded a decrease of 8.9%, stopping at 71 million euros.

Stock situation in Italy

As of December 2024, Italian wineries still held 56.9 million hectoliters of wine (-3.9% compared to 2023). 55.1% of the wine held is protected designation of origin (PDO), with Prosecco DOC representing 12.6% of total stocks.

Impact of new factors on global consumption

In international markets, wine consumption is being influenced by new factors. In the United States, for example, the boom in weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic is reducing alcohol consumption. In addition, competition from other beverages, such as cocktails and non-alcoholic alternatives, is changing the consumption habits of the new generations.

Conclusion

Italian wine continues to maintain a strong presence on international markets, but the sector faces ever-changing economic and consumer challenges. The ability to adapt to new trends will be crucial to the future of the Italian wine industry.