Italian sparkling wine is set for a record holiday season, with 62 million bottles set to be uncorked in Italy (+10% on 2015) and 158 million abroad (+20%), according to estimates from the Wine Observatory, based on ISMEA data.
If the trend from January to September is confirmed, the Italian sparkling wine segment should close 2016 with a production of about 625 million bottles (4.69 million hectolitres, +18% on 2015) and exports of 3.4 million hl (over 450 million bottles of 0.75l).
Exports have been driven by Denomination of Origin sparkling wine (+23% in volume and +29% in value) and, in particular, by Prosecco (+28% in volume and +38% in value). Over 2 million hectolitres were exported from January to September 2016, representing a 21% growth in volume and 24% in value.
The UK is still the number one market, registering a 46% growth in value on the same period in 2015, to €236 million (+30% in volume to about 700,000 hl). The US market is worth over €185 million (+31%) with an increase in volume of 23% (465,000 hl). France imports €28 million of Italian sparkling wine (+57% in value and +75% in volume), while exports to Spain have grown by +71% in value and +289% in volume.
The national market has been recovering, driven mainly by the food retail channel (+13% in volume and +15% in value), compared to a substantial stability of non-sparkling wine.
Italy has a total of 153 types of sparkling wines with the DOC denomination, as well as 18 DOCG, 17 IGT, in addition to several dozen authorized varieties.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
