Italian wine sales set a new record to reach nearly €14 billion in 2022, according to an analysis of data from Istat by the Italian farmers association, Coldiretti.
It was boosted by 10% growth in exports to €7.9 billion, setting another record.
Domestic wine purchases declined by 2.2%, but were offset by out-of-home consumption due to tourism and the reopening of restaurants after the lifting of pandemic-related restrictions.
Out of the total wine produced in Italy, about 70% were with designation of origin (DOC, DOCG) and geographical indication (IGT) while the remaining 30% were table wines.
Top Wine Producer
According to Coldiretti, Italy emerged as a world leader in wine production, ahead of France and Spain, with production reaching 50.3 million hl from 310,000 farms.
A separate analysis by the UIV-Ismea-Vinitaly Observatory, based on Istat data, confirmed that Italy held its position as the top supplier in terms of quantity and second in value ahead of Spain.
France was once again the world leader in wine sales at €12.3 billion, up 11% in value and down 5% in volume.
All the main export markets saw an increase in value, with the United States confirming its status as Italy's leading export market with a share of 23%.
Other top buyers include Germany, UK, Canada, Switzerland and France.
Other Trends
Volumes continued to fall or remain stationary across all main export destinations, with the USA, Germany and the UK witnessing declines of 6%, 2% and 4%, respectively.
Elsewhere, France reported a 16%, driven by the growth of Prosecco (+20%), while demand in China fell by 28%.
Sparkling wine continued to drive growth, posting an increase of 19% in value and 6% in volume.
Bottled still wines saw a 3% decline by volume, with red wines witnessing a 4% decline by volume and 4% by value, against 12% for white wines.
Volumes for lower-end red wines (€3) are declining, while premium wines are holding up very well and even achieving good growth, with semi-sparkling wines dropping 7% in volume but gaining 6% in value, the study showed.
© 2023 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest Drinks news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
