Italy became the world leader in wine production during 2016, according to Italian farmers association Coldiretti.
The Mediterranean country produced around 50 million hectolitres, and saw a 3% growth in wine exports to a record €5.6 billion.
More than 40% of Italian wines (332) were denomination of origin, while 73 wines were of denomination of controlled and guaranteed origin. Another 30% were wines with 'typical geographical indication' recognised in Italy, numbering 118. The remaining 30% were table wines.
As for exports, Italian wine has been achieving success in markets of other major wine producers, with exports growing in France (+5%), the United States (+3%), Australia (+14%) and Spain (+1%). In the Champagne region, Italian sparkling wine even registered a double-digit growth of 57%.
The Italian sector generates a turnover of nearly €10 billion in wine sales, and employs 1.3 million people.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
