Italian wine exports have grown by 74% in the past ten years, driven largely by Prosecco, which has pushed exports of sparkling wine by 400% in the same period.
The figures were revealed by the head of Nomisma’s Wine Monitor, Denis Pantini, during the Wine2Wine event in Verona, reports Radiocor.
Italy exports 60% of its wine to three markets, USA, Germany and the UK, but it is lagging behind in new consumer markets like China. This is due to structural problems such as the small size of cellars: just 25% of all producers are capable of producing more than 15,000 bottles, which is the minimum size to fill a container to be shipped abroad. However, due to the increasing demand for wines of higher quality and higher price, Italy has great growth opportunities, the group found.
Global Potential
Italy is a leader in wine production and second in terms of export value to France, but there are signs of market fatigue both in mature markets (like USA, United Kingdom and Germany) and on new markets, like China.
The president of the Italian Federation of Wine and Liquor Producers (Federvini), Sandro Boscaini, said that “there is need for a systematic action” to help the industry, particularly when it comes to raising the associated value of Italian wines.
His position was echoed by the president of the Federation of independent winemakers, Matilde Poggi, who said that Italian wines now cost an average of €2.64 per litre compared to €5.68 for French wines.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
