Italian Wine Exports Near €6 Billion: Sparkling vs. Still Growth

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Italian wine exports soar to nearly €6 billion in 2024, driven by sparkling wines like Prosecco. Discover key trends and market insights!

The Growing Success of Italian Wine Exports

Italian wine has long been a staple in the global market, and recent statistics indicate that the trend is not only continuing but accelerating. With nearly €6 billion in exports within the first nine months of 2024, Italian wines are enjoying a significant upswing, demonstrating resilience even after early-year challenges. This remarkable growth of 5.63% compared to the same period in 2023 suggests that Italy is on track to exceed €8 billion in wine exports by the end of 2024—a milestone that would mark a historic achievement for the industry.

Export Trends and Economic Impact

According to Istat’s foreign trade data, Italy exported approximately 1.6 billion liters of wine from January to September 2024, reflecting a volume increase of 3.42% year-on-year. The average price per liter stands at around €3.68, showing that despite fluctuations, there remains a strong demand for quality Italian wines.

• Key export figures include:
  • Total export value: €5.9 billion
  • Volume sold: 1.6 billion liters
  • Average price per liter: €3.68

Interestingly, Italy also saw an increase in wine imports during this period, with imports reaching 231 million liters, up from 96 million liters in the same timeframe last year. This surge indicates a growing interest among Italian consumers for international wines, with spending rising from €338 million to €409 million.

Sparkling Wines: A Driving Force

The sparkling wine sector plays a pivotal role in Italy’s wine export success, outpacing still wines significantly. In September alone, sparkling wines accounted for €230 million of exports, marking over a 16% increase from September 2023. Without the sparkling category, overall growth would have been marginal at best—only about 0.5%.

• Highlights from sparkling wine exports:
  • Total value: €1.7 billion
  • Growth rate: +9.4%
  • Volume sold: 397 million liters (+13%)

Prosecco continues to dominate this category, with sales increasing by 16%, reaching an impressive volume of 296 million liters and generating around €1.3 billion in revenue.

The Performance of Still Wines

While sparkling wines lead the charge, still wines also demonstrate robust performance across various regions in Italy. Bottled white D.O.P (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) wines showed cumulative value improvements with sales climbing to €530 million—a rise of 6% between January and September. Likewise, red D.O.P wines experienced value increases as well.

• Notable statistics for still wines:
  • White D.O.P sales: €530 million (+6%)
  • Red D.O.P sales: €1 billion (+6.4%)

Additionally, bottled wine formats saw a value increase of nearly 5%, totaling approximately €3.88 billion and reflecting rising consumer preferences for quality bottled options over larger packaged formats.

Key Markets and Emerging Trends

The primary markets for Italian wine exports are showing promising trends as well; notably:

• United States: €1.4 billion (+8.5%)
• Germany: €867 million (+4.7%)
• Brazil: €31.3 million (+22%)

Despite these successes, some markets have shown declines; notably Switzerland experienced a slight drop of 3%, while China faced an even more substantial decrease of about 11%, falling to just €62 million.

This dynamic landscape illustrates not only where opportunities lie but also highlights areas where strategies may need reevaluation to maintain growth momentum.

Conclusion

The outlook for Italian wine exports remains bright as we approach the end of 2024. With projections indicating surpassing the €8 billion mark due to strong performances particularly in sparkling categories like Prosecco and consistent growth across key international markets such as the U.S., Italy’s esteemed winemaking reputation continues to flourish globally.

As Italian producers navigate emerging trends and consumer preferences—especially towards higher quality offerings—their ability to adapt will be crucial in sustaining this positive trajectory into future years.

FAQ Section

What are some key trends in Italian wine exports?

• The growth of sparkling wines is significant.
• There is an increase in both export values and volumes.

How has the average price per liter changed?

• The average price per liter stands at approximately €3.68 as of September 2024.

Which countries are top importers of Italian wine?

• The United States leads with €1.4 billion followed by Germany and Canada.

Are there any declining markets for Italian wine?

• Yes, Switzerland and China have seen decreases in their import values recently.

For additional insights into current market trends or specific recommendations on excellent Italian wines to try this season, consult resources like Wine Spectator or Decanter.

Photo by Nazarii Yurkov on Unsplash