What about Italian wine export data?
Some argue that strategies are useless and that product quality alone is enough. I disagree. I firmly believe that only a solid strategy can make a difference when faced with numbers—numbers don’t lie.
Just yesterday, the UIV Wine Observatory presented an initial focus on the U.S. market, based on data provided by Sipsource.
The U.S., often described as El Dorado, continues to fuel the dreams of many Italian producers. It is an immense market where importers are expected to buy pallets upon pallets to quench consumers’ insatiable thirst.
The number speak
The data is clear: the Italian sparkling wine market in the U.S. remains the pillar of exports, with a +18.2% volume increase in the first nine months of 2024 compared to last year, which had seen an -18% drop. Positive data? Sure, let’s look at the glass half full…
The export of still bottled wines (excluding sparkling) from Italy to the U.S. recorded a modest +0.7% increase compared to 2023. But before popping a bottle, let’s remember that in 2023, the sector had already lost -10.2% compared to 2022. Positive data? Not really. Here, the glass starts looking half empty…
Looking at sales of Italian bottled wine in the U.S. during the first ten months of 2024, we get a significant picture:
- Sparkling +2.2%
- Red -7%
- White -6.4%
- Rosé -6.9%
- Aromatized -17.6%
A noteworthy side note: red wines are declining not only among Italian labels. These trends certainly call for reflection on the evolution of consumer preferences:
- France -4.9%
- Spain -5%
- Argentina -13.3%
- Australia -11.8%
- Chile -4.7%
Focusing on specific Italian denominations that were analyzed:
- Chianti Classico -2.3%
- Chianti -11.4%
- Valpolicella -6.3%
- Barolo -10.2%
The only bright spot among reds? Brunello, with a +7.2% increase.
We talk about a wine crisis, but red wines are in serious trouble, according to the numbers. For those working in the market, this comes as no surprise.
But why is Brunello growing?
The answer is simple: outstanding work in communication, positioning, quality, branding, and, most importantly, a consistent focus on welcoming tourists. Over the past few years, these efforts have strengthened the Brunello brand and improved its market perception.
In the past, Barolo cellars would empty out quickly—many dear producer friends sold everything even before production. Today, that’s no longer the case for everyone.
So, the question is: How did we do it before? The market was different—more receptive, with higher consumption.
If we don’t want to innovate, develop strategies, or invest in communication or marketing, that’s fine. But how do we avoid ending up among those reds at -7%?
And today, I’ve only talked about reds…
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