The production of Italian sparkling wines knows no crisis: in 2022 almost one billion bottles produced (978 million), up slightly (+4%) compared to an exceptional one in 2021 (+25%), with municipalities and varietals (+10%) doing better than sparkling Doc-Igp (+3%, 807 million bottles). This was revealed by the Uiv-Vinitaly Observatory which elaborated the bottling data collected from the certification Bodies. Territorially, 85% of Italian PDO-PGI sparkling wine comes from Veneto (683 million bottles), then Piedmont (9% and 72 million), Lombardy (3% and 24 million), Trentino (2% and 16 million ) and Emilia-Romagna (1% and 7,4 million).
Sparkling wines at all meals, not just at parties
The fever for Italian bubbles reaches its peak during the holidays, but exports and new habits have made these wines protagonists even during meals or as an aperitif, in any case detached from the holidays. This change has occurred over the last 20 years with a strong acceleration in the last 10, firstly thanks to the fashion for aperitifs and the Spritz. And the main effect of this dynamic emerges clearly from the production data which has literally exploded in recent years. According to the figures elaborated by the Observatory of the Italian Wine Union, in 2000 the production of sparkling wines in Italy was around 80 million bottles a year, today it is close to one billion. While the sales of bubbles in 2000 were around 600 thousand hectoliters and today they have reached over 2 million hectoliters with an incidence on total wine consumption of 15%-
Sparkling wine sales in Italy in 2022
2022, on sales in Italy, closes at +1% (284 million bottles consumed), of which -3% on the retail circuit and +5% on the restaurant-bar circuit. In any case, a performance that should not be underestimated, even if the real winners in large-scale distribution are the Charmat not Prosecco, growing strongly in general (+13%), but above all at discount stores (+22% per annum). Domestic consumption of sparkling wine has reached a complete level of maturity: in 2022, the share of total wine stood at 13,5% (it was 9% in 2015), with Prosecco as usual the great protagonist of sales with 44 Volume share %.
Exports soar: Prosecco great protagonist
Driving the growth of Italian sparkling wine is the export abroad with a value that exceeds 2 billion euros for the first time in 2022 and conquers world tables, even beating Champagne by demand (although the latter continues to win thanks to high prices). In 2022 Italy exported 5,2 million hectoliters of sparkling wine, up 6% compared to 2021, of which 3,7 million of Prosecco (+6%) and 461 thousand of Asti (+9%). Strong increase in exported values, exceeding 19% for the total category for a value of 2,2 billion euros. The Prosecco remains the spearhead of exports (+22% in value, 1,6 billion euros) but Asti Spumante is also growing well, flying up to +16% and 168 million euros in sales.
Countries increasingly in love with our bubbles
Sparkling wine accounts for 24% volume of total exports, a share that was 2015% in 14 alone, and even 7% in 2010. Today bubbles are the first product exported to key markets such as Uk (44% share against 9% in 2010), France (49% vs 12%), Russia (44%), Belgium (39% against 17% 12 years earlier), Austria (33%). Over Usa, the leading market by value, sparkling wines with a market share of 33% are only behind whites (36%) but ahead of reds (24%). Just seven years earlier, bubbles were 17% against 45% for whites and 30% for reds.
