The success of Italian sparkling wines on international markets is unrestrained. France in trouble with its Champagne is starting to look with concern at the worldwide success of Italian bubbles which risks not only eroding its market shares but which may aspire over time to question its historical records. With the end of the year holidays approaching, Wine Monitor has published the usual point on the foreign sales of Italian sparkling wines. According to Nomisma estimates, the export of our sparkling wines will close the year reaching a record 1,2 billion euro. Conversely, France should settle at 2,7 billion, slightly down (-1%) compared to 2015 and Spain at 415 million euros (-3%).
Of course, the gap still remains large in terms of value (about 1,5 billion euros). But in 2016 the exports of sparkling wines
Italians have reduced the distances with the French ones, recording a growth in value of more than 25% against a slight decrease (-1%) of sparkling wines from beyond the Alps. Leading the recovery of Italian exports will be, as has been the case for years now without stopping, Prosecco which will drag the whole category of Italian sparkling wines upwards, as opposed to the more noble Champagne which instead will end up with the same export values as previous year (with a reduction of 1% on horseback). Cava, the Spanish sparkling wine produced with the classic method, exactly like Champagne but with Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo grapes native to Penedes, will do less well, which will drop by a few percentage points (-3%).
“In some of the main world markets, Italian sparkling wines show growth in exports in the face of declines in the main competitors” says Denis Pantini, Head of Wine Monitor at Nomisma. “Just think of the United Kingdom, where imports from Italy increased, in the January-October period of this year, by over 38% in volume compared to the same period in 2015; on the contrary, those from France decreased by 4% while from Spain they decreased by more than 13%”. But it is not only Great Britain that gives satisfaction to our sparkling wine producers. Even in the United States, which represents the main country in the world for sparkling imports - underlines Wine Monitor - Italian wines "do better" than the market. Against a growth in imports (always referring to the values of the first ten months of the year) equal to 11%, those from Italy exceed 30%. The same trend is repeated in Canada (+9% total imports, +20% in Italy), Switzerland and Germany. Conversely, Spanish sparkling wines saw their share (calculated on imports of the category) drop from 6,2% to 5,3% in the UK and from 19,2% to 15,5% in Germany.
Not only are we growing more than the French in exports, but the same cousins from across the Alps are increasing the purchases of our sparkling wines. “Between 2010 and 2015” – continues Pantini – “the export of Italian PDO sparkling wines to France (net of Asti) practically increased tenfold, going from less than 4.000 to almost 46.000 hectoliters, for a counter value of over 15 million euros". The same trend seems to be further strengthening in the current year: exports of PDO sparkling wines to France in the first 9 months of 2016 show a further growth in volume of 80%, already exceeding for this period (and even before the holidays at the end year) the 55.000 hectoliters. In short, the fashion for the Spritz has infected the French and Prosecco is riding its wave.
Overall, it will be thanks to sparkling wines if Italian wine exports will once again be able to improve their
record, in the light of the fact that bottled still wines – which represent ¾ of the total value of our cross-border sales – report a drop of 9% for the first 2016 months of 1,3 compared to the same period of the previous year.
