Italy’s sparkling wine sector ends 2022 in record volumes

2 billion euros in export value alone illustrate the spumante boom. Markets like Eastern Europe and France are also growing strongly.

According to recent estimates by Unione Italiana Vini (UIV) and the service institute Ismea, Italy’s sparkling wine sector ends 2022 with a production record of 970 mill. bottles. The total business value is 2.85 billion euros, of which the export market alone generates 2 billion euros. The growth of 6% is mainly due to exports (+8%), but the internal market will also close positively (+1%).

In particular, demand in the main markets, the USA, the UK and Germany, is accelerating growth.  However, good results are also achieved in other established places such as Canada, Sweden and Japan, and sales are also increasing in younger markets such as Eastern Europe and France (+25% volume).

The three Prosecco origins DOC, DOCG Conegliano Valdobbiadene and DOCG Asolo not only account 70% of  production, they are also the best-selling product in the food sector worldwide. According to the report, their business value is over 1.6 billion euros. Asti DOCG, Trentodoc and Franciacorta were also able to increase sales.

Italy’s sparkling wine production consists of 83% DOP qualities, 6% fall to IGT wines, the rest to sparkling wines without specific indications of origin.

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Demand for sparkling wine in Canada has grown 50% in the last 5 years

The demand for sparkling wine in Canada has jumped more than half in the last five years and is expected to expand by another third in the next five. Prosecco has been riding this wave and is outperforming the market, having gone from accounting for nearly one in five sparkling wine bottles consumed in 2016, to around one in three last year, according to IWSR data.

Findings from Wine Intelligence show that much of this demand has been driven by a 21% rise in the number of sparkling wine drinkers over the past three years, as well as the growing popularity of the category among Millennials. Almost a million new drinkers have entered the sparkling wine segment since 2019 and those in the Millennial 25-39 age band now account for 42% of sparkling wine drinkers, up from 37% in the same period.

As in other markets, the perception of sparkling wine in Canada is shifting from a drink enjoyed in formal settings, to one that is increasingly suited to more relaxed environments. The number of occasions appropriate to its consumption has increased significantly and so has the frequency of its intake among Canadians. Wine Intelligence data shows that the number of Canadian sparkling wine drinkers enjoying sparkling wine once a week has risen from 16% in 2019 to 25% in 2022.

These conditions have proved to be very fertile ground for Prosecco brands, because Wine Intelligence findings show that Prosecco, along with sparkling rosé, has the highest consumption incidences, and is associated with informal social situations as well as still being seen as suitable for celebrations. 46% of sparkling wine drinkers view Prosecco as a ‘good drink for celebrations and a similar number considered it ‘perfect for a party’.

Competitive pricing has played an important role in democratizing sparkling wine in Canada, and although Prosecco was outscored by domestically produced, US and ‘sparkling wines from other countries, more than a third of sparkling wine drinkers believe that Prosecco represents good value to drinkers.

In the two most important cues cited for influencing purchasing behavior in the off-trade – brand awareness and recommendations from friends or family – Prosecco also grades highly. ‘A brand I am aware of’ is the number one factor behind the purchase of a Prosecco product and ‘recommendations’ is the number two.

The Millennial drinkers helping to push up sales of sparkling wine are also likely to be fashion-conscious and Prosecco is very much in vogue among Canadian drinkers. No other sparkling wine type is perceived to be more ‘fashionable’ than Prosecco.

As an increasing number of consumers choose to drink sparkling wine more regularly, the prospects of the category look bright. The main threat to the category comes not from other alternative alcoholic drinks but from the current economic outlook. Rising inflation and a global financial downturn is likely to have repercussions for consumer spending on sparkling wine.

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PROSECCO DOC: March data confirms a positive trend in line with the Consortium’s forecast before Covid-19

As of April 1, 2020, the available production of Prosecco DOC amounts to 2,217,000 hectoliters and, if necessary, an additional amount of 550,000 hl, which was stocked during the 2019 vintage as a reserve, can be added and bottled to face increased demand.

The current situation is therefore in line with the long-term estimates elaborated by the Consortium before the health emergency caused by Covid-19, and the reserve stock of Prosecco DOC will allow it to cover the demand of the market till the next harvest, should the production suffer a slowdown.

“At the moment, we are aware of the dramatic situation of some realities,  particularly those producers with a short supply chain and those who do not operate with mass retailers. As a consortium, we want to express our solidarity and availability to evaluate possible solutions, but I don’t feel the need to generalize these situations to the whole denomination” states Stefano Zanette. “I am very concerned about the rumors spread by some industry operators, who paint exaggerated scenarios for the sole purpose of ticking commercial conditions to their advantage, creating damage to our whole system. These speculative actions are particularly deplorable, especially in the situation we are experiencing.”

Zanette states it clearly, “the situation is under control and the data confirms the expected trend; tapping into the stored reserve stock is a remote hypothesis at the moment: in a logic of long-term safeguarding of value, that wine will be made available only in the event of an actual need for the denomination and certainly not to favor the speculative actions of some operators.”

“In regards to the 2020 harvest,  fertility is expected to be lower than the average of the last 10 years and many variables could still happen from now to September, such as late frosts or hailstorms.”
“It should also be considered that the main objective to aim for in a situation like this is market stability and the Consortium has all the legal tools to intervene and pursue market it.”

In other words, the Prosecco Doc Consortium, considers it to be premature to adopt restrictive measures to both the 2019 and 2020 production offers. However, if the situation does not get better in the next few months, they will intervene immediately and are ready to do so.

The Consortium Prosecco DOC appreciates the efforts made by the Mipaaf (Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies), regions and trade associations to handle this crisis. They are trying their best to provide market solutions and retrieve resources, considering the possible decline of the overall wine consumption in Italy due to the Coronavirus. It’s necessary to take measures to financially help those companies who were most affected by the coronavirus outbreak and, furthermore, to limit the products that are superfluous in the market. Hopefully such proaction will support valuable output and decrease less valued wine productions on a regional basis.

Finally,  regarding promotion and enhancement strategies, under these circumstances,  the responsible authorities should design financial tools to allow wineries and consortia to have the necessary liquidity to invest after the Covid-19 emergency is over, when those who will arrive first and will operate with greater momentum and energy will prevail among others.

For more information regarding Prosecco DOC, visit www.casaprosecco.com

Bottega opens Prosecco Bar at DXB (Dubai International)

Bottega Prosecco Bar and Restaurant launched this week in Concourse A of the world’s busiest international airport, Dubai International (DXB). The brand’s second site in UAE, results from the partnership with global travel restaurateur HMS Host International.

Deeply rooted in the Italian tradition of fine wine and food, Bottega Prosecco Bar offers a broad selection of drinks, along with traditional specialties. The concept was created to deliver the experience of good wine, genuine food and convivial Italian lifestyle. The collaboration of sommeliers, chefs, architects, and designers has shaped this idea, originally inspired by the philosophy of the Venetian “Bacaro”: an informal tavern, where food is mainly presented as “cicheti”, traditional food bites to be consumed at the counter. In a welcoming yet elegant ambiance, travelers can enjoy the “Perfect Match”, the ideal combination of a glass of wine from the Bottega range and authentic Italian dishes, made with fresh ingredients.

Owner and Managing Director Sandro Bottega comments:

The 2019 ACI World preliminary data confirm that Dubai is the top airport in the world for international traffic, with approximately 89 million international customers in 2018: we are delighted to offer our wines and our culinary tradition, made of simplicity, genuineness, and taste, to this varied audience. The venue correctly reflects the values of Bottega and aims to enhance the reputation of Italy in the oenological and gastronomic fields: we are grateful to HMSHost International and Dubai Airports for believing in the project and supporting its development.”

 

Bottega SpA website:

https://www.bottegaspa.com/en/collections/prosecco-doc/

Prosecco harvest down 3-5%

The harvest in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore has just come to an end with yields down between 3% to 5% from last year.

“This month we have just spent on the Rive vineyards has been one of intense work,” said Consorzio president, Innocente Nardi.

Nardi said that this has been an exceptional year for the territory, “starting off with the accolade from UNESCO, but also including the fiftieth anniversary of the denomination and our ban on glyphosate, which has made us the largest wine zone in Europe to forbid the use of this well-known herbicide.”

According to a statement from the Consorzio, harvesting took place in ideal conditions. “We registered an average pH of 3.30 and acidity of 6.55, values that are ideal for the production of elegant sparkling wines,” said the statement.

After a cold winter, spring was cooler and rainier than usual, which caused a delay in bud break. This was followed by a hot summer, and the weather was fine during the harvest. The harvest began in the most easterly zone and one slopes with the most exposure to sunlight, such as the vineyards at San Pietro di Feletto.

The region’s steep slopes are difficult to harvest with machinery, and “600 to 700 hours of manual work are necessary per hectare each year”.

The wines from 2019 will be the first to take advantage of the new production regulations passed in August of this year, which allow for sui lieviti (“on the yeasts”) sparkling wines that have been refermented in the bottle, and extra brut, with residual sugar between 0 and 6g per Litre.

https://www.prosecco.it/en/prosecco-superiore-docg/