Tuscan Labels Drive Italian Wine Sales in the United States. According to SipSource data from August, analyzed by the UIV-Vinitaly Observatory during Vinitaly.USA in Chicago, the value of Italian wine sales increased by 3% in the first eight months of the year. In particular, within the luxury niche, Tuscan bottles recorded a 13% increase. Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Napa Valley have encountered a steep drop.
Italian Luxury Wines Weather the Crisis: +3% in the US
While the US red wine market is in decline, one segment is bucking the trend: luxury Italian wines, with prices starting at $50 (approximately €46), which between January and August recorded a 3% increase in value sales, compared to the overall performance of luxury products, which declined by 7%, with French wines down 16% and American wines in line with the market average.
Premium Italian Wines Concentrate Value, Not Volume
A surprising fact emerges from the analysis of Italian red wine sales in the United States: ultra-premium wines, although representing a tiny 2% of total volume, generate a remarkable turnover, equal to 14% of the total value of Italian reds sold. This segment, including super-premium wines (between $24 and $50), accounts for as much as 23% of the total value, compared to just 6% of the volume.
“Italy,” said Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of Unione Italiana Vini (UIV), in his speech in Chicago, “can count on the strength of regional brands now recognized as iconic by American enthusiasts, on the one hand, and on the experience of American tourists in Italy, which increasingly becomes a factor of affection once they return home, on the other.”
Tuscany +13%, -37% for Bordeaux and -12% for Burgundy
While French and American wine regions, which have hitherto driven the luxury segment, such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Napa Valley, have recorded significant declines in sales of -37%, -12%, and -24% respectively, Tuscany dominates the niche of high-end Italian red wines in the United States, with a market share of 45.5% and a growth of 13% between January and August of this year.
Brunello di Montalcino Takes Flight
Leading the preferences of a typically conservative consumer, attached to familiar proposals and territories, is Brunello di Montalcino, the leading denomination with a market share of 32% of luxury reds. Following at a distance in the regional ranking are the Bolgheri (11.5%) and Chianti Classico (2%). For the noble Piedmontese wines, Barolo takes second place (16%), while Barbaresco (4%) is off the podium, one step below Bolgheri Superiore (7%).
The Future of Italian Wine: Young People, Innovation, and Inclusive Communication
From “noble” reds to new trends that, starting from the USA, are being embraced by consumers worldwide, as highlighted during the inauguration of Vinitaly.USA by Marzia Varvaglione, president of Agivi, the Association of Young Italian Wine Entrepreneurs of Unione Italiana Vini (UIV):
“From ready-to-drink to low and no-alcohol, it is important not to have prejudices, we must not be afraid of what is new. As Italian producers, we must understand the underlying phenomena and, consequently, begin to communicate wine in a more inclusive way. Our role, as entrepreneurs, is to understand what new opportunities the market presents, particularly the US market. Talking about young people – she concluded – is a matter of responsibility: they will be the next generation of wine, cosmopolitan young people attentive to quality on the plate and in the glass.”