Edoardo Freddi International, Italy’s leading wine export management company, reveals the most popular Italian wines in the world.
In summer, it is nice to enjoy a glass of wine on the beach, at sunset, or uncork a special bottle for a toast under the stars: from cheerful and sparkling bubbles to emblazoned reds and fresh rosés, there are many Italian wines that are the protagonists of this season – wines that are popular abroad as well.
Now, Edoardo Freddi International, whose company selects producers and wineries in Italy to build renowned brands for export all over the world, gives a peak into exactly what people around the globe have been drinking during the warm months.
Popular Italian Wines: Whites
The undisputed king, not only in Italy, is Prosecco, with a 25.4 percent increase in production in 2021 and a further +17.8 percent increase in bottles in the first four months of 2022 with exports rising to 27 percent compared to 2020. Its success is widely confirmed in the United States, where it seems to be following an unstoppable growth, accompanied by an increasing focus on premium labels.
According to data from the Prosecco DOC Consortium, overseas exports reached 98.2 million sold; a growth that did not stop even during the pandemic – on the contrary, registering an increase in production value.
Pinot Grigio proved to be one of the most popular Italian wine varietals and the most successful appellation in Canada, a country that increasingly prefers organic, vegan, orange and sustainable wines. Resting with white wines, Doc Lugana enjoys a high demand in Germany, while Moscato d’Asti is all the rage in China. The latter label, along with Asti Spumante, has broken through the 100 million-bottle production mark, an 11 percent increase from 2020.
According to Xinhua News, the leading news agency in China, the country’s low-alcohol beverage market was already worth RMB 20 billion ($3 billion) in 2020 and is expected to grow to RMB 74.2 billion ($11 billion) by 2025. Thus, Moscato reflects the tastes of the new generation and, in particular, female consumers, who tend to prefer drinks lower in alcohol.
Falanghina, among the most nationally and internationally liked wines from Campania, holds a place of honor in Japan. Thanks to its pronounced acidity, pleasant and never banal, coupled with its aromatic complexity, it is leading current wine trends, as shown by the 60% increase in export share over the past 5 years, along with Campania’s Taurasi and Greco di Tufo.
Popular Italian Wines: Reds
Shifting to red wines, Nero d’Avola, an expression of authentic Mediterranean character, is a particularly popular Italian wine in South Korea. According to data from the Korea Customs Service, South Korea’s tax organization run by the Ministry of Economy, the country imported $560 million worth of wines in 2021, a 70 percent increase over 2020.
This is the first time South Korea’s wine import has surpassed the $500 million mark. This increase goes hand in hand with Korean consumers’ growing passion for still wines – particularly reds with hints of fruit, with a straightforward flavor profile and higher residual sugar concentration.