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Issue 679 - April 29th - May 3rd 2024 - Expressly created for 4759 wine lovers,
professionals and opinion leaders from all over the world | |
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| | | Sicily of wine is growing. In 2023, exports of PDO red wines (74 million euros for 19.7 million liters, -4%) are flexing, while exports of PDO still white wines are growing (41 million euros for 10.2 million liters, +7 %). Sicilian PDO white wine exports grow in the United States (+29%), in Canada (+13.9%) and Germany (+6.8%). With an important growth in average value: in 5 years, from 2018 to 2023, Sicilian whites grew by 29.6%, from 3.14 to 4.07 euros per liter, and reds by +37.4%, from 2.7 to 3.7 euros per liter. Numbers from the Unicredit-Nomisma Wine Monitor study, in the launch of “Sicilia en Primeur” 2024 in Cefalù by Assovini Sicilia. | |
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| | In spite of inflation, tensions and wars, Italian agri-food exports reached a new record in 2023, achieving more than 64 billion euros, registering +5.7% growth compared to 2022. This is quite an important result, as it increases the ambition of reaching 100 billion euros, in the medium term, as Massimiliano Giansanti, president of the Italian agriculture organization, Confagricoltura, stated. In the meantime, though, Italy is a net importer, since the total of agri-food products imported is more than 65 billion euros, and growth + 5.4%, compared to 2022. The trade balance, therefore, has slightly worsened, as the deficit in 2023 stood at 889 million euros, 126 million euros less than the previous year. Italian exports increased on all the main products, except for bottled wines, which, following excellent results in 2022, registered a decrease in the value of shipments to 5.1 billion euros (-2.7%,), out of the total wine production amounting to 7.7 billion euros. Sparkling wines, instead, stood out in growth (+3.3% in value), as the Institute of services for agro-food markets, ISMEA, pointed out. Wine is firmly in first place among exported products, counting 7.9% of the total, and it also has the best positive trade balance, at 7.19 billion euros, compared to just 574 million euros in imports. Among other important sectors registering a positive trade balance were exports of grain derivatives (9.2 billion euros), increasing + 8%, driven primarily by bakery and pastry products (+12%), more than by pasta (+1.3%), totaling a positive trade balance of 7 billion euros. In terms of export growth, fresh fruit and vegetables did even better (+9.1%), as well as processed fruit and vegetables (+10.9%), cheeses and dairy products (+11.6%) and olive oil (+14%). Imports, in line with Italy’s role as a transforming Country in the agri-food sector, on the whole are related to unprocessed raw materials and semi-finished products. Looking at the worst negative trade balances, the sectors in which Italy imports much more than it exports are the fish sector (-6.4 billion euros), then grains (-4.8 billion euros), followed by fresh meat (-4.5 billion euros).
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| | Trentodoc, the Italian sparkling wine beloved around the world and a denomination that brings together 67 sparkling wine houses, has endured a peculiar year, that came after previous ones of growth in notoriety. The Institute’s Observatory showing, for 2023, the sector’s resilience with a 3% growth in value, equal to a total turnover of 185 million euros. The reference market for Trentodoc remains Italy, which accounts for 85% of sales, while the remaining 15% concerns foreign countries. Among the types most appreciated, vintage wines and reserves are confirmed. “We can be satisfied, in light of the general economic picture”, stresses Trento Doc Institute President Stefano Fambri, “compared to the previous year’s data, 2023 shows growth in overall value with a slight decrease in volume of 2%, attributable to a drop in large-scale distribution”. | |
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| | | Positive signs for imports from Italy, but wine sales continue to slow down (Italian and not only, with the exception of Chile), in the United States, the first market for Italian sales abroad, with a value that in 2023 approached 2 billion euros. On the one hand, the slightly positive sign of quarterly imports from overseas (volumes +1.1%), on the other, a further decline in consumption in the US off and on-trade channels. According to the Osservatorio Unione Italiana Vini- Uiv, on a SipSource basis, which measures sales in 75% of US commercial establishments, March 2024 (at -13%) has further worsened the quarterly picture which sees Italian wine consumption at -9.5% on the already complicated start of the previous year. A trend, the Italian one, which is similar to the overall wine purchases in the world’s largest market, which is in contraction, on average, by more than 10%.
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| | | There is a border that has cut mountains, houses, courtyards and the vineyards of Collio-Brda in half, one of the most important wine territories of the Old Continent, where the history of Europe was written, but whose border has been overcome, thanks also to the gastronomic traditions and viticulture that have united the people who have lived in this land “crossroads” of different cultures, and which, today, is a symbol of peace. It is the border that does not divide but unites Gorizia and Nova Gorica and which together will be the first “European Capital of Cross-border Culture” in 2025.
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| | There are more and more “mountain wines”, refined at high altitude: from Valtellina to the Dolomites in Alto Adige, an ever-increasing number of wineries are choosing to adopt this method. A process that is not new, even for the Cave Mont Blanc de Morgex et La Salle winery, which, since 2022, has started a research project in Valle d’Aosta with the University of Turin to study the refinement of wine at different altitudes. But which, since 2003, had activated a project on sparkling wine production at altitudes above 2,000 meters, with the first bottle of Cuveè des Guides.
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| | Tannico, one of the leading online wine stores, owned by the joint venture between Gruppo Campari and Lvmh, invests again in its “Blending Stories”, a co-branding project that, after the partnerships already developed with wineries Giacomo Fenocchio, Castello Vicchiomaggio and Fertuna, sees Argiolas as the protagonist with a new initiative created by four hands. That is, a Vermentino di Sardegna, “the result of an idea born at the end of 2023, from Tannico’s desire to create a “tailor-made” product line, but respecting the style and philosophy of the partner winery”, a note explains. | |
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