With volumes ranging between 60% and 70% of the total, large-scale distribution is a glaring indicator of wine consumption in Italy. After the slight slowdown in 2023, which had interrupted a continuous and decennial growth, sparkling wines started to improve again in the first half of 2024.

The analyzed data on wine sales in the large-scale retail, e-commerce and discount are not too positive. The volumes of still wines lose -1.9% on 2023 (315.4 million liters), the value increases by 1.4% (1.1 billion euros) and prices +3.3% (3.57 euros per liter). The motivation can be found more in the increase of the inflation than in the upgrade of the range of product; the data of Iper, Liberto Servizio Piccolo and Super Mercati confirm this trend: we see -4,3% in volume and +0,5% in value for large-scale distribution, while +4% in volume and +5,7% in value for the discount retail.

This situation, however, concerns only still and semi-sparkling wines: -1% in volume (164.5 million liters) and +1.7% in value (859 million euros). Sparkling wines mark +3.5% in volume (44.2 million liters) and +3.5% in value (297.3 million euros) with an average price of € 6.7 per liter. The increase concerns both Prosecco, with +3.1% in volume (19,8 million liters) and 2,4% in value (151,4 million euros) and an average price of 7,6 euros to the liter; and the various Metodo Classico with +0.4% in volume (2,2 million liters) and +4.5% in value (43,2 million euros) and an average price of 19.61 euros.

Here is a comment by Virgilio Romano, Circana’s Business Insight Manager Director “If we look at the sparkling wines, we can see how last year was a negative exception compared to a positive ten-year trend. Even if the positive trend of sparkling wine is not the same of the previous years, we can state it is still significant.”

Source: Winenews