2007 A RECORD YEAR FOR ITALIAN WINE EXPORTS TO THE U.S.: 2.3 MILLION HECTOLITERS WORTH 1.13 BILLION DOLLARS. JACOPO BIONDI SANTI, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ITALIAN WINE & FOOD INSTITUTE: “AN IMPORTANT RESULT REACHED REGARDLESS OF THE STRONG EURO”

2007 will be remembered as a record-breaking year for Italian wine on the U.S. market. A total 2.3 million hectoliters were exported for a total worth of 1.13 billion dollars, and a large jump ahead of the main competitors, France and Australia. In 2007, Italy exported double the quantity of its French rivals and 400,000 hectoliters more than Australia.

“The most interesting aspect” – declared Jacopo Biondi Santi, Chairman of the Italian Wine & Food Institute – “is that Italy closed out 2007 with an increase of 9% in quantity and value, while Australia registered a decrease in quantity of 3.5% and only a slight increase in value of 3.2%. An even more significant fact, if it is taken into consideration that Italy had more difficulties to confront than Australia, above all, because of the strength of the euro over the dollar, which has reduced the competitiveness of Italian producers”.

In more precise numbers for 2007, Italy exported 2,317,210 hectoliters of wine to the United States for a total value of 1.13 billion dollars, compared to 2,114,560 worth 1.03 billion in 2006. Australia sent off 1,939,658 hectoliters worth a total 681.44 million dollars, which decreased from the 2 million hectoliters worth 664 million dollars in 2006.
France, on the other hand registered a slight increase, reaching 1,050,109 hectoliters for a value of 864.1 million dollars in respect to the 968,860 hectoliters worth 765.37 million in 2006.

The average cost per liter for Italian wine was 4.86 dollars, versus 8.23 for France, 3.51 for Australia, and 1.97 for Argentinean wine (which exported 600,000 hectoliters, registering a growth of 75.8% over 2006).

In all, wine imports to the U.S. in 2007 totaled 7,594,003 hectoliters for a value of 3.57 billion dollars, with an increase of 9.6% in volume and 12.1% in value compared to 2006.