ANSA - ITALY OVERTAKES FRANCE AND IS NOW THE NUMBER ONE WINE PRODUCER IN THE WORLD. COLDIRETTI: THE 2010-2011 HARVEST IN ITALY, 49.6 MILLION HECTOLITERS. THE MINISTER: “ITALIAN WINE CAN COUNT ON A 500 MILLION EURO BUDGET FOR EXPORTS”

“The Italian record is confirmed,” Domenico Bosco, head of the wine sector of Coldiretti, Association of Italian Farmers, told Ansa, “even excluding the dregs, calculated at 5%. This is definitive data provided by the EU Commission of the total production reported by all the Member States”. The decline of French production, due also to a greater extension of vineyard areas than in Italy, has reversed the situation allowing Italy to overtake France”.

This good news is accompanied by more good news: the positive trend in exports of Made in Italy wine continued in early 2011, with a 15% increase compared to 2010. “This result marks a record growth of +31%, to the United States,” says Bosco, “which holds first place for value on export markets, overtaking Germany (which still holds first place for volume)”.

Exports also did well in Europe (+6%); the +146% increase in China is amazing and auspicious. For the first time, the value of wine exports on foreign markets exceeds the domestic market. “We are seeing,” continues the head of Coldiretti, “a reversal: the largest share of the total turnover in 2010, 3.93 billion euros, came from foreign markets and not from the domestic market, which “stopped” at 3.85 billion euros. And, conditions for further growth are still viable, especially for new consumer countries”. This favorable season for Italian wine is linked in part to the image that Italian wine communicates to new markets. “Made in Italy wines,” says Bosco, “besides providing better value/price ratio, are considered more fashionable than French wines, which are instead considered luxury or niche goods. Italian wines, instead, penetrate a smarter and even wider range of quality consumption”.

The total turnover from Italian wine in 2010 amounted to 7.82 billion euros, thanks also to the fact that Italy – Coldiretti points out - can count on a higher number of designation labels than France, 504: 330 DOC, 56 DOCG, 118 TGI. The reason Italy surpassed France? “Last season’s weather conditions crippled many countries in Central Europe. Germany reported 25% less wine production; Hungary, less 39%; Czech Republic, less 36%; Austria, less 35%; Romania, less 51%; France, less 1% and Italy unchanged”. The total of EU products was 157.2 million hectoliters, down 3.7%.

Source: Ansa - By: Paola Barbetti