CHRISTMAS 2014 – COLDIRETTI SAYS THERE HAS NEVER BEEN SO MANY ITALIAN SPARKLING WINES EXPORTED ABROAD (+ 22%). MADE IN ITALY PRODUCTS WIN EVEN IN THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC CRISIS. THE TOP ITALIAN BUBBLES IN THE WORLD ARE, IN ORDER, PROSECCO AND ASTI

There are 22% more bottles of Italian sparkling wines exported and on tables around the world for Christmas and the New Year, making 2014 a historical record of “Made in Italy” toasts. This is what emerges from the Italian farmers association, Coldiretti analysis for the beginning of the Christmas festivities and the New Year, based on Istat data of foreign trade in the first eight months of 2014.

In Italy, sparkling wines are ranked first in purchases for the holiday season, while abroad – says Coldiretti – there have never been so many requests for Italian bubbles like this year, in sharp contrast with the national economic crisis.
The result - continues Coldiretti - is that 2014 will close with just under 300 million bottles of sparkling wine exported, including Charmat and Classic, an all time record. All over the world, this year, people will be drinking more Italian sparkling wine than Champagne, which recorded a much lower increase in exports (+6%) in the same period. In the ranking of favorite Italian "bubbles", first choice is Prosecco and then Asti.

Since the beginning of the crisis in 2007, the bottles of Italian sparkling wine exported abroad - underlined Coldiretti - have doubled and recorded an increase in traditional countries but also conquered new markets from Russia to China. The results obtained on new markets are noteworthy – said Coldiretti - such as record growth in exports to China, where bottles of "Made in Italy" bubbles consumed in 2014 tripled (+ 195%) compared to 2013. A real boom in sales in the same period was recorded in the UK (+ 50% in quantity) that - Coldiretti continued- bypasses the United States (+ 21%) and becomes the first market for Italian bubbles tricolor, while Germany falls to third place with exports remaining stable.

The success of Italian sparkling wine brings about – said Coldiretti – imitations all over the globe, starting in Europe where there are bottles of Kressecco and Meer-Secco produced in Germany, clearly imitations of Italian Prosecco.

But, the success of Italian sparkling wine abroad also drives – continued Coldiretti - the entire Italian wine sector that ranks as the main national export item in food. More than half the bottles produced in Italy are consumed abroad, for a record turnover of over 5 billion euros. The big worry this year - concluded Coldiretti – is the collapse of domestic production due to bad weather. The 2014 harvest cut 15% of the crops, making it the lowest since 1950, at a total of 41 million hectoliters.



Focus – The boom of “Made in Italy” sparkling wine abroad

China + 195%
UK + 50%
USA + 21%
Total: + 22%



Source: Coldiretti analysis on Istat data regarding quantities in the first 8 months of 2014