Prosecco Docg: a record-breaking 2019 and 2020, marked by the pandemic but strong in Gdo

In a time of uncertainty and economic crisis like this, in which the wine sector is also organizing itself in order to be able to adapt to living with the Coronavirus, and in view of
a very different season from the previous years and, most likely, a different harvest, from one of the most prestigious and well-known wine territories in the world, the good news is coming, which hopefully will be good for the future. Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Docg has just presented the economic data for 2019, from which it emerges that 2019 was the best year ever: thanks to the particularly generous harvest in 2018, the bottles produced and sold in 2019 reached 92 million units, the largest number since the birth of the Denomination in 1969, +1.6% on 2018, and 524 million euros in value (+1.2% on 2018). The total number of bottles sold of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Docg corresponds to just under 50 million bottles, worth 296 million euros, destined for the national market (56.3%) and almost 39 million bottles, worth 202 million euros, destined for the international market (43.7%). In the wine figures, one can also read the importance that this Unesco World Heritage area has for wine tourism: in 2019 the number of visitors in the Denomination reached 460,000, an increase of 13% over 2018 and 45% over 2010. The economic results speak of a total expenditure of wine tourists that grew by 25% on 2018, besides, the expenditure per visitor has grown to just under 90 euros.

Numbers, which give strength to face 2020, a year characterized since the first quarter by the Coronavirus emergency, which has not only blocked the flow of tourists but also changed the mode of wine purchases. In a context of an initial surge in sales in large-scale distribution due to the first fears of being left without food, wine sales in large-scale distribution generally enjoyed greater favor, with an increase in sales of +16.8% in value and +18.6% in volume.

What about the future? Although it is difficult to make predictions today about the timing and the way out of the crisis, some signs can be seen that guide intentions and attitudes towards future consumer behavior. According to a Swg survey, 41% of Italians say that they will not return to consume as before the pandemic and in any case, those who will consume as before will do so in a different way. 79% say that they will travel more within their region, 76% will return to pizzerias and restaurants, while mass events and large commercial venues such as trade fairs will be penalized. Furthermore, 51% of Italians are interested in visiting the territory of Conegliano Valdobbiadene soon, while 81% also declare that they consider the UNESCO Recognition as further proof of the quality of the product, 68% declare that they are interested in lunches, tastings, and aperitifs in the vineyard, outdoor activities and surrounded by nature. It is clear, that it will still be quality that will gain because demand will be more selective and consumers who choose Conegliano Valdobbiadene will continue to do so if the product can satisfy them. In this scenario, selections such as the Rive and Cartizze types will probably have more space and the values of the Denomination such as sustainability and the uniqueness of the territory will play a central role.