2020 in Montepulciano: a difficult year, but with investments and a “5 star” vintage

In the middle of crises, having the strength and the courage to look ahead is the first step to overcome them. And for those wine businesses that have had the strength, it has been fundamental to continue to invest in order to be ready for a new start. As did, for example, the majority (70%) of the wineries in the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano area, in 2020 that, in addition to the obvious and well-known market difficulties linked to the pandemic, will also be remembered for an exceptional harvest, judged to be five-star, the highest rating, whose quality will be one of the pillars for restarting. This is the scenario outlined by the Consorzio del Vino Nobile, in the Anteprima del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano staged today, with all the restrictions of the case, and that if in 2020 it estimates a drop in the wine turnover of the territory of -31.5% (between a -31.1% in Italy, above all due to the closure of the Horeca, -16.3% in exports, but also an important -51.4% of all that is wine tourism, also in this case due to the lockdown), it has however experienced an important year, and the first part of 2021 decidedly encouraging.
According to a survey of the Consortium, companies, during the months of Covid, did not stop, on the contrary, they invested in different segments. For example, 35% of wineries have improved delivery during the period of lockdown; 70% have invested in online marketing and 65% have done remote tastings. 70% of Montepulciano’s wineries have increased their social channels, whereas 60% of them have increased their company’s e-commerce, also by widening their presence to other platforms in the wine sector (60% also in this case). Then there are the business investments that did not stop: 65% of the companies producing Vino Nobile di Montepulciano invested in communication and marketing, renewing their website and public relations activities. 35% invested in product innovation, while 65% started projects related to technology in the company and sustainability of production. Wine tourism is an important segment according to 70% of the companies which, in the year of the pandemic, started the strengthening, including new tasting rooms and agritourism offers. A difficult year, therefore, 2020, but not wasted, and comforted at least in part by the response of the vineyard.
“2020 will therefore be remembered for a positive value at least as far as the harvest in Montepulciano is concerned - commented the president of the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Andrea Rossi - but as a denomination we have never stopped, on the contrary, a survey has shown that almost all the companies of the denomination have invested in promotion and improvements and we as a Consortium, among other things, have even launched the procedure for the birth of a third type of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, “Pievi””. Another decidedly comforting aspect, the market recovery, told in its own way by the +45% of DOCG bands sold by the Consortium compared to the same period in 2020 for Vino Nobile (and +2% for Rosso di Montepulciano Doc).