Italian wine exports, bubbles soar in 2024, but still wines also do better than 2023

There is more and more discussion of the difficulties that the wine world is going through, and therefore of changing consumption, of an appeal that is no longer so strong toward the new generations, of a sector where the sparkling wine part, especially in Italy, is growing contributing to the general stability. And while there is certainly some truth to this, just think of the growth of sparkling wines, capable of “taking” market share from still wines, with exports in 2024 of 555.5 million liters on the 495.7 of 2023 (+12%), worth 2, 3 billion euros (+5%), gaining 28.4% in value and 26.4% in volume of all Italian wine exports (according to Istat data analyzed by WineNews), the numbers, however, also tell of good health for still wines. Particularly those with a denomination (PDO/PGI), capable not only of “resisting”, but even of doing better in the comparison between 2023 and 2024. As, in fact, data published by Ismea and analyzed by WineNews report, exports for PDO still wines, in 2024, exceeded 6 million hectoliters (+7.6%), for a value of 3.17 billion euros (+5.6%). A positive trend that also concerns still Igp wines, which, in 2024, crossed the threshold of 4.5 million hectoliters (+3.4%), generating exports worth 1.48 billion euros (+1.1%). Rather, the decline occurred in the “common” wine category, which is still dominated by still wines, and only in volume, with exports at 3 million hectoliters (-11.4%), but value at 341.9 million (+5.8%). Among PDO wines, still wines accounted for 52.5% of total exports in volume and 57.6% in value (year 2024). There has been a decline, but certainly not of the “monstrous” kind: in 2023, in fact, still wines took 54.23% in volume and 58% in value of exports.
Ismea pointed out that with nearly 22 million hectoliters shipped across the border, Italian wine exports surpassed the 8 billion euro turnover mark in 2024.
In addition to the upward jump in values (+5.5%), quantities sent abroad are growing again with +3.2%, after the setback of 2024. Excellent results come from bubbles, now 25% of exports in volume and 29% of the value accrued in foreign markets. The balance of the year for the sparkling wine segment is extremely positive, with a 12% progression in terms of quantity and 9% in monetary consideration.
Italy is confirmed as the world leader in terms of exported volumes and second in value behind France, with an export dynamism that is unrivaled in Europe. The transalpine country maintained the volumes of 2024, but suffered a slight drop in values (-2%), while Spain showed a setback in quantity (-3%) against an increase in receipts (+4%).
Going into more detail on the main categories of domestic wineries’ exports, Ismea’s elaborations on Istat data show sustained growth for wines with protected designation of origin (PDO), which close the year with a 6.5% increase in value and 7.6% increase in volume, thanks also to the positive contribution of still wines. PGIs registered a more moderate increase (+1.3% in value, +2.8% in volume), while communes suffered a contraction of almost 7% in quantity, offset by an equivalent increase in money consideration.
The United States is confirmed as the top destination market for Italian wine with a weight that reached 24% of total sales accrued abroad in 2024, thanks to a 10.2% leap forward (+7% hectoliters). Exports to Germany, the second largest market, grew in value by almost 4%, but gave way in volume, while exports to the British market advanced, but at a moderate pace (+1% in value, +2% in volume).
Sales developments were excellent in Canada, the fourth largest customer (+15.3% in sales, +4% in hectoliters), and in Russia, which increased its purchases of Italian wines and sparkling wines by more than 40% in both value and volume over the past year.