Usa, Brunello di Montalcino flies, for the Consortium: sales at +7.7% in volume and 2% in value

As if tariffs didn’t exist, as if overall wine consumption weren’t declining. Brunello di Montalcino, in the U.S., its first market (accounting for 30% of exports), is stronger than any crisis. A true “love story” between the great Tuscan red and American consumers, one that shows no signs of stopping despite everything, at least according to the communication released by the Brunello di Montalcino Wine Consortium at “Benvenuto Brunello 2026”, which will be held on February 24th in New York, and in view of the masterclasses scheduled for the first time in Texas, on March 3rd and 4th, in Dallas and Austin respectively. “According to the analysis by the Observatory of Unione Italiana Vini (Uiv), carried out for the Consortium and based on 2025 sales from U.S. distributors reported by the Sipsource platform, compared with a general drop in marketed volumes of -8.8% (-5.2% for Italian wines), Brunello sales grew by +7.7% in volume and +2% in value. This growth, driven especially by the hotel and wholesale club channels, demonstrates a still-reactive demand for Montalcino flagship products”, still a note by the Consortium explains. It emphasizes that this is “an increase achieved mainly in the final months of 2025, with the South - and especially Texas - emerging as one of the main consumption hubs, accounting for half of Brunello U.S. market and showing volume growth close to +9%”.
“We believe that “Benvenuto Brunello” in New York is highly significant: Montalcino has no intention of giving up on the U.S., its long-standing privileged partner  - says president of the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium Giacomo Bartolommei -  in a period of commercial tensions, we are responding with a record participation from our producers, up 40% from last year (48 Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino producers in a business-to-business event with specialized media and U.S. trade professionals, presenting the latest vintages: Brunello 2021, Brunello Riserva 2020, and Rosso di Montalcino 2024, just released on the market). We are convinced that American consumers feel the same way, and domestic sales data confirms it. Last year, Brunello was among the very few denominations to grow, with a 7.7% increase in sales volumes at U.S. retail locations”.
Data relating to domestic sales in the US show a gradual depletion of stocks by American retailers, but this partly contrasts with the overall picture, including for the Montalcino area. According to “Cantina Italia” data updated to January 31st, 2026, inventory levels have increased: 481,896 hectoliters of Brunello di Montalcino (+4.4% compared to the same date in 2025) and 91,620 hectoliters of Rosso di Montalcino (+7%). Meanwhile, bottle certifications and bottlings (which are a market thermometer indicating how much wine leaves the cellars), according to Avito data, show a strong rise in 2025 compared to 2024 for Rosso di Montalcino (+27%), also due to the opening of the Montalcino DOC Vineyard Register in 2024, which significantly increased production potential, while Brunello di Montalcino is experiencing a notable decline of -7.9%. Still, thanks to its recognized quality, prestige, and the passion of consumers worldwide, with Americans leading the way. Brunello looks to the future with confidence in an increasingly complex wine market. The U.S. will be central in the coming days: at the iconic 583 Park Avenue in New York, on February 24th, 48 producers will take part in “Benvenuto Brunello 2026,” while on February 25th there will also be a consumer-focused tasting with Millesima, a luxury wine retailer on the Upper East Side, which will open its doors to wine enthusiasts alongside Italian producers.