Prosecco Doc toasts to a 2025 export with plus sign, growing by +2.3% at a world level

If the 2025 export performance of Italian wine has, overall, held up with 7.7 billion euros in value (-3.7% compared to 2024) and 2.1 billion liters in volume (-1.8%), there are clearly those who can raise a glass to having closed a year marked by an exceptionally complex geopolitical environment and a global decline in consumption with plus sign: that is Prosecco DOC, the “driver” sparkling wine of Italian wine and the most widely consumed sparkling wine in the world, which, according to the Consortium final data, which toasts at Vinitaly 2026 in Verona (Veronafiere, April 12th - 15th), records growth of +2.3% worldwide, with 667 million bottles produced (+1.1% compared to 2024), 82% of which are destined for international markets, thus confirming a value of 3.6 billion euros.
The podium of markets sees the United States in first place with growth of 23.3%, followed by a stable United Kingdom and a surprisingly rising France (+19.8%), which for the first time reaches third place on the podium. Positive signals also come from Germany (+2.1%), a historic market for the denomination, and from Russia, which with +0.7% reverses course and climbs back to No. 5 position. Double-digit growth is recorded in emerging markets such as Ukraine (+32.2%), Romania (+25%), and Greece (+20.5%), underscoring a diversification strategy which is producing results. This is also driven by the momentum of the “Olympic legacy” which has seen Prosecco DOC serve as the Official Sparkling Wine of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, the result of the largest investment in the history of the denomination along with the use of new forms of communication and a strong focus on sustainability.
And, “looking ahead to 2026, the March figure (+6.4% compared to March 2025) confirms a firm consolidation in bottling volumes - explains Consortium president Giancarlo Guidolin - the slowdown recorded in the first two months of the year should be considered a technical effect due to strategic stocking implemented by the U.S. market in 2025 to mitigate the impact of tariffs. The strength of the denomination is further confirmed by actual consumption, which remains consistently in line with the average of recent years. In a geopolitical context which calls for caution, with transport, energy, and raw material costs already under significant pressure, the denomination, which has demonstrated its resilience on multiple occasions, looks to the coming months with an awareness of uncertainties, but also with a positive outlook for the future”.
Sustainability remains the fundamental pillar of the DOC in the Consortium projects, with particular attention to Assisted Evolution Techniques (Aets) applied to varietal selection, alongside low-alcohol products and its role as National Coordinator of “Wine in Moderation”, the European project promoting responsible consumption.