Bottled wine grows, well white and sparkling, reds and passito in decline: data from Valoritalia

More than 1.5 billion certified bottles for an equivalent value of 6.3 billion euros; 220 controlled denominations (171 PDO and 49 PGI), equal to 42% of the national total for a share of production that is close to 50%; 47,000 samples analysed for 12,000 checks (30% in the cellar, 70% in the field). More than 1 billion marks managed; 330.000 chemical-analytical determinations carried out with 2,812 tasting commissions; 2,900 non-compliances detected, of which just under 300 classified as serious and reported to the Icqrf; over 350,000 product movements with dozens of different causes.
These are the main numbers of Valoritalia’s Annual Report 2018, which took place yesterday afternoon in Rome, a real picture of the state of health of quality Italian wine by the leading company in Italy in the control activities on DOCG, DOC and IGT wines, which starting in 2017 provides the main statistics on the world of DOC wines and on trends in the sector.
“On the general level - specified the general manager Valoritalia, Giuseppe Liberatore - the entire Italian viticulture was undoubtedly conditioned by a very poor 2017 harvest, with inevitable repercussions on the market trend of a consistent number of denominations. However, in 2018 there was also a clear turnaround, with an increase in production of 2017 equal to 32%, but with peaks that in some IGTs exceeded 50%. Instead, the trend related to bottling is more stable, showing an overall increase of 1.5% overall. In a substantially positive context, therefore, I would like to underline some data that well summarize the market trends. The first is the confirmation of a more than positive trend for white wines and sparkling wines, which grew between 2015 and 2018 by 26% and 24% respectively. The second, mirroring the previous one is the decline in red wines (-6%) and sweet wines (-24%). Finally, the third is proof of the great success of the “Prosecco system”, which grew by 27% in just a few years and exceeded more than 565 million bottles in 2018. A real locomotive for all Made in Italy“.
“The precious data provided in this study - declared the president of Valoritalia, Francesco Liantonio - are the result of a decisive professional, organizational and cultural growth that has allowed the company to establish itself as the most important player in the certification of quality wines. The certification activity is not only the means by which to verify the respect of the rules and regulations but also and above all the way to ensure the producers and the consumers. For the former, because they know that they are moving within a system of rules common to all companies that use that specific denomination; for the latter, because they have the absolute guarantee that the wine with Denomination of Origin purchased respects the quality standards provided by the specification”.
An organizational machine that, with over 80,000 accredited operators, is now able to manage 5,000 types of wine belonging to 220 denominations distributed throughout the country, without forgetting the more than 2,800 companies certified with the standards of Organic and SQNPI (1,750 organic companies and 1,055 integrated certifications) that complete the overview of the activities of Valoritalia. All supported by a computerized system called “Dioniso”, which represents a sort of operational dashboard of the company.
Regarding positive figures, but in this case, from a corporate point of view, it is worth remembering that on the human capital front Valoritalia now has a structure composed of 212 employees spread over 35 operating sites (+14 employees compared to 2017) and a network of more than 1,150 external collaborators. A wealth of resources that, combined with a corporate welfare program aimed at promoting the welfare of workers and continuous investment in training and communication, helps to make the model applied by Valoritalia a virtuous and reference model. “In recent years - explained Liantonio - our policy has favored the recruitment of young graduates with high specialization and, at the same time, an exact division between men and women in terms of numbers, division of tasks and responsibilities. These are two significant elements that sum up our desire to reward our skilled staff, without which it would not be possible to manage the delicate and complex work of the company”. “Communication - concluded Liberatore - is also an active part of our mission.
Exactly one year ago we started a new season, publishing the first volume of our Annual Report, the number zero of our magazine ValoriMag and started to promote social visibility, and in the future, we aim to further increase these efforts. For this reason, we decided to entrust Nomisma with a survey, probably the first of its kind in Italy, to analyze consumer perception of wine certification. A study that will form the basis of our future communication”.