Bulk wines: the prices of Italian PDO falling and the gap is getting wider, say ISMEA data

The average prices of a product do not tell the whole story about the market because there are so many variables. Like, the quality of the product, matching supply and demand, the requests of the sellers and buyers, which then, at closure of negotiations, can command prices that may be very far from the averages. And, even though it is not perfect, it follows the trend of the moment. The trend in wine is bulk prices are continuing to drop, inexorably, and involve all the most important denominations - only a few exceptions, such as Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Etna and Barbera d'Alba for the reds, Soave and Roero Arneis for the whites. This is what the Italian agro-food market services, ISMEA data revealed, analyzed by WineNews, regarding average original prices updated in May 2018 (average free-cellar, VAT excluded, referring to the last vintage on the market, ed.). The most noticeable collapse is table wines: whites dropped -48.1% over 2018, at 3.02 euros per hectograde, and reds -31.5%, at 3.74 euros per hectograde.
According to ISMEA, as we mentioned, among the PDO reds, Brunello di Montalcino, confirmed the most popular wine in Italy, is holding its price at 1085.00 euros per hectoliter (+ 0.9%), and also Chianti Classico, at 282.50 euros per hectoliter (+ 0.9%), Barbera d'Alba, at 225 euros per hectoliter (+7.1%), and especially Etna’s red wines have grown considerably to +19.4% and 200 euros per hectoliter. All the others are a burgeoning of negative signs. Starting from Barolo (it must be said that there are usually fewer transactions than many other denominations, ed.), which dropped -13.7%, and 690 euros per hectoliter, Barbaresco, down -7.8 %, at 535 euros per hectoliter, and a similar trend for Nebbiolo d’Alba, -8.1% (285 euros per hectoliter). Bardolino and Bardolino Classico fell over 22% (at 95 and 110 euros per hectoliter), likewise the reds of Valpolicella (at 190 euros per hectoliter), Barbera d’Asti -17.2% (120 euros per hectoliter), and Chianti fell -19% (115 euros per hectoliter), while Montepulciano d’Abruzzo -14.6% at 69 euros per hectoliter, and the Lambrusco galaxy fell between -13% and -23%, prices between 57 and 62 euros per hectoliter, among the different typologies.
The only positive notes, as stated, among the PDO whites ISMEA surveyed, are Soave, up +2.2% (92 euros per hectoliter), Soave Classico, up +9.5% (115 euros per hectoliter), and Roero Arneis, up 11.9% (235 euros per hectoliter). Prosecco DOC fell 21% (172.5 euros per hectoliter), Conegliano and Valdobbiadene DOCG -20.7% (230 euros per hectoliter), Gavi -3.4% (280 euros per hectoliter), Orvieto -2.4% for (100 euros per hectoliter), Frascati -6.8% for (89.5 euros per hectoliter), and Chardonnay of Oltrepò Pavese collapsed -39.1% (140 euros per hectoliter).
The picture shows an anything but bright situation, while it’s time to start thinking about the next harvest.