Export, sparkling wines overcome still red and white wines. Unione Italiana Vini states that

Italian sparkling wines have been the driving force of Italian exports for a while, and such were confirmed in the first 9 months of 2024, as emerged, in the last days, by Istat data analyzed by WineNews. And, now, they have also become the most exported category in quantity, by far, since according to the analysis by the Uiv - Italian Wine Union Observatory about the latest Istat data with balance to the third trimester of this year, “for the first time, sparkling wine bottles directed to foreign countries (528 million) have overcome that of red and rosé wines (524 million), and further extend compared to white wines (460 million). A surpass destined to consolidate in light of a race, that of Italian sparkling wines, which has seen its production quintuple in 20 years, and that, according to Observatory Uiv-Ismea, is about to break the record of 1 billion bottles by the end of the year with 355 million of bottles consumed in Italy, and in the world only for the celebrations”.
“Amongst the many results achieved by sparkling wine during these years - said secretary general of Unione Italiana Vini - Uiv, Paolo Castelletti - this is among the most significant ones. Italian sparkling wine wins over foreign competitors because it is pop, and addresses to cross targets, and, because, in many cases, it can be paired with a cocktail trend, which, from the Usa, it is becoming global. A success of Charmat Method largely attributable to Prosecco galaxy, and to its management for an area, which, despite representing only 6% of Italian vineyard, today, it is keeping our export up”.
As a matter of fact, the absolute protagonist of the growth of Italian wine export registered in the first 9 months of this year is sparkling wine (with almost 6 billion euros). Considering the double-digit increase of sparkling wines, in terms of volumes delivered abroad in the period in Italian vineyards, the passage would be from an overall +3.4% to 0.5%. A jump is also registered in the value of the category, which, in the period, it raises at 1.7 billion euros, i.e. 29% of the total Italian exports. According to the Observatory, “Italy is increasingly transforming into a Sparkling Wine Country, with sparkling wines leading over Italian white and red wines in many countries: no longer only the Uk, but also France, Poland, Czech Republic, Spain, and Russia. In the Usa (38% for white wines, 37% for sparkling wines), the surpass will be done by the end of the year”.
According to Uiv, “the most extraordinary thing – and, which, at the same time, should make people reflect about it – is that if one says sparkling wine, one can’t fail to mention “Prosecco”. Not only because it is worth 75% of overall sparkling wine, but also because the billion and 300 million of euros generated from January to September come from a tiny plot of land: about 40,000 hectares considering the three denominations (Conegliano Valdobbiadene, Asolo, and Prosecco Doc). 6% of the total of the national vineyard, that in terms of value (+12%) claims 22% of 6 billion of export branded Italy”.