EXPORTS OF ITALIAN WINE CONTINUE TO SHINE, CONFIRMS THE ASSOENOLOGI STUDY CENTER. IN THE FIRST 3 MONTHS OF 2013 VALUE IS +10% OVER 2012, EVEN THOUGH VOLUME IS DOWN 1.1%. BOOM FOR SPARKLING WINES: +12% IN VOLUME AND +19.7% IN VALUE

Italian wine continues to grow on foreign markets: value in the first three months of 2013 increased almost 10% (9.8%), exceeding the threshold of 1.1 billion euros, while volume recorded a slight decrease at 1.1%, reveals the analysis of the Italian oenologists association, Assoenologi Study Centre. Only sparkling wines show an increase in volume (+13%), accompanied by a jump in value of 19.7%, to 130 million euros.

"We are exporting less wine but earning more, which means that we are sending more and more products with added value abroad. And this is no small feat", says Giuseppe Martelli, general manager of Assoenologi. The marked increase in unit value (+31.9%) of bulk product is noteworthy. Wine in the bottle has broken the threshold of 3 euros / liter, at a value of 3.13 euros / liter, equal to 9.1% compared to 2012. Of the 1.109 million euros in wine exports, 51.3%, amounting to 574 million euros, is directed towards the European Union, with the remaining 535 million (48.3%) on commercial markets outside the EU. The United States exceeded the quarter of a billion euros for an increase of 12.8%. In the Far East the revival of demand for Italian wine in South Korea (+23%) and China (+11.2%) is encouraging.
"After the great success in North America, the Far East is emerging as a potential Eldorado for business," notes Martelli. Concerning the estimates for the 2013 harvest, Assoenologi notes that currently the vegetative cycle of the vine in the center north is late, while the in Central and Southern Italy and the Islands it is early. The next two months will be, as always, decisive. Markets and vineyards will also be at the center of the Assoenologi National Convention, in Alba from July 4th to 7th.