Italian wine exports 2023 closer and closer to 2022 record: -0.6% in first 11 months

2023 is often hailed as “annus horribilis” for the wine world, including the Italian one, but which, in reality, thanks to exports, could still hope to close very close to the record figures of 2022, even surpassing it: Istat data on the first 11 months of the year, analyzed by WineNews, speak of an encouraging recovery that brings the provisional balance to -0.6% in value, for almost 7.2 billion euros, accompanied by a breakeven in volume, and thus 1.99 million hectoliters between January and November 2023, a figure identical to that on the same period in 2022, but lower than the October figure that was in the positive. On the figure recorded up to October, in value (-0.7%), there was, therefore, an improvement that is part of a positive end-of-year trend, suffice it to say that, in September, -1.9% had been reached, again with stable volumes. Growing values, among the main markets observed in more detail by WineNews (which together are worth almost 7.2 billion euros in the first 11 months of 2023), continue, however, to be recorded only in a few European markets even though there are signs of improvement in both the U.S. and Canada, while Eastern countries remain in the “deep red”.
Germany, the first European market and the second in the world for Italian wine, grows by 3.7%, exceeding 1.1 billion euros; even greater growth for the United Kingdom (+5.4%) with 794.9 million euros, but it is France, in terms of percentage leap (+10.7%) that does best of all in the Old Continent, touching 300 million euros and confirming what has been seen in recent months, namely that Italian wine’s main “rival” continues to buy more and more Italian labels. The Netherlands is also in the positive, close to 220.5 million euros (+4.2%) and Austria at +4.4% for 128.9 million. Then the (provisional) negative balances begin: however, Switzerland with 384.78 million euros (-1.5%) holds; Belgium at -1.5% for 217.2 million euros; Sweden down 1.8% and with a value figure of just over 182.4 million euros. On the other hand, there was a sharp decline for Russia, which went from +3.9% in the first ten months to -6% for a figure of 142.49 million euros; significant negative figures also for Denmark, -7.4% for 135.9 million euros, and Norway, -6.2% for 96.8 million, with both Northern European countries showing, however, slightly better percentages on the survey reported for October 2023.
They continue, however, to “hurt” the difficulties encountered in 2023 by the crucial North American market even though signs of recovery, already noted a month ago, continue to appear. The United States still firm as the first foreign partner of Italian wine, exceeding 1.6 billion euros, with a -6% in the first 11 months 2023 over 2022 that does better than the -6.8% in October and the -9.9% recorded through September. Canada’s negative balance (-10.1%) of 360.9 million euros remains in double digits, but performing better than the last two surveys in October (-13.8%) and September (-17.6%).
In Asia, although the comparison with 2022 is very harsh, a tentative light of recovery is perhaps only coming on in China as shown by the trend at the end of 2023. Japan exceeds 163 million euros (-11.2%) while the Dragon country marks -11.7% or just over 90.3 million euros. South Korea’s figure (-34.5%) of just under 45.2 million euros is heavy while Hong Kong’s slump (-9.3%) with 23.3 million euros continues.
So if the overall picture remains dark, with the majority of the most important foreign markets for Italian wine still lagging far behind 2022, there are nevertheless signs, already manifested in October’s surveys, especially for North America and Europe, that nonetheless bode well for a happy ending sprint.