Italian wine in the US, consumption down. UIV Observatory: sales down in August, bubbles doing well

The United States is the topmost important market for Italian wine exports. However, the news is not at all encouraging as far as consumption goes. The UIV - Unione Italiana Vini Observatory, based on Sipsource, that August was“ one of the worst months in the last two years (-13%) for wine sales in general”, and the cumulative figure from January is down -8% in volume. Thanks to sparkling wines, though, Italy is trying hard to show the glass half full, but only because its competitors’ performances are worse. The 8 month partial for Italy, according to the UIV evaluations on the American distributors platform, was -5.7% in volume and -4.4% in value, against the general consumption average, down -8.3% and -7.4%, respectively. Sparkling wine is the only category that has succeeded in reducing the decline of Italian sales. In spite of a slight drop in August (-1.5%, much less than the general Italian sales drop to -8.8%), they were still positive in the first 8 months (+1.5%). The still wines situation is very different, however, as white wines (-13% in August) and red wines paired at -8%, while rosés went down to -11%.
According to the UIV Observatory findings, sparkling wines are driving sales and now represent 35% of Italian wine sales in the United States compared to a general share of sparkling wines in the USA fixed at 9%. The Italian bubbles typology, thanks to wine cocktails, is growing in spite of everything, and is totally in contrast to the overall sparkling wine market (-7.4% volume) and French Champagne, in the red at -13%. Sparkling wines and Prosecco are the top performers, and as the UIV explained, are the best-selling Italian product overseas. This year Asolo Prosecco (volumes up 15%) and Prosecco Treviso (+6%) are leading, while Prosecco DOC is dropping and has lost almost 6 points. On the other hand, it is difficult to find positive signs among the still denominations most in demand in US commercial establishments. Apart from Brunello di Montalcino, which is growing (+5%) and Chianti Classico, which is stable, volumes marketed are negative for all the main Made in Italy wines: Chianti DOCG (-16%), DOC Toscana(-13%), Pinot Grigio delle Venezie (-9%) and Barolo (-6%).
“Export numbers to the USA indicated a rather solid positive sign in July”, Paolo Castelletti, UIV Secretary General, said, “on the other hand, though, the persistent decline in actual products released for consumption has sounded a rather serious alarm. We hope that now, because of rate cuts and the imminent Presidential elections, there may be signs of a turnaround on a market that is heavily conditioned by the fall in purchasing power. This situation finds confirmation in the fact that in August consumption of our wines in the on-premise sector sank to -15%”.