Italy, the most competitive wine country in the world by Deloitte on behalf of FranceAgrimer

The most competitive wine producer in the world is Italy, according to French. This is the outcome of a study carried out by Deloitte for FranceAgrimer, the statistical agency of the French Ministry of Agriculture (edition no. 20), which estimated the performance of the main wine producers according to 6 parameters: from production potential to the climatic and environmental situation, from the ability to enter markets to their diversity and balance of economic flows, from the dynamism of the supply chain and investments to the macroeconomic context.
On an index fixed on a scale of 1,000 points, the oenological Belpaese is at the top, with 659 points (and with absolute leadership in terms of production potential, 152 points, and market portfolio, with 146 points), ahead of France, with 653 points (which, however, stands out in terms of the ability to enter in the industries, with 174 points, and for the dynamism of the supply chain and investments, with 87 points). On the third step of the podium there is Spain (602 points), and then, Australia (509), Chile (499, with the South American country that excels in climate and environment issues), the United States (492), Germany (469), New Zealand (466), South Africa (457), Argentina (391), Portugal (361), China (345) and Brazil (312).
It is important to underline that this study is based on data from 2016, and therefore with a different scenario from the current one. All the economic data shows that France grows much faster than Italy on the international wine industry. However, it also outlines, the strong relationship between producer countries, and it encourages the Italian wine supply chain that, despite atavistic structural issues, such as the hyper-fragmentation of the production system, and contingent criticalities, such as the difficulty, in recent years, to use the OCM funds for promotion in third countries, remains the driving force of the made in Italy food industry, and is confirmed as an economic asset to invest in (without considering, the effects in terms of land tenure, employment and so on).
“Italy is still the leader thanks to its very productive and very diversified viticulture - explains the study - it is the first wine producer country in the world in volume, also of sparkling wines, thanks above all to Prosecco. Its great reserve of native vines and the development of “vine nursery activities” over the last 20 years has worked helped the decline even though a declining “Vineyard Europe” situation. Moreover, wine is always present in the daily life of Italians, and wine tourism, highly developed, contributes to the development of local consumption.
Although its exports depend mainly on 3 markets, including the United Kingdom (in addition to the U.S. and Germany), it is still the second largest exporter of volume behind Spain, with 20 million hectoliters, mainly for the Prosecco, and the second in value, behind France, due to the competitive prices and wines adapted to the tastes of the industry”. In order to grow, even more, the study emphasizes that the Italian wine sector should intensify its promotion and marketing activities. “We are faithful, and Italy - concludes Deloitte - aims to increase its wine business volume by 30% in the next 3 years”.