Prosecco DOC in 2018: 466 million bottles, turnover 2.3 billion euros

The numbers in 2018 for Prosecco DOC look like this: 466 million bottles put on the market (+ 6%) compared to 2017, for consumer sales value totaling 2.3 billion euros (+13.4% compared to 2017), and 6.9% increase in bottle value. Stefano Zanette, president of the Consortium, presented the 2018 accounting yesterday in Treviso, confirming the brilliant performance of the Veneto-Friuli bubbles on the market, in addition to their dynamic role in exports, where 350 million of the total bottles end up. The UK is their main market, where 109 million bottles were shipped, registering 7% in volume over the year, following years of double-digit growth, and +1.3% in value. The US received 73 million bottles and is, therefore, the second market, which grew +5% in volume and 9.1% in value, ahead of Germany, at a total of 41 million bottles, for +6% in quantity and +16.8% in value. And, curiously, Prosecco’s fourth market is the home of Champagne, as well as Cremant; that is, France, where 15 million bottles were shipped, marking 14% growth in volume and an amazing 27.1% in value. On top of these definitely positive figures, there is the 2018 harvest, which the Consortium said was “very satisfactory: 3.6 million hectoliters produced that - as predicted - correspond to +10.8% growth compared to the 2017 harvest, which is more than adequate to get to the next harvest”.
The future (while also evaluating the possibility of a rosè version, ed.) is oriented more and more towards sustainability. “Starting last year the Consortium has introduced reward systems for the organic sector - 1.124 hectares guarantee at least 5% of hedges, creating the first grove of almost 60 hectares. This is the reason today pushing the Consortium for the Protection of Prosecco DOC to become part of the “Green Mosaic Countryside” project, created by AzzeraCO2 and Legambiente (the Italian environmental organization) and designed to redevelop the territory adapting it to climate change. The project also includes an ambitious goal: planting 300.000 new trees and protecting 30.000 hectares of already existing forests. But that is not all. The Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia Regions will assign new qualified Prosecco DOC vineyards, as the Consortium has proposed by way of an announcement of selection, to reward the most worthy companies. The criteria for selecting the company also includes a requirement to create and maintain a hedge or grove area of at least 5% of that destined for vineyards. This initiative, maintaining the current growth trend, will lead to the establishment of a shrub/ arboreal area, in the three year period 2018-2020, of at least 180 hectares, and the Protection Consortium will be fully part of the project”.
Stefano Zanette, president of the Consortium, confirms sustainability is in first place. “We are deeply convinced. We have asked Rome to change our production regulations to ban the three most unpopular active substances to the population, but to go ahead we need a policy that supports and represents the entire production system or that identifies an alternative regulatory solution involving all the workers in the sector”.