The first half of 2021 brings Italy’s wineries above 2019 numbers

Italian wine raises its head again, and after the inevitable drop in sales in 2020 - albeit with some important exceptions - in the first half of 2021 it not only recovers the lost ground, but in many cases even does better than 2019, as emerges from the data of the top companies in the Belpaese, which represent a good 30% of the turnover of Italian wine, analyzed, anonymously, by WineNews. Large numbers and top brands from the most important territories of Italian viticulture, from the Piedmont of the Langhe to the Tuscany of Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico and Bolgheri, from Franciacorta to Valpolicella, from TrentoDoc to Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Docg, from Abruzzo to Marche, passing through Sicily, Puglia and Friuli Venezia Giulia, with different targets and markets. Those who, a year ago, had to reckon with the prolonged closure of restaurants, today toast to recovery, at rates that are sometimes exorbitant. The average is, however, very high: +35%, in the first 6 months of 2021 (on the first six months of 2020), but watch out for the second half of the year, because after the rush of supplies in the first months of the year, a slowdown in purchases is to be taken into account.

On the other hand, there is a certain confidence, although it may seem premature to talk and write about it now, for the end of the year, to be celebrated finally in full normality, and therefore with end-of-year toasts, dinners at home and in restaurants, obviously washed down by Italian bubbles, which have suffered lockdowns and closures more than any other category. As mentioned above, if the greatest exploits, in 2020, come from those who have the horeca as their main channel, companies that, working with large-scale distribution and retailers, were able to respond positively to the difficulties of last year, do not stop growing either. Disproportions that become smaller, however, if we look at 2019, a much more interesting reference point for understanding the real dimensions of the evolution of these first 6 months of 2021. The gap is narrower, ranging from substantial breakeven to growth of +20%, with some rare exceptions of those who close in negative territory for a percentage point or two, while the average is +8%. Numbers, it should be emphasized, that are based on the combined effect of the recovery of the domestic market, which is benefiting from the recovery of tourism and catering, and exports, which in reality have never stopped, following different trends in the various markets.
As we told you a few days ago (here) in the WineNews analysis of Istat data on wine exports of the Belpaese in the first four months of 2021, turnover exceeded 2 billion euros, up 4.2% on 2020 (with a clear reversal of the -3.9% trend of the first three months), but especially +5.8% on 2019, the record year, when the total value of exports exceeded 6.4 billion euros. An overall growth, but one that does not apply to all countries, with many important markets still far from 2020 levels, suffering, but recovering slightly from previous months. Like the United States, for example, still at -3.1% on the first 4 months of 2020, or the United Kingdom, the third largest market in value at 170 million euros, but down by -12.1%. Among the most important markets in terms of value, on the other hand, Germany grew by +4.1%, Switzerland did very well (+23%), and France grew by +11%. Same value for Sweden, which, however, lost -12.8%. The highest percentage growth, however, is recorded in China, with a leap of +73%, and Russia seems to be running again, at +34%, for 37 million euros.
Taking a step back, however, at the end of 2020, the turnovers of large Italian companies (analyzed by wine economics signature Anna Di Martino and reported by WineNews) see at the top the two largest cooperatives in the Belpaese: Cantine Riunite & Civ - Gruppo Italiano Vini, with 581.3 million euros in sales (-6.83%), and Caviro Group, at 362 million euros (+10%), and Botter, which closed the year at 230 million euros in sales (+5.99%), the third largest Italian wine group, which will constitute, together with Mondodelvino, which closed 2020 at 117.5 million euros, the second most important group in the sector, following the acquisition of both at the beginning of the year by the Clessidra fund, an investment holding controlled by the Pesenti family. Remaining in the restricted group of 21 wineries able to turnover more than 100 million euros in 2020, for a total of 3.93 billion euros (in line with 2019 turnovers), in fourth place, here is Marchesi Antinori, with 214.5 million euros (-12.7%), then, still from the cooperative world, Cavit, at 209.7 million euros (+9.58%). Huge leap forward for Italian Wine Brands, which arrives at 204.3 million euros in sales in 2020, 29.7% more than 2019.
At position no. 8 Enoitalia (200.8 million euros, +0.75%), then Gruppo Mezzacorona (193.6 million euros, +3.73%) and Zonin 1821 (189.5 million euros, -7.55%), closing the top ten. Then, in the group of companies able, despite the pandemic and the consequent economic crisis, to invoice more than 100 million euros even in 2020, Gruppo Santa Margherita (172 million euros, -9.22%), La Marca Vini e Spumanti (152.9 million euros, +8.59%), Terre Cevico (127.3 million euros, +3.95%), Cantina di Soave (121 million euros, -11.03%), Schenk Italian Wineries (118 million euros, +6.16%), Mondodelvino Group (117.5 million euros, +5.7%), Marchesi Frescobaldi (110.7 million euros, -12.49%), Contri Spumanti (107.3 million euros, +13.41%), Ruffino (106.3 million euros, -20.19%), Collis Veneto Wine Group (105 million euros, -3.67%) and Gruppo Vi. V.O. Cantine (101.1 million euros, -5.96%).