The (Italian) bubbles are still protagonists of Christmas: 78 million bottles will be uncorked

The tree, the gifts, the lights: Christmas has already arrived and brings with it tables full of traditional dishes and glasses in the air, ready for the celebration toasts. And as far as toasting is concerned, the Italian bubbles are the masters of the scene: according to forecasts by Uiv-Unione Italiana Vini, and Ismea, more than 78 million bottles will be uncorked in Italy during the Christmas period, 6% more than in 2018, 74 million of which are produced in Italy, an increase of 8% over 2018, and the rest imported from abroad, a figure that, on the other hand, drops by 25%.
In the media, every Italian will consume almost 3 bottles of bubbles (2.7 to be precise), considering only the usual consumers of wine that in Italy are 29 million individuals. Abroad, on the other hand, Italian bubbles will exceed 190 million uncorked bottles with a 6% increase over Christmas 2018. In detail, by the end of the year all the main denominations are included in the growth of sales, both classic method as Trentodoc, Oltrepò Pavese and Franciacorta (+ 8% accumulated), as well as those using the Italian method, such as Asti and Prosecco (+ 7%) or from smaller areas, which, in recent years, have seen a recent increase in the production of bubbles, from Abruzzo to Sicily, passing through Tuscany and all of Central Italy.
In terms of export, according to the trends accumulate since the beginning of the year, the figure at the end of 2019 still indicates a growth of +6%, with the United States as a driving force for all national sparkling wine. Some signs of a slowdown in the UK, limited to non-Prosecco sparkling wines, while exports to the German market should close the year with a slight contraction. Good news from the Russian market and especially from the French market, which has become the fourth largest in terms of value, with very strong growth in Prosecco sparkling wines.