The “treasure” (millionaire) of the Italian denominations. A “game” between economy and wine

Over 1 billion of wine is kept in the Prosecco Doc cellars, nearly half a billion euros in the barrels of Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino. It emerges from what is to be understood as a “statistical game” made from the intersection of the latest data updated as of February 28 by Cantina Italia, the report of the Ministry of Agriculture draw up by the Icqrf, and the recent data on the price of the bulk collected from the official quotations of the Chambers of Commerce (taking a reference value, without taking into account the specific value of the individual vintages in stock, which differ from one denomination to another, ed). An exercise that, in some ways, far from wanting to be a precise reference of the value of the products affected by a thousand other factors (from that of the labels and brands with which the wine arrives on the market, first of all, but not only) gives an approximate picture of the “economic power” of some of the most important Italian denominations on the wine market in terms of size or coat of arms.
And so, for example, starting from Prosecco Doc, considering the total 4.3 million hectoliters declared in stock, with a price that, according to the Terviso Chamber of Commerce, varies between 230 and 250 euros per hectolitre, the “treasure” represented by the value of the most famous Italian sparkling wine in the world, would oscillate between 1 and 1.09 billion euros while multiplying the 773,193 hectoliters of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Docg, for values between 280 and 310 euros per hectolitre, a dowry between 216 and 239 million euros comes out. Remaining in Veneto, looking at the most important red of the Region Amarone della Valpolicella which, according to Cantina Italia, is in stock for 390,140 hectoliters, a value between 362 and 375 million euros appears, considering the quotation of the Chamber of Commerce of Verona, which range from 930 to 960 euros per hectolitre for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020. And again, taking into consideration one of the whites wine of the moment such as Lugana, we arrive at an estimate between 85 and 87 million euros “in the cellar”, between 243,003 hectoliters declared in storage, and the values indicated between 350 and 360 euros per hectolitre. In Piedmont, instead, “his majesty” Barolo has 546,230 hectoliters in stock and relies on the values of the 2017 vintage, according to the Cuneo Chamber of Commerce, between 796 and 858 euros per hectolitre, a “heritage” of 434 and 468 million euros. While talking of the most “pop” wine of the Region, Barbera, in its most representative version, Barbera d’Asti, the prices of the Chambre of Commerce of Alessandria ranging from 115 to 160 euros per hectolitre, with the values in the cellar that would fluctuate between 50 and 69 million euros. In Tuscany, the richest territory, of course, is that of Brunello di Montalcino. In stock, according to Cantina Italia, there are 427,849 hectoliters. And taking as reference the value of the 2017 vintage reported by the Siena Chamber of Commerce, between 950 and 1,150 euros per hectolitre, we arrive at an estimated value of between 406 and 492 million euros. In Chianti, instead, the broadest denomination in Tuscany, ranges from 174 to 224 million euros, calculated by multiplying the 1,246,282 hectoliters in stock, by values ranging from 140 to 180 euros per hectolitre, while in Chianti Classico the stock, which as of February 28, 2022 were 863,437 hectoliters, with minimum values of 265 euros per hectolitre and maximum values of 330 for the years 2017 to 2021, would be worth between 228 and 284 million euros. While in Bolgheri, one of the fittest territories on the markets at the moment, considering stocks of 116,063 hectoliters, and a value of around 850 euros per hectolitre (value declared by the Doc Bolgheri and Doc Bolgheri Sassicaia Wines Consortium), it exceeds 98 million euros. There are just a few examples of what can be considered nothing more than a “divertissement” linked to the wine economy. But which, in some way, says once more what widespread wealth the wine production of Italy represents.