Wine & large-scale distribution: the balance in Italy is positive, but average values remain low

2.2 billion euros (+7.2% on 2019) for 712 million liters of wine (+5.5%): it is in the Iri data, relating to the whole of 2020, taken up by WineNews, the impact of Covid on wine sales in the Italian large-scale retail trade, to which Italians, with the restaurant industry at a standstill for most of the year, have turned more than in the past not to give up a good toast, despite the difficulties of the pandemic. Important numbers, with the comfort of values that have grown more than values, even if the average price per liter, dividing values by volumes, remains 3.1 euros per liter. And if it is evident that Italians have in any case oriented themselves towards wines of higher value than in the past, it remains evident, at the same time, when the restart of the horeca is fundamental for all those wineries, especially small ones, but not only, focusing on wines of higher value and price. In any case, super and hypermarkets, small free service, and discount stores, as we have often said in these months, have been the real embankment that contained the damages, however huge, on the Italian market.

In detail, PDO wines turned in 1.1 billion euros (+8.2%) and 246.9 million liters of wine, but PGI wines also did well, at 579 million euros (+8.5%) for 184.9 million liters (+6%), but ordinary wines also grew, at 413 million euros (+4%), and representing the largest slice in terms of volume, at 268.6 million liters (+4.7%). Italian fortified and aromatic wines also grew, although with much smaller numbers, at +1.1% in value (36 million euros) and +2.1% in volume (6.1 million liters).

Foreign wines, on the other hand, fared badly, at -8.5% in value (18.8 million euros) and -18% in volume (4 million liters). It should also be noted that wine, as a whole, grew less than the entire spirits sector, which reached 5.8 billion euros in value (+9%) for 1.9 billion liters of product (+7.7%).

Important numbers, however, which are positive, but which reiterate one thing clearly: if the restaurant and out-of-home sectors do not start up again, the future for many Italian wineries is at risk.