2021 Wine export data: Evaluating Yesterday to Plan for Tomorrow
- 2021 wine export data: what is the state of the art?
- Which countries hold the record for the import of Italian wines?
- The most popular Italian wines abroad
The passion for Made-in-Italy knows no bounds. In 2021, exports of Italian agricultural products marked a significant growth, also in relation to years prior to 2020. A figure above expectations, despite the challenges that many companies have had to endure, and which gives us optimism for a 2022 that promises to be full of new challenges to face.
What do we need to know in order to avoid being caught unprepared? Let’s start with an analysis on the data of Italian wine exports in 2021, which is essential to understand the winning strategies and the foreign markets to target in the near future.
2021 wine export data: what is the state of the art?
Pending the release of final data, let’s begin our analysis on wine exports in 2021 by evaluating what we know about the first eleven months of the year, on the basis of information gathered by the Italian Wine Union Observatory: a record year with an estimated 7.1 billion Euro turnover, and a 12.6% growth compared to 2020 and a 10% growth compared to 2019. 1
It is a quick snapshot of the sentiment of foreign markets with respect to Italian products, which are seen as purveyors of intrinsic quality due to their very origin. And the merit goes first and foremost to the incredible work done in recent years by wineries, which have made the most of the ancient traditions and the overwhelming flavours that make Italian wines unique.
Revenge spending, i.e. the increase in consumption that followed a difficult 2020, also had its impact. Revenge spending is the symbol of our shared desire for recovery, which stimulates the purchase of products we value most, and will accompany us in a year that seems destined to reconfirm current growth trends.
However, in order to understand our data in greater depth, it is worth focusing more on the qualitative elements and taking a look at the countries that have made the greatest difference in the export of Italian wines.
Which countries hold the record for the import of Italian wines?
The 2021 result, even higher than that of 2019, was mainly driven by some countries, which were confirmed among the greatest admirers of wines produced in Italy.
Two countries above all: Germany and the United States alone account for 40% of the export of Italian wines. Exports to Germany, in particular, led to a total turnover of 917 million Euro, and, namely, an increase of 5.7% compared to 2020 and 9.3% to 2019. Germany has always been fascinated by Made-in-Italy quality, and in recent years has shown a growing interest in importing Italian wines.
As far as the rest of Europe is concerned, Northern European and Scandinavian countries stand out, with some emerging and promising poles on which Italian wineries must continue to focus in the coming years for the sale of their wines abroad. We are referring to more recent markets, which, for this very reason, may present some challenges as they often require the support of a commercial agency specialised in export activities in order to achieve greater yields.
Sweden and Norway are among the most interesting of such countries, since, in the first ten months of 2021, they recorded double-digit growth compared to 2019, and namely, +11.4% the former and +24% the latter. 2
The most popular Italian wines abroad
Confirming a trend in continuous growth, Prosecco DOC and Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG have just wrapped up a record year, with respectively 25.4% and 30% of turnover from exports, respectively. Unrivalled numbers in the European sparkling wine market.
Among red wines, we find, unsurprisingly, Tuscan wines, with Brunello and Chianti which continue to record exceptional performances, also thanks to the passion for those unique lands where some of the best Italian labels are born.
Moving further north, among the wines most popular abroad in 2021 we find labels from the Valpolicella area, with Amarone in the lead, as well as those of the Piedmont wine tradition, in particular Barolo and Barbaresco. 3
In short, last year testifies to the extraordinary ability of Italian companies to successfully meet one of the greatest challenges of our time. This success fuels the impulse to do more and to do better, together.
As we, at Vianello Wines, like to say: “The wonder of Italian know-how cannot be retained, it must be handed down and shared, in an authentic, original, passionate way”.
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Sources:
3. https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/l-anno-d-oro-vino-italiano-l-export-ha-superato-7-miliardi-AE95HXAB
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