Italy achieved a strong gain in its exports of sparkling wine between January-March this year and a marginal rise in its shipments of still wine over the same period. The country’s overall export volumes of still wine remain massively ahead of those for sparkling. In sparkling wine, the country boosted its overall sales 19% to 43.47 million litres in the first three months of this year.
The US was the leading destination over the period, upping its purchases 23.8% to 8.78 million litres. Shipments to second top market, the UK, surged 36.5% to 8.71 million litres while those to third biggest buyer, Austria, escalated by a massive 203.8% to 3.98 million litres. As regards exports to the British market, Italian sparkling wine volumes to the country increased markedly in the first quarter of the last three years, going from 4.67 million litres in Q1 2012 to 6.38 million litres in Q1 2013, and rising again in the same period this year.
Germany remains a key destination for Italian sparkling wine, but its volumes declined 28.5% to 3.57 million litres. Russia was the fifth biggest market, although its off-take was 33.9% lower at 1.81 million litres. However, sixth largest buyer, France, raised its purchases 48.7% to 1.71 million litres. In still wine, Italy increased its shipments 0.24% in the first three months of this year to 279.8 million litres. The still category remains the primary export product from the country’s wine industry.
Germany was the top market at 63.8 million litres, a 3.8% rise on the same period of 2013. Shipments to the US dipped 7.6% to 57.9 million litres while those to the UK were 0.7% down at 45.9 million litres. Canadian off-take was also lower at 14 million litres – an 8% fall from earlier.
However, Switzerland increased its volumes 9.4% to 10.3 million litres and France raised its purchases by 21% to 10.24 million litres.
Post by Davide Ghilotti
