“A good vintage, that will allow the Italian wine sector to recover after a difficult year. Production is estimated at 49 million hectolitres, with an increase of 15% compared to last year (42.5 million), which brings Italy closer to the pre-2017 average”. That is what Ernesto Abbona, president of Unione Italiana Vini (Italian Wines Union), said during the presentation of the Italian vintage forecasts – elaborated by Unione Italiana Vini and ISMEA for Osservatorio del Vino (Wine Observatory) – which was organized at the Italian Ministry of Agriculture.
GROWTH AND PROBLEMS
Abbona spoke about “a significant production growth. This outlines an overall positive picture albeit with some critical points, particularly in the South of Italy where the summer was marked by consistent rainfalls. Italian wine farmers, in large part, have been able to face this seasonal trend with attention, timeliness and professional skill, allowing our country to confirm its global leadership in production”.
A NEW STRATEGY FOR ITALIAN WINE
“The 2018 harvest shows a production trend that bodes well for the entire wine sector – said Gian Marco Centinaio, Italian Minister of Agriculture. The Ministry has started the special CMO program for the promotion of Italian wine, setting up the National Committee for PDO and PGI wines. We want to build a new strategy for the sector, as promotion is essential for international markets”.
2018: A GOOD VINTAGE
“The increase in production for the current harvest is important news for Italian wineries. Moreover, it will allow us to recover the negative effects of the sharp reduction recorded in 2017, especially on the exports front – said Raffaele Borriello, general manager of ISMEA. In the first 5 months of 2018, the lower availability of grapes combined with a significant increase in prices led to a 10% reduction in the volume of the Italian wine global exports. There was a significant drop in imports from Germany and the UK, together with France’s overtaking in the US market. However, the recent increase in production should have a positive effect on the recovery of Italian exports, with the possibility of exceeding the threshold of 6 billion euro by the end of the year”.