Edoardo Freddi International – the leading Italian export management company in the wine sector – presented the observatory that shows data regarding wine preferences during the hottest months of the year.
Undisputed king, not only in Italy, is Prosecco, with production up +25.4 percent in 2021 and +17.8 percent in the first four months of 2022, and exports growing by +27 percent (in 2021, compared to 2020). Its success is largely confirmed in the United States, where it seems to be following an unstoppable growth accompanied by an increasing focus on choosing top labels. According to data from the Prosecco DOC Consortium, exports reached 98.2 million euros. Growth did not stop even during the worst period of the pandemic.
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Pinot Grigio is one of the most popular grape varieties and is confirmed as the most popular denomination in Canada, which increasingly prefers organic, vegan, orange, and sustainable wines. Within the white wines sector, DOC Lugana is in high demand in Germany, while Moscato d’Asti is a hit in China. Together with Asti Spumante, it crossed the 100 million bottle production threshold with a +11% growth over 2020. According to Xinhua News, the leading news agency in China, by 2020 the Chinese low-alcohol beverage market had already reached a value of RMB 20 billion (or $3 billion) and is expected to grow to RMB 74.2 billion (or $11 billion) by 2025. Moscato reflects the tastes of the younger generation and, in particular, the female audience, who prefer low alcohol drinks.
Among the most liked wines from Campania, Falanghina holds a place of honor in Japan. Thanks to its pronounced acidity and aromatic complexity, it fits current wine trends, as shown by the +60% increase in export share over the past five years, along with Campania’s Taurasi and Greco di Tufo wines.
As for the red wine category, Nero d’Avola is particularly popular in South Korea. According to Korea Customs Service data, the Asian country imported $560 million worth of wines in 2021, with a +70 percent increase over 2020. For the first time ever, wine imports to South Korea have crossed the $500 million threshold. This goes hand in hand with Korean consumers’ growing passion for still wines – particularly reds with hints of fruit, simple taste, and higher residual sugar concentration – which make up 55 percent of total purchases.
