In the realm of Italian wines in the United States, Pinot Grigio and Prosecco reign supreme, closely followed by esteemed reds like Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo, Chianti Classico, and Amarone. These wines lead the pack among the top 150 Italian wines favored by U.S. restaurants, according to a survey conducted by wine2wine Business Forum in collaboration with the website Somm.ai. The survey drew insights from a vast sample of 45,000 restaurants spanning the entire United States and will be presented in detail at the upcoming wine2wine Business Forum in Verona on November 13th and 14th.
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Pinot Grigio has held the affection of U.S. consumers, making it the preferred Italian wine denomination whether on supermarket shelves or restaurant wine lists, with a staggering 20 different labels. Prosecco follows closely behind with 19 labels, while renowned reds such as Brunello di Montalcino (17), Chianti Classico (10), and Amarone (8) complete the top ranks. Of the 150 most prevalent labels, an impressive 91 are red wines, 31 are white wines, and 28 are sparkling wines. The leading Italian region in terms of representation is Tuscany, boasting 56 wines, followed by Veneto (43) and Piedmont (32 labels).
The trio of best-selling wines all come with price tags under $60 (approximately €55) per bottle. Among the 150 chosen labels, 58 command prices exceed $100, while 92 are priced below this threshold. The average price of the most popular Italian wines in U.S. restaurants stands at $148 (roughly €136).
The survey also unveils the top five most expensive Italian wines in U.S. restaurants. Leading the charge is the Barolo Riserva Monfortino by Giacomo Conterno, commanding a lofty price of $1,803. In the second spot is another iconic Italian wine, Brunello di Montalcino from Tenuta Il Greppo di Biondi Santi, priced at $1,213. Joining the elite podium is the Masseto Toscana IGT from Tenuta dell’Ornellaia at $851. Completing the top five is the Amarone della Valpolicella by Romano Dal Forno at $787 and the Solaia Toscana IGT by Antinori at $570.