Yet the numbers tell a different story.
According to the ilGolosario Wine Tour Observatory, analyzing approximately 1,700 Italian companies, over 60% of wineries have seen an increase in direct sales thanks to wine tourism activities.
This is a huge number.
This means that wine is no longer purchased only on shelves or through distributors and importers.
More and more often it is purchased directly where it grows.
The modern consumer wants to live an experience.
He wants to visit the vineyards.
He wants to know the manufacturer.
He wants to understand the territory.
He wants to eat, taste, photograph and share.
In fact, 82% of visitors choose itineraries that combine:
Wine thus becomes an integral part of a tourist ecosystem.
Italy has an extraordinary competitive advantage.
No other country can offer simultaneously:
Many Italian wineries are still only exploiting part of this potential.
And this is where one of the key growth opportunities for the next decade lies.
Rather than increasing production, we need to increase the value of experience.
Those who visit a winery often become loyal customers for years… and this is worth much more than a single sale.
