ISTAT data show an overall decline in exports in the first seven months of 2025: -0.9% in value and -3.4% in volume, equal to €4.63 billion and 1.23 billion liters. The main contributing factor is the slowdown in the US market, the main outlet for Italian producers, penalized by the new 15% tariffs introduced in August. In the US, Italian wine exports lost 28% in value in the summer two-month period, despite producers' efforts to lower average prices by 17%.
Despite the challenges, Prosecco PDO continues to drive the sector: 10.2% in value in the first seven months of 2025, with exports worth over €1 billion, accounting for 77.7% of Italian sparkling wine sales. France also performed well, with imports of Italian sparkling wines growing by 7.3%, while the United Kingdom remained a stable market.
The global wine landscape remains tense: overall exports are declining, grape prices are falling by up to 50% in some regions like Umbria and Tuscany, and Italian wineries are struggling with excess inventories. Profitability challenges and the decline in domestic consumption—currently just over 30 liters per capita annually—are forcing the sector to rethink its economic models.
At the same time, the importance of wine tourism and innovation strategies is growing: new forms of sustainable packaging, "no- and low-alcohol" wines, and private labels are becoming tools to attract a more informed and selective consumer. However, Europe is still slow to transform wineries into true tourist destinations: only 49% of European companies have offered wine tourism activities for more than ten years, compared to 60% in the rest of the world.
The restaurant sector, after the post-pandemic euphoria, is seeing a decline in volumes but maintaining revenues thanks to the increase in average prices (10%). White wines and sparkling wines are holding up better than reds, while awareness is growing of the need to offer accessible quality and make wine "cool" for younger generations as well.
Despite the shadows, Italian wine remains a pillar of the national identity and economy: first in import share to the United States (38%) and a cultural symbol at the NIAF 50th anniversary celebrations in Washington DC. The difficulties of 2025 do not erase the excellence of the wine system, but they do require an evolution: greater efficiency, sustainability and innovation to remain competitive in an increasingly selective global market.
