Italian sparkling wines made a splash in 2018.

In 2018, nearly 700 million bottles of Italian sparkling wine, excluding sparkling wines, were sold between the domestic and foreign markets. This was certified in its latest report by the Observatory of sparkling wines (Ovse). Of these, a remarkable 670 million were made using the so-called Charmat method, while just under 30 million were produced following the Classic method. For the three-colored bubbles, these are flattering results that also offer hope for the future.

An absolute record for the value generated at the source in wineries, amounting to 2.23 billion euros, with an average of 3.2 euros per bottle, with 71.5% of the total passing through Italian customs. Italy, in terms of domestic consumption, thus returns to pre-crisis levels, approaching 200 million corks popped in 365 days. Compared to 2017, the global market for all Italian sparkling wines registers a +4.5% in volume (+6.1% abroad) and a +7.1% in total value, while for Prosecco Doc, the increase in total value is +8%, as reported by the data analyzed by Ovse - Ceves, the Observatory of Italian bubbles directed by Giampietro Comolli.

THE DATA ON ITALIAN BUBBLES ABROAD

The United Kingdom confirms to be the top consumer of three-colored bubbles, with 124 million bottles, of which 115 million are Prosecco, continuously growing, even in double digits, over the last 7 years. Following are the USA, which recorded a volume decrease of -4% compared to 2017 but with a turnover increase of +8%, for a total of 105 million bottles, of which 79 are Prosecco. Germany remains stable, lagging behind, with 35 million bottles opened in 2018, of which 25 are Prosecco. Canada is decreasing, as is China, while there is a real boom in the export of Prosecco to France, with Scandinavian countries continuing to grow. Finally, the first estimate of 2018 on the global turnover of Italian bubbles opened in Italy and worldwide shows a new record of 4.9 billion euros.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROSECCO AND SPUMANTE

Prosecco is a leading wine in the world of Italian bubbles and is known abroad, but not everything that is sparkling in Italy is Prosecco. It is important to know that sparkling wine, being a category of wines, can be produced in any area and with any grape variety. Prosecco, on the other hand, which is a Controlled Designation of Origin (DOC) or a Guaranteed Controlled Designation of Origin (DOCG), can only be produced in specific areas of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia and from the Glera, Verdiso, Pinot Bianco, Grigio, or Nero grapes and only with the Charmat method. The Charmat method requires that the second fermentation of the wine takes place in stainless steel tanks and not in bottles. The result is a fresh and aromatic wine, with lower production costs and ready to drink immediately. There is no difference, between Prosecco and sparkling wine regarding the varieties, influenced by the level of sugars present: for both, we talk about dry, brut, and various intermediate shades.
Finally, it is worth noting that not everything that is Prosecco is sparkling. Prosecco can also be made as a sparkling wine, a version with fewer bubbles, or still, completely devoid of bubbles. Naturally, on our portal Spaghetti e Mandolino, you will find a selection of the best Italian bubbles.

A WORLD BEYOND PROSECCO

If Prosecco is a great driver of the Italian sparkling market, we certainly cannot forget two other famous denominations: Trentodoc and Franciacorta Docg. These are, of course, two excellent sparkling wines, top performers of the Classic method, but the general public often struggles to distinguish between them, apart from the geographical production origin.
The wine-growing history of Trentodoc sparkling wine coincides with the insights of Giulio Ferrari. The grape varieties that can be used for Trentodoc without specific restrictions are four: Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Nero, and Pinot Meunier. When we talk about Franciacorta, however, we are in Lombardy, in the province of Brescia, and it is produced with Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, and Pinot Bianco grapes matured for at least 25 months from the harvest, of which at least 18 months in the bottle in contact with the yeasts. Remaining in Veneto, another DOC that is successfully emerging is that of Lessini Durello Doc, a small consortium of Verona-Vicenza consisting of 29 producers.

Francesco Scuderi