The Italian wine sector closed 2025 with a moderate decline in exports compared to the record-setting year of 2024.
Despite the negative trend, the results reveal a sector that remains resilient in the face of multiple global challenges, including trade tensions, economic instability, and changing consumer behavior.
According to data from Italy’s national statistics institute ISTAT, analyzed by WineNews, Italian wine exports reached EUR 7.7 billion in 2025, representing a 3.7% decrease in value compared to 2024. Export volumes also declined slightly, totaling 2.1 billion liters, down 1.8% year-on-year.
Although the numbers confirm a slowdown, the decline appears relatively contained considering the strong comparison base of 2024, which was a record year for Italian wine exports. The global wine market in 2025 faced several headwinds, including reduced consumption in many countries, rising competition from alternative beverages, health-related concerns around alcohol consumption, geopolitical tensions, and currency fluctuations such as the depreciation of the US dollar.
Sparkling Wines Show Greater Stability
Among the different wine categories, sparkling wines performed relatively better than still wines. Exports of sparkling wines reached EUR 2.3 billion, a decrease of 2.5% in value, while volumes actually increased slightly by 0.68%, reaching 553.2 million liters.
This trend reflects the continued global popularity of sparkling wine styles, including Prosecco and other Italian sparkling wines, which have been expanding their presence across international markets in recent years.
The United States: Still the Leading Market but Under Pressure
The United States remains the largest export market for Italian wine, although 2025 brought a notable slowdown. Italian wine exports to the US reached EUR 1.75 billion, representing a 9.1% decline in value, while volumes dropped 6.2% to 339.5 million liters.
Several factors contributed to this decrease. Trade tensions and tariff discussions affected the market environment, while the weaker US dollar made imports more expensive. At the same time, shifting consumption habits and competition from other beverages also influenced demand.
Europe Remains a Key Pillar
Within Europe, Germany confirmed its position as the most important market for Italian wine, with exports reaching EUR 1.14 billion, showing slight value growth of 0.5%. However, volumes declined to 474 million liters, down 3.2%, suggesting a shift toward higher-value wines rather than larger quantities.
The United Kingdom, another major market, also recorded a decline. Italian wine exports to the UK totaled EUR 816.8 million, down 3.8%, with volumes decreasing 2.3% to 254.7 million liters.
Canada remained the fourth-largest market, with imports of Italian wine reaching EUR 420.7 million, representing a 5.8% decrease in value. Interestingly, volumes in Canada increased slightly to nearly 75 million liters, suggesting consumers may be opting for more affordable wine categories.
Meanwhile, Switzerland, traditionally a strong market for Italian wine, saw imports fall below EUR 400 million, reaching EUR 393.2 million in 2025, with volumes declining to 64.4 million liters.
Positive Signals from France and Northern Europe
One of the more surprising developments came from France, Italy’s historic competitor in the global wine market. Italian wine exports to France increased 3.4% in value, reaching EUR 309.7 million, while volumes grew 6.8% to nearly 96 million liters.
Northern Europe also offered some positive results. The Netherlands recorded strong growth, with imports rising 5.5% to EUR 259.6 million, while Sweden saw an increase of 5.2%, reaching EUR 187.5 million.
Mixed Results in Other Markets
Elsewhere, the results were more mixed. Belgium recorded a decline of 6.2%, with imports totaling EUR 217.2 million, while Russia saw a sharp annual decrease of 16%, despite stronger purchases during the second half of the year.
Asian markets remained particularly challenging. Japan recorded a 4.1% decline, while South Korea decreased 2.3%. The most dramatic drop occurred in China, where imports of Italian wine collapsed 25.1%, falling to EUR 66.9 million.
Emerging Markets Offer Limited but Growing Opportunities
In contrast, some emerging markets showed promising growth, albeit from relatively small bases. Brazil, often seen as a future growth market for Italian wine, reached EUR 42.8 million in imports, an increase of 3.7%.
Similarly, India recorded growth of 5.6%, following new trade agreements with Europe. However, the market remains very small for Italian wine, with a total value of just EUR 2.7 million.
A Challenging Outlook but Reasons for Optimism
Overall, Italian wine exports lost approximately EUR 300 million in value in 2025 compared to 2024, with shipments declining by 22.6 million liters.
Looking ahead, the outlook for 2026 remains uncertain. The sector continues to face geopolitical tensions, rising energy costs, and high inventory levels in wineries. However, many industry observers believe the market may stabilize during the year.
Throughout history, wine has repeatedly navigated periods of crisis and transformation. As a product deeply connected to culture, territory, and social life, wine remains a unique beverage. For this reason, many producers and market analysts remain cautiously optimistic that the Italian wine sector will regain stability and possibly return to modest growth in the coming years.
Source: WineNews
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