Uiv-Vinitaly Observatory, volumes down by 4% and values at -1%
For the Italian wine closes with negative balances in the first quarter of the year on the retail channels of the USA, UK and Germany. One stop, they detect the latest processing carried out by theUiv-Vinitaly Wine Observatory on a NielsenIQ basis, which matches the March result of shelf sales in Italy (-6.1%) and weighs heavily on Italian wineries also in terms of inventories, at +5.1%, with PDOs at + 8.6%.
According to the Observatory, on the three main export markets to suffer the most are, surprisingly, i sparkling wines. Against volumes down by 3% for still wines (814,000 hectolitres). Sparkling wines reach -5% (245 thousand hectoliters), with negative peaks in the UK (-10%) and Germany (-6%). In the USA for now travel is still in moderately positive territory (+1%). Sui still wines, instead, the most conspicuous drop is marked by the United States (-9%). London limits losses to -1% and Berlin marks stalemate. In terms of value, thanks to the rising price lists due to the surplus of production costs, the general balance says -1% (1 billion euros).
Difficult phase for the sector
“The sector is doubly frustrated these days,” said the General Secretary of the Italian Wine Union (UIV), Paolo Castelletti. “On the one hand there is the increasing difficulty of consumers dealing with inflationary pressure. On the other hand, the impossibility for companies to recover from an unprecedented surplus of production costs, starting with those of glass, up 70% in 12 months,” he explained. “We hope that the sector will react in a coordinated way already at the supply chain table convened by MASAF this Wednesday to examine the market situation” she specified.
This is an important appointment in view of a further request to the European Commission for intervention measures aimed at tackling the crisis in the wine sector. “Italian wine companies are convinced that an in-depth analysis is needed with proposals for improvements in the dynamics of the supply chain, even before buffer solutions that come up again with every crisis” he concluded.
Looking at the sales data of the main types of wine – detect theUiv-Vinitaly Observatory – in many cases the sign of the purchasing power crisis. In fact, price increases – even if not sensational – are almost automatically associated with a decrease in sales, with the search for alternative/similar and cheaper products. On the German market this equation is valid for example for Chianti Classico and Chianti or for Primitivo.
But also for Italian sparkling wines where German sparkling or other low-cost Italian products are preferred to Prosecco. On the american market, the negative data embrace all the main Italian productions: from Pinot Grigio to Lambrusco, from Chianti to Piedmontese and Tuscan reds. In UK, sales of Sangiovese-based wines – mostly Tuscan – and those of private label Pinot Grigio plummet. The reason? It has come to cost more than the company-branded version, but Prosecco, both its own brand and that of the distributor, is also falling sharply, while those of Rosé are holding steady.
(Ticker)