A ‘difficult’ half-year for Italian wine, with exports down by 6.2 per cent
Nine of the top ten destinations – from the US to Germany and the UK – are in negative territory. Only Russia is bucking the trend (+15.7 per cent). Positive signs from China and Mercosur. Sparkling wines are holding up well
Key points
Italian wine continues to face a difficult period. In the first half of 2026, overseas sales (one in every two bottles of Italian wine is sold abroad) suffered a further setback, falling by 6.2 per cent in value (to €3.6 billion) and by 4 per cent in volume. This was highlighted today by the Italian Wine Union’s Observatory, based on Istat data.
Sales down in 9 of the top 10 markets, rebound in Russia
A decline that is becoming increasingly worrying as the months go by. In June 2026, in fact, Italian wine recorded negative results in 9 of the top 10 markets, with the sole exception of Russia (where sales surprisingly rose by 15.7 per cent).
It’s not worth the effort to cut prices
The figures therefore show that the efforts of Italian producers – who are trying to limit the damage and, above all, maintain their market share by offering some concessions on prices – are not paying off. Average export prices for Italian wines fell by 2.3 per cent last June, with a worrying low of 7.8 per cent in the United States. This decline is driven by attempts to absorb the impact of tariffs on what remains the main market for Italian wine.
Frescobaldi: the sector needs a systemic reorganisation
“The Italian wine sector – as, indeed, the other major wine-producing countries – is suffering from a structural decline in global demand, exacerbated by cyclical factors linked to purchasing power and geopolitical tensions,” commented Lamberto Frescobaldi, President of the Italian Wine Union. We are convinced of the need to tackle these difficulties through a systemic reorganisation of our sector, recognising the socio-economic value it represents.”
Small signs of improvement during July and August
Furthermore, according to the Uiv Observatory, the market shock of the last 12 months could, however, show a slight improvement, barring any further complications arising from international tensions. Already in the two-month summer period of July and August, provisional figures for non-EU markets are set to recover, with a double-digit rebound in the United States compared with the disastrous same period in 2025.
