Restaurants and winebars, the amount of wine purchased for consumption outside the home increases

The wine business in restaurants is returning to pre-Cvid levels, but above all it is bucking the trend of domestic consumption. According to Nomisma, the share of bottles drunk outside the home in Italy is 32% of the total compared to 33% in 2019 and 25% in 2021. This is a figure that should be read in the light of two trends: on the one hand the decrease in wine purchases in supermarkets (-3.3% last year compared to +2.5% in terms of euros spent, amounting to 3 billion). On the other hand, the recovery of eating out despite the drop in the purchasing power of households: according to Fipe Confcommercio, in fact, the turnover of the horeca exceeded 92 billion (+7% per year).

A trend that also bodes well for the future for wine producers and the entire distribution chain over which margins are spread, which is far greater than those developed in retail. For a turnover estimated at around 7.5 billion, including foreign countries (the figure includes the earnings of wholesalers, intermediaries and final sellers and compared to the 14-15 billion in total turnover of Italian wineries). "The trend in the medium and long term seems to be set. If purchasing power is recovered," comments Denis Pantini, head of Nomisma Wine Monitor, "the prevailing trend will see out-of-home consumption grow, also because the share of consumers who drink wine on a daily basis, especially among young people, is shrinking. The resilience of restaurants is a breath of fresh air for small wineries that are often linked to local venues where they are more profitable and easier to access".

This is an international trend that will also be good for exports, which in 2023 saw a 1% drop in volume after the post-Covid sprint. "Even on foreign markets, with a few exceptions, it is difficult for sales to reach the levels of the off trade (in shops, ed.)," Pantini continues. For example, in the US, the share is less significant than we think. The margins on the single bottle of the most prestigious labels on restaurant wine lists do not directly move the bulk of the business, but it is undeniable that the restaurant sector plays an ambassadorial and driving role for the entire sector'.

According to the Centro studi Italgrob (Italian Federation of Horeca Distributors) based on Circana data, wine was one of the driving categories for beverage distributors for the third year running: 2023 closed with a volume increase of 5.1%, which brings the overall development compared to 2019 to 29.4%: "three times higher than the growth in volume of the sector", the Centro studi emphasise. The driving force came from sparkling wines (+7.8%, with Prosecco at +26%), while still wines achieved 4.8% growth, led by Vermentino, Lugana and Pinot Grigio among whites and Primitivo, Lambrusco and Montepulciano among reds. In terms of value, growth was 5.8% compared to 2022, "with a price increase contribution (+0.7%) limited compared to the inflationary dynamics observed in other categories and channels".

All is not serene on the horizon, however: "While 2023 closed more than positively, the months following the summer showed the first slowdowns," says Antonio Portaccio, president of Italgrob. The beginning of 2024 confirms this trend with wine stable in volumes compared to 2023 and bubbles down just under 1 per cent. The reference market is alive and dynamic but evolving, so we are faced with a different consumer. Consequently, our companies have to adapt in order to give the right answers. Analysing and understanding the world that exists behind a bottle on a restaurant table represents that fine line that marks the future of horeca distribution'.