In the U.S., Italian sparkling wines have overtaken French ones in both volume and value for the first time. This shift, revealed just before the Vinitaly.USA event in Chicago (Oct 20-21, 2024), comes from an analysis by the UIV-Vinitaly Observatory based on SipSource data from August. The report will be presented at the first U.S. event dedicated entirely to Italian wines. Italian sparkling wines now hold 35% of the market, compared to 31% for French wines and 28% for American brands.
The Observatory attributes this milestone mainly to the continued rise of Prosecco, which has now surpassed Champagne in market share (28% versus 26%). The popularity of Prosecco has boosted the entire category of Italian sparkling wines, now representing 37% of Italy’s wine sales in the U.S. (35% by volume). Between January and August, Italian sparkling wines were the only ones to see an increase in sales (+1.5%), while the overall sparkling wine market fell by 13%. Even in the Prosecco vs. Champagne showdown, Prosecco has maintained a clear lead in 2024, with sales up 2.2% while Champagne saw a decline of 15.3%.
The upcoming Vinitaly.USA event at Chicago’s Navy Pier will feature over 230 exhibitors across 13,000 square meters, offering more than 1,650 labels for tasting. “We expect a lot from this fair,” said Veronafiere CEO Maurizio Danese, “and so do the 230 Italian companies joining us. Facilitating business is the priority now, and we believe Vinitaly.USA can become the premier trade event for this market, helping to attract more operators to Vinitaly Verona.”
Vinitaly.USA, in partnership with the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), is also dedicating significant time to market discussions with a two-day Wine Business Forum. Last year, Italian sparkling wine sales reached 936 million bottles globally. Over the past decade, Italian sparkling wine exports to the U.S. have tripled in value, rising 351% to nearly €500 million in 2023.
