Wine market in Italy
On-premise statistics
Quick facts
| Total size by value: | ~€40 bln in consumer prices in 2024 |
| Total size by volume: | ~2.93 bln bottles (2.2 bln liters) in 2024 |
| Consumption per capita per annum: | 56.9 bottles (42.7l) in 2024 (OIV)[1] |
| Average price per bottle: | €13.6 (including both on-premise and on-premise) |
| Total production by volume: | ~5.86 bln bottles (4.4 bln liters) in 2024 |
| Total export volume: | ~2.89 bln bottles (2.17 bln liters) in 2024 |
| Total import volume: | ~280 mln bottles (210 mln liters) in 2023[2] |
| Domestic production share: | ~91.5% |
| Direct-to-consumer share: | ~8% in 2024 |
General information
Modern Italians drink about three times less wine than their ancestors a century ago. However, while a share of those who don’t drink continues to grow, the market is still large. Out of 59 million Italians, 11.7 million (20%) drank wine daily in 2023.[3] It seems that this number is based on a self-reported survey, so in reality it is probably higher.
Many roads to market are available for Italian wineries. According to the survey by Mediobanka, in 2024 one-third of wineries’ sales by value were to supermarket chains, 20% to distributors, 18% to restaurants directly, and 8% direct-to-consumer. DTC shipments remain mostly offline, with the online share accounting for approximately a tenth of them.[4]
About half of Italian wine is produced by cooperatives. Nowadays, there is no significant quality difference between cooperatives and estates.
The on-premise market in Italy has strong regional differences, with local wines overwhelmingly preferred on wine lists. In Puglia, the top varieties in restaurant placements among Italian wines are Primitivo and Negroamaro, with Sangiovese being only in 10th place. In Palermo, the leaders are Grillo, Nero d’Avola and Syrah, with Sangiovese in 9th place and Nebbiolo in 19th. In Naples, they are Aglianico and Fiano among total placements and Aglianico and Falanghina among by-the-glass wines.
Compiled and checked by Ilya Zabolotnov
References
- Chris Mercer, “Which Countries Drink the Most Wine?,” Wine News, Decanter, May 9, 2025, [open in a new window]. ↑
- The Italian Wine Market in 2024: Performance, Key Trends, and Strategic Outlook for Industry Professionals (Vinetur, 2025), [open in a new window]. ↑
- Italy in the Global Wine Market: Evolution and Prospects (Rome Business School, 2024), [open in a new window]. ↑
- Alessia Muraca, “Report Mediobanca 2025: i canali di vendita del vino italiano sul mercato interno e all’export,” beverfood.com, July 16, 2025, [open in a new window]. ↑