Consumer Trends: More Wine Less Beer
Staff Writer - September 9, 2004
 Thus far this year Italian families have increased their spending on wines and champagnes (+2.6 percent) and decreased it on beer (-4 percent).
Also of note is the 8.3 percent slump in spending on mineral waters. These figures were released by Coldiretti - Italy's farmers' association - based on the ISMEA-AC Nielsen reports for the first half of 2004.
According to Coldiretti, Italian household spending on wine accounts for a significant percentage of family budgets and totals 1.5 billion euros per year. Bottled wines account for 50 percent of the market, and DOC and DOCG wines account for 39 percent whereas bulk wines total just 11 percent.
In the face of a reduction in beer and soft drink sales, wine's performance, despite price hikes, bears signs of encouragement for this year's crop, according to Coldiretti.
This year's wine crop is likely to be a low-yield, high-quality one according to Assoenologi, the Italian enolgists' association. Forecasts are of a 50 million hectolitre yield, possibly one of the lowest in over thirty years.
On the other hand, hot daytime sun and cool nights are providing grapes with the ideal maturing conditions.
The current forecast is for a timely start to the grape harvest, which is expected to last into November.
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