Grandi Marchi Forecasts a 4% Drop in 2005/2006 Italian Wine Production
Staff Writer - May 5, 2006
 According to a recent report by Grandi Marchi, the institute which groups various Italian producers from the medium-high market sectors and together invoice over €300 million yearly (check the curent value in other currencies), the Italian output of wine will drop by 4 percent in 2005/2006.
The Italian wine production for the period in consideration is around 52.6 million hectoliters (around 1,390 million gallons), reveals the report entitled 'La forza della viticoltura europea nel mercato globale del vino di qualità', or 'The Strength of the European Viticulture in the Global market of Quality Wines', presented by Grandi Marchi.
Italy is the second European wine producer, following France,which has produced 53.3 million hectoliters (around 1,408 million gallons) of wine, with a 9 percent drop compared to the previous year. The 25 countries of the European Union produced over 173 million hectoliter (around 4,570 million gallons) collectively, or 12 percent less than the previous year.
The Istituto del Vino Italiano di Qualità - Grandi Marchi, or Italian Quality Wine Institute - Great Brands, was founded in 2004. It is an association among producers with established family vine-growing traditions and whose brand is renown internationally.
The 18 producers joined forces to further promote their brands and, at the same time, the whole Italian wine sector and its terroir, from the cool Alps valleys to hot ridges of Sicily. They are:
- Alois Lageder
- Gaja
- Michele Chiarlo
- Pio Cesare
- Ca' del Bosco
- Carpene' Malvolti
- Masi
- Jermann
- Antinori
- Biondi Santi
- Tenute Ambrogio e Giovanni Folonari
- Tenuta San Guido
- Umani Ronchi
- Lungarotti
- Mastroberardino
- Rivera
- Donnafugata
- Tasca d'Almerita.
These families are working to push the envelope for the Italian quality wines on the international markets, developing educational activities and training with the goal of expanding wine knowledge worldwide.
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