
Cristina Mariani-May believes hospitality is key to ensuring younger consumers will embrace her company’s wines—and Italian wines overall—in the future. The CEO of Banfi, Mariani-May acknowledges the slip in consumption of Italian wine in the U.S. market, but says she doesn’t see “all doom and gloom.” Wine consumption is cyclical and, with the right product and right approach, the industry can generate new enthusiasm from the young customers it is so eager to attract.
“Our strategy with Banfi is really building on authenticity and experiences,” she says. “Hospitality is a big piece of what we do. I’m not just talking about actually visiting the estate, I’m talking about the social media around it, the messaging, the sense of place, the terroir, the female ownership, the sustainability [efforts]. That messaging is what we have to hone in on. And I do believe that experiences are not going away.”
In fact, against a backdrop of declining sales and increased competition, more Italian wineries are welcoming guests to experience their vineyards, wineries, and wines on their own turf. “Post-Covid, many Italian wineries have opened their doors to visitors, making hospitality a significant part of their business,” says Lia Tolaini-Banville, founder of Banville Wine Merchants. “Before, wineries were generally closed to the public, but now they offer incredible wine experiences.” New travel companies have popped up to promote wine tourism and offer wine experiences to visitors, Toliana-Banville says, noting that “many visitors are now adding winery visits to their itineraries.”

Charles Lazzara, CEO and founder of Volio Imports, also notes the importance of tourism—whether involving direct winery visits or not—in generating enthusiasm for Italian wines. “The beauty of selling Italian wines is that Italy has seen a resurgence in American tourism post- Covid-19, so guests are coming back from ‘YOLO’ vacations and asking for wines from all over Italy,” he says. “Aglianico del Vulture from the Basilicata region of southern Italy, wines from the Tuscan coast of Bolgheri, and classic method sparkling Berlucchi Franciacorta are on fire. Sicily has found its stride in terms of consistency and incredible quality vintage to vintage, so we’re seeing our range of Sicilian producers from Mt. Etna to vintage Florio Marsala quickly sold through.”
Gianfranco Sorrentino, co-founder and managing partner of New York’s Il Gattopardo Group, owner of the restaurants Il Gattopardo and The Leopard at des Artistes, also sees the impact. “Most of the wines that our guests order are from Tuscany and Piedmont, mainly because these two regions are very well known,” he says. “However, wines from Etna are becoming almost a trend. We believe the interest in Sicilian wines increased thanks to the strong advertisement of the island in movies and television series, making it a destination for international tourists. The region offers a big variety of wines and surely the great wines from Etna started getting more popular.”
While enthusiasm abounds, the numbers tell a more subdued story. Italy is by far the largest exporter of wine to the U.S., but demand was uneven during the Covid-19 pandemic and faltered further last year. Total shipments of table wine from Italy slumped 11.4% to 22.81 million cases, according to Impact Databank. Italian wines aren’t alone, of course. Wine consumption overall in the U.S. is declining as consumers—particularly young consumers—choose spirits and ready-to-drink products over wine.
Raffaella Alia, strategy and development director at Marchesi Antinori, says fluctuation is typical. “If we look at history, the American market has always had moments in which a type of drink had sudden peaks in consumption, lasting as long as a few years and then drastically reducing as they had developed,” Alia says. “It has always been like this and always will be like this. As we have seen, consumer fashions are born, then grow, and then are naturally replaced by other fashions. Traditions remain, and in this value, Italian wine is irreplaceable.”

The Premiumization Equation
For the past several years, wine marketers have been relying on a trend toward more premium wine to counter the sting of waning wine consumption overall. That was the case for Italian wine as well—and still is by some accounts.
“We are seeing the most growth in wines priced over $20 a 750-ml. in the U.S. market,” says Roberta Corrà, managing director at Gruppo Italiano Vini. “Considering the numbers, we don’t think the premiumization trend is slowing down. We’re seeing double-digit growth in the market among our fine wine brands (averaging $15 a 750-ml. or more), especially those like Poderi Melini from Chianti Classico, Tenuta Rapitalà from Sicily, and Castello Monaci from Puglia.”
Marchesi Antinori’s Alia says the higher end of the market is doing just fine. “Everything that is sold on the shelf around or under $10, all products that are based solely on the ‘low’ price or on the $1-$2 off promotion, are suffering,” she says. “The consumers of quality wines naturally tend to evolve and improve their consumption experiences and rarely go back on quality. Our company is oriented towards these consumers, those who look for origin, identity, consistency, and value in a wine.”
Other marketers, however, are seeing some cracks in the premiumization trend. “We have experienced a gradual slowdown from the strong premiumization growth in 2021 and 2022,” says Ian Downey, executive vice president of Winebow Imports. “While value is always relevant, quality/value offerings represent a greater share of the sales over the last 12 months.”
Inflationary pressures haven’t helped, with many forced to take price increases despite some price sensitivity on the part of the consumers. “Our approach to adjustments based on inflationary influences was patient, like many others, as we hoped things would rebound faster,” says Downey. Still, he says, adjustments were necessary for most producers. “Some partners were able to limit their adjustments or even work to invest in price stabilization during these times to attempt to gain market share.”
Lazzara of Volio Imports says consumers aren’t taking price increases in stride. “Retail brands that were at magic price points like $15, $20, $25, but have slid into new price points with inflation over the past two years have seen customers trade off to stay within their budget or simply buy less of the same wine,” he says. “Restaurants are where guests tend to let it out, but I’ve seen wine lists across the country that were once top heavy ($125-$200 a 750-ml.) move more to the center ($85-$125).”
Demand for Italian wines is still strong, he continues, and suggests a shift to accommodate any price sensitivities. “As an industry we need to push guests into new categories without asking them to take out a loan to buy a glass of wine,” Lazzara says. “In order to do this well, we need the wine to be well-made and well-priced. Italy is a safe haven for exploring wine and not breaking the bank, and stylistically Italy offers wine for every imaginable wine drinker.
Finally, Alessandro Pasqua, North American president for Pasqua Wines, contends that premiumization “is not only a matter of price” as it was some years ago. “The concept of premiumization is getting more intertwined with the terroir,” he says. “Italian wines are undergoing a slow but steady Renaissance which is reshaping its past image as a country producing simple wines. Consumers are starting to look at Italian wines as they look at Italian design and fashion: highly curated products with an Italian flair that gives them a sense of authenticity.”

A Broad Enthusiasm
Mariani-May says the widely acclaimed 2019 Brunellos have buoyed the Banfi portfolio in recent years, but they’re not the only Italian wine in high demand. “The Italian portfolio is doing very well overall, particularly our Chianti range,” she says, noting that all levels—Riserva, Classico, and Superiore—are growing volume. She adds that other wines are also performing well, particularly in the $20-$30 a 750-ml. range because they offer “affordable luxury” for customers.
Downey of Winebow also points to some of Italy’s well-known regions as sources of continuing popularity among consumers. “Broadly, the Veneto, Tuscany, and Emilia Romagna continue to perform,” he says. “More specifically, Tuscany—Brunello, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, and Super Tuscan offerings are still in strong demand. Expansion within Piedmont—Barolo and Barbaresco—have also helped to fuel growth.”
At Sogno restaurant in Woburn, Massachusetts, beverage director Chris Cugini says Italy’s most famous wines resonate with his guests. “As far as reds go, Chianti, Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, and Amarone, as well as ‘Super Tuscans’ continue to be extremely popular,” he says. “Iconic brands such as Antinori, Fontanafredda, Zenato, and Banfi are familiar names for our guests and remain among our best sellers. However, we also showcase somewhat lesser-known brands such as G.D Vajra, Innocenti, and Verrazzano, which are being received extremely well for both their quality and value. As far as white wines go, of course Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc continue to lead the way. We are seeing an increase in demand for wines such as Vernaccia, Vermentino, Falanghina, and even Arneis.” If guests are looking for something a bit unexpected, Sogno’s Cugini suggests labels such as Elizabetta Geppetti’s Fattoria Le Pupille ‘Saffredi’ ($165 a 750-ml.), Paolo Scavino’s cru Barolo ($56), ‘Bricco Ambrogio’ ($185), or Bocale’s Montefalco Sagrantino ($95).
Sorrentino of Il Gattopardo also likes to suggest wines that might not be on a guest’s radar. “Let’s be realistic, not everyone is willing to pay the price of a Brunello Riserva, or a Vintage Barolo,” he says. “But when you have a different product, often made with the same grapes, with similar style, and same aging requirements, you are then able to please your customers and their wallet, exceeding their expectations.
“From Tuscany, besides Brunello and Chianti, we also have other’s great wines like Bolgheri, or wines from Maremma, and wines from the South of Italy like Aglianico Pompeiano and Aglianico Taurasi,” he continues. “And of course, [we have] the wines from the Langhe, like Barolo and Barbaresco, that compete with French wines.” In addition, Sorrentino likes to promote wines from regions that are not particularly well known like Basilicata, Umbria, or Sardinia. “Ciliegiolo di Narni from Umbria, Chiavennasca from Lombardy, Cesanese from Lazio, and Petite Arvine from Valle d’Aosta are few examples of lesser-known grapes that shifted into a huge demand at our restaurant,” he says. “Having these grapes varietals by the glass often gives customers the opportunity to understand and appreciate them.”
Volio’s Lazzara says he appreciates efforts to mix up the selection—to a point. “As much as we’ve seen lists go esoteric, beverage directors and wine buyers cannot leave guests stranded without a great Cabernet-Merlot blend [such as Bolgheri wines],” he says. “Premium glass pours in Italian restaurants justifiably lean hard toward classic categories because guests feel more comfortable spending $20-plus for a glass of something they are confident in. This paves the way for reds from Bolgheri like Argentiera’s Poggio ai Ginepri Rosso, Ornellaia’s Le Volte, and others.”

Beyond Reds
One emerging trend is growing demand for white wines from Italy. “White and sparkling wines are growing in popularity, while red wines are becoming stagnant,” says Massimo Romani, CEO of Argea, a a private firm dedicated to promoting Italian wine. “Specifically, beyond well-known wines like Prosecco and Pinot Grigio, there’s a rising interest in Moscato d’Asti.”
Winebow Imports’ Downey also notes the continuing appeal of sparkling wines. In addition, he sees demand for “interesting and refreshing whites from a wide range of varietals coming from Sardegna, Calabria, Abruzzo, and the Veneto.” And Banville Wine Merchants’ Tolaini-Banville says U.S. consumers are “showing heightened curiosity” about Italian white varietals. “We offer a great variety of delicious autochthonous white varietals that the U.S. audience enjoys discovering, often single varietals from Vermentino in Sardinia or Liguria to Falanghina from Campania,” she says. “These varietals are gaining significant traction and presence in by-the-glass selections on wine lists.”
Last fall, Riboli Family Wines jumped on the white wine trend with the introduction of Riva de la Rosa, a collection of white wines from Italy’s notable wine regions of Piemonte, Toscana, Marche, and Lazio. The line initially included a Vermentino and Gavi at a retail price of $19 a 750-ml. along with a Verdicchio and a Frascati carrying a $16 price tag. More recently, a Sauvignon Blanc ($20) was added to the line.
President and CEO Steve Riboli says the inspiration came from his family’s origins in northern Italy, near Lago d’Iseo, and the lifestyle enjoyed there today. “[The inspiration] came from what Italians are drinking today that they weren’t drinking necessarily, at least to this level of volume, five or ten years ago, and that’s white wine,” he says. “We took these areas in Italy that are heavily visited—when you visit these regions, this is what you will drink. When you go to Rome, you’re going to drink Frascati. When you go to Florence, you’re going to drink a white Vermentino. When you go to Torino, you’re going to drink Gavi. When you go to the Adriatic at the beach, you’re going to drink Verdicchio. And when you go to Venice and you want something different and you don’t want Pinot Grigio, you’re going to drink Sauvignon Blanc.”

Tapping Into Trends
The Riva de la Rosa line expands the Riboli Italian portfolio that is anchored by leading brand Stella Rosa. Stella Rosa bucked the downward trend in 2023, growing 4.8% to 4.15 million cases, according to Impact Databank. The brand consists of some standard Italian varietals as well as flavored semi-sparkling wines ranging from Green Apple and Peach to “spicy” options like Mango & Chili. Stella Rosa retails for $11-$15 a 750-ml.
“I know that we can all lament that the U.S. consumer might be drinking less or that money’s tight,” Riboli says. “But Stella Rosa is a problem solver because we are not only bringing new consumers into the category, but we’re also being able to hold a good price point. We market with a fantastic social media presence and we innovate. We’re always doing something fun because the problem sometimes with the wine industry is we take ourselves so damn seriously.”
Pasqua has also moved beyond the traditional wines—at least in name—although the Black Label Pinot Grigio and the Famiglia Pasqua remain in the portfolio. “U.S. consumers particularly like our unconventional tone of voice and some of the wines we are seeing more enthusiasm for are those where we have dared the most, such as the multi-vintage white Hey French You Could Have Made This But You Didn’t, the 11 Minutes rosé, and the Mai Dire Mai line,” he says.
Other producers are attempting to expand Italian wine’s appeal by embracing some of the broad market trends that are evident in the U.S. market. Argea, for example, recently launched eight new low-alcohol wine labels at the last Vinitaly. Romani says the winery would like to push further but “our options are still limited due to legal restrictions,” he says, noting the production regulations that often require a minimum alcohol content.
Banfi isn’t bowing to these trends. “People are getting healthier, they want less sugar or less carbs,” acknowledges Mariani-May. “We’re not necessarily chasing that better-for-you, low calorie, low carb [options], because we’re still very traditional in how we make wine.”
Corrà says Gruppo Italiani Vini is also sticking to the traditional approach. “We need to leverage the love Americans have for Italy and communicate that Italian wine is Italian culture, it’s part of our heritage and everyday lifestyle,” she says. “At Gruppo Italiano Vini, we have some of the most historic Italian properties in our portfolio, all of which are true representations of the country’s most iconic wine regions. We need to continue to reinforce these traditions at home, while abroad we must prioritize education with a younger generation of wine drinkers, engaging through social media and other digital activations.”