November 27, 2008
Spumanti: the Bubbles of Choice

Export figures for 2008 recently released by Coldiretti* show that this holiday season will be one of great celebration for producers of Italian sparking wines who so far seem to have beaten the odds of the current economic crisis, reporting a record 30% growth and the conquest of new and exciting markets.

Figures for the first 8 months of the year speak for themselves: spumanti wines continue to be the product of choice, appreciated the world over for their excellent quality and value ratio. So far more than 150 million bottles of the Made in Italy sparklers—representing more than half of the overall production—have been designated to foreign markets, where the demand continues to grow in the face of the uncertainty of the times and the highs and lows of global stock markets.

A successful and profitable year then in part due to the rapid growth of the UK market, at the forefront with more than twice the shipments in 2007 (+115%), a place usually held by Germany which is still reporting a positive 11% growth, followed by the US with stable numbers reasonably due to the dollar’s low performance. The surprise of year seems to be Spain, a virtually new market for the category, currently boasting 4th place with double the imports (+107%), followed by Russia (+20%), Japan (+5%), and finally France, the only market to show signs of a troublesome decrease (-23%)—perhaps as the French nationalistically turn to Champagne at times of crisis. A natural tendency that can be said for Italians as well, as more turn to household names to ring in the New Year—only 2% of bottles purchased for the occasion are Champagne—thus improving sales on the home front as well.

The boost in global and national demand of recent years has prompted an increase in quality and production—the focus of an upcoming symposium that will take place in Milan on December 10th, on the occasion of the release of the seventh edition of the Bere Spumante (drink spumanti wines) guide—for the first time available in English and renamed Bere Spumante Sparkle 2009 (Cucina&Vini Editrice). The most comprehensive guide on Italian spumanti, it reviews 645 labels from the Valdobbiadene, Trento and Franciacorta territories, awarding excellence with a 5 sphere rating. Among this year’s recipients are :

• Bellavista 1996 Gavi Soldati La Scolca D’Antan Brut 1996
• Bellavista 2002 Franciacorta Gran Cuvée Pas Operé 2002
• Bellavista 2004 Franciacorta Gran Cuvée Rosé Brut
• Ca’ del Bosco 2001 Franciacorta Cuvée Annamaria Clementi Brut
• Ca’ del Bosco 2004 Franciacorta Brut
• Col Vetoraz 2007 Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze Dry

* Coldiretti is a national Italian trade union organization, representing 568,000 member companies in the agricultural sector and relating fields, with 18 regional chapters and 765 local offices throughout the country.