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Italian Wine exports grow 68%

Italian Wine exports grow 68%

Florence, July 9 - In the USA in the 70s it used to be easier to find Italian wines at a student party than on the menus of the country's finest restaurants.

Although the Bel Paese has always made great wines, but 30 years ago the focus was on producing as much as possible to satisfy the demands of the lower end of the market.

Winemakers like's Piero Antinori have started to pay attention on quality, reducing yields when necessary and adopting modern techniques like the use of steel fermenting containers.

In return they have been receiving strong sales by a public that started taking its wine more seriously than ever.

Their success encouraged others to follow and started off an honorable circle.

Italian wine got better and better, which boosted its popularity, standing and price on the international market, which pushed more producers to make quality their main aim.

A US magazine Focus commented last year: "the quality of Italian wine is improving at a palate-pleasing rate".

A report put forward this week confirmed the progress that has been made.

The report, prepared by the Unioncamere association of Italian chambers of commerce, showed that Italian wine exports went up 68% between 1995 and 2005.

Sales around the world were worth $3.38 billion in 2005 and Italy has 18% of the international wine market, second only to France with 35%, according to the report.

"We pulled this achievement off in the best possible way, showing that innovation can be combined with tradition as long as the bar of quality is lifted to make us more competitive".

And while American students now have to look for cheaper options for their parties, Italian wine is flourishing at the upper end of the US market.

Exports to the United States - Italian wine's biggest market - are expected to set a new record this year after breaking the $1 billion threshold in 2006, according to the Italian Wine and Food Institute.

Experts say part of the success is down to the fact that Italian wine-producers have become more skilled at marketing their produce on international markets in recent years.

The recent growth of Italian wine popularity has attracted some celebrities from the world of business and entertainment.

Time-Warner CEO Richard Parsons recently acquired the Tenuta Il Palazzone vineyard in Montalcino, musicians Mick Hucknall of Simply Red and Jim Kerr of Simple Minds both have vineyards on Sicily, while French actress Carole Bouquet has a vineyard on the island of Pantelleria.

Legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan has lent his signature to a wine produced at his request that has turned out to be a hit. Created by the Le Terrazze winery in the Marche, it was named after his 1974 album Planet Waves.

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