Wine: France tops Italy in turnover in 2024, but Made in Italy leads in quantity sold abroad

Brussels – Champagne or prosecco? French red or Italian white? In the traditional French-Italian competition over wine, Italy conquers the market. Still, rivals from beyond the Alps are the ones who cash in, according to data released by Eurostat today (April 28). The data, referring to 2024, show how France is the leading exporter by sales, while Italy is first in terms of the number of bottles sold abroad. 

Therefore, the two different country systems, with their respective ‘Made in’ labels, find a trade compromise whereby each can claim a record. The European Statistical Institute notes that in 2024, France exported dry and bubbly wines worth about 10.9 billion euros, with the value of the same Italian products amounting to just over half (6.4 billion euros). However, Italy holds the record in quantity: Italy sold cases weighing 14 million kilos between white and red wines (10.6 million) and proseccos (3.4 million kilos). France sold bottles weighing 8 million kilos again between dry wines (6.8 million) and sparkling wines (1.2 million).

However, looking at the total volume of alcoholic beverages (beers, bitters, liqueurs, and spirits in addition to wines), which for the EU is worth a total of 29.8 billion euros, France “was by far the leading exporter” in 2024, from the EU to non-EU countries, Eurostat again notes, with a total of €12.1 billion, or 40.6 percent of the total. Italy is second, with 7.5 billion euros (20.2 percent of the EU’s total exports to non-EU countries).

If we look at flows, in 2024, the United States was the leading destination for EU alcoholic beverages, with exports totaling 8.9 billion euros (30 percent of total business volume). Over half of this value, €4.9 billion, is related to wine exports and another €2.9 billion to spirits and liqueurs. Because of these numbers, there has been a great deal of attention from the EU and its states to the tariffs that the United States has threatened on European goods, which are on hold for now, and the appeal of Italian industry players.