IN BREVE
- The Wine Monitor report highlights how geopolitical tensions and slowing consumption are driving Italian wine toward new emerging markets.
- Wine imports in 13 emerging countries have increased by an average of 7.1% annually, reaching €1.7 billion.
- Poland, the Czech Republic, and Mexico are confirmed as the most attractive markets for Italian wine, recording continuous growth in imports.
- Bottled still and semi-sparkling wines represent 58% of exports, while sparkling wines, led by Prosecco, are growing in popularity.
- Nomisma emphasizes the importance of diversifying markets to compete effectively on a global level.
Geopolitical tensions, slowing consumption, and the impact of tariffs in the United States are driving Italian wine toward new markets. This emerges from the new report by Wine Monitor, the Nomisma Observatory dedicated to the wine sector, which analyzes the opportunities offered by 13 emerging countries where wine imports have recorded significant growth over the past five years.
The monitored markets include Angola, Bulgaria, Colombia, Ivory Coast, India, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Mexico, Peru, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Thailand. According to the report, total wine imports in these countries have increased by an average of 7.1% annually between 2019 and 2025, reaching a value of €1.7 billion in the last year.
“Considering the decline in wine consumption that has long affected established markets, to offset the drop in exports that has been recorded for several years in these countries, it is necessary to identify new outlets, overcoming reservations and stereotypes that sometimes influence the internationalization strategies of our producers,” comments Denis Pantini, Head of Wine Monitor at Nomisma. “This is why it is essential to identify the markets with the greatest development potential, detect signals of change in consumer preferences and demand structure, and develop a solid, long-term strategy.”
POLAND, CZECH REPUBLIC, AND MEXICO AMONG THE MOST ATTRACTIVE MARKETS
The 13 countries analyzed currently represent approximately 5% of the global value of wine imports. A figure that takes on significance considering the economic profile of these areas, characterized by economic growth, urbanization, and strengthening of the middle class.
According to Wine Monitor, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Mexico are the most attractive markets, with shares close to 1% of global wine imports. In these contexts, interest in premium products and imported wines is growing, supported by evolving consumption patterns and greater international openness.
As for Italian wine, exports to the 13 emerging markets reached a value of €405.6 million in 2025. Compared to 2024, growth was 4.3%, while the average annual rate between 2019 and 2025 stands at 11.4%, higher than that of total wine imports.
Poland, the Czech Republic, Mexico, and Romania lead the ranking of the main importers of Italian wine among the target markets. All countries show increases in imports, with the exception of Angola.
SPARKLING WINES GROWING, PROSECCO STRONG IN EASTERN EUROPE
The most exported category remains bottled still and semi-sparkling wines, which represent 58% of the total value of Italian exports to emerging markets. However, compared to 2019, their share has decreased from 61%, while the share of sparkling wines has grown, rising from 32% to 37%.
For bottled still and semi-sparkling wines, the highest growth in the 2019-2025 period is recorded in Thailand, followed by Angola and Romania. On the sparkling wine front, Morocco, Colombia, and again Thailand stand out.
Among Italian denominations, Prosecco is confirmed as a protagonist especially in Eastern European countries. According to the report, in the 13 emerging markets there are no contractions in either value or volume in the medium term, with triple-digit growth between 2019 and 2025.
For Asti, the main emerging markets are Poland, Mexico, and Peru. Romania records the highest growth over the five-year period, while Africa and India remain marginal for this type.
VENETO, TUSCANY, PIEDMONT, AND SICILY DRIVE PDO EXPORTS
Eastern Europe represents one of the most dynamic areas also for Italian PDO wines. Veneto white PDO wines find outlets especially in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria. For Tuscan still red PDO wines, Thailand stands out, confirming itself as the third most important emerging market and recording a doubling of imports between 2019 and 2025.
Piedmontese red PDO wines see the Czech Republic, Poland, and Mexico among the main destination markets. In particular, the Czech Republic exceeds €3 million in imports, doubling the value of purchases over the five-year period.
Good performance also for Sicilian white PDO wines, supported especially by Poland, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria. For Sicilian red PDO wines, the most dynamic markets are Poland, the Czech Republic, Mexico, and Thailand.
NOMISMA: “DIVERSIFYING MARKETS IS STRATEGIC”
“In a global context characterized by high uncertainty—due to economic, geopolitical, and climate factors—and by ongoing changes in consumer behavior, systematic monitoring of emerging markets takes on an increasingly strategic role,” concludes Pantini. “To guide the internationalization strategies of wine companies, increasing the market diversification that is increasingly necessary to compete successfully on a global level, Wine Monitor represents an indispensable tool for understanding the evolution of demand and identifying areas with the greatest potential.”
