The popularity of Italian sparkling wine continues to grow and for the first time the number of bottles exported in 2008 surpassed those being consumed at home.
A report presented Friday at the Italian Spumanti Forum showed that a total of 163 million bottles of Italian bubbly, for a value of 1.4 billion euros, were exported while domestic sales totalled close to 150 million bottles.
The volume of exports of spumante and prosecco was up 10% over 2007.
''This was the first time that the number of bottles exported was superior to domestic consumption and Europe absorbed 74% of total exports,'' Forum Director Giampiero Comoli observed.
''Italy is now beginning to close in on France, which exports some 180 million bottles of bubbly,'' he added.
Despite the increase in exports, Italy remains the third-biggest producer of sparkling wine after Germany with 480 million bottles and France with 435 million.
The production figures mirrored consumption with Germany on top at 585 million bottles, then France a distant second with 266 million and Italy third with 165 million
The same line up regarded per capita consumption with Germany at six bottles a year, France with five and Italy, as well as Spain, with three.
A total of 50 million German say they are bubbly drinkers, compared to 32 million French and 17 million Italians.
The end-of-the-year holiday period remains by far the time when the most sparkling wine is consumed in Italy and this year between 110 and 112 million corks are expected to be popped in 25 days between the end of 2008 and the start of 2009 for an estimated value of 800 million euros.
A total of 12.5 million bottles of the bubbly drunk over the holidays will be imported, 92% French Champagne and Spanish Cava.
