Italian wine exports outside the EU fell 8.5% despite a slower decline

Italian wine exports to markets outside the European Union remained down in the first four months of 2026, though the decline eased from the pace seen earlier in the year, according to official trade data reviewed by the Unione Italiana Vini observatory.

From January through April, exports to non-EU countries fell 8.5% from the same period in 2025, to €1.36 billion. That was an improvement from the 11% drop recorded in the first quarter.

The United States, Italy’s largest wine market outside Europe, showed a modest sign of recovery in April. Shipments rose 1.6% from April 2025, the first monthly increase after 10 straight months of declines. Even so, exports to the U.S. were still down 15.4% over the first four months of the year, an improvement from the 20.5% decline reported after the first quarter.

Uiv said that from July 2025 through April 2026, Italian wine sales in the U.S. fell 20%, while French wines posted a steeper 29% contraction over the same period.

Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of Uiv, said Italian producers in the U.S. were facing pressure from tariffs, a weaker dollar and what he described as a structural change in drinking habits. He said the American market remained by far Italy’s most important outlet both now and in future planning, and pointed to July 24 as a key date, when the U.S. administration is expected to define a new tariff framework.

While export figures showed some stabilization, U.S. wine consumption remained weak. Based on SipSource distribution data cited by the observatory, total wine volumes consumed in the United States fell 10.1% in the first five months of 2026.

Italian wine performed somewhat better than the broader market, with volumes down 7.3%, helped mainly by sparkling wines, which slipped just 2%. Prosecco was an exception, rising 1.8%.

By contrast, declines for Italian whites and reds were close to double digits overall. Among reds, Uiv said the only positive pockets were wines priced at $20 to $30 at distribution level and, even more clearly, those between $30 and $50. Together, those two price bands account for 13% of Italian red wine sales by volume in the U.S.

Premium white wines priced between $16 and $20 also posted strong growth of 20%, though that segment represents only 5% of total Italian white wine volumes.

The figures matter beyond wine because they offer an early signal for the wider beverage trade about how U.S. consumers are reacting to higher prices, currency pressure and changing drinking patterns. For importers and distributors across alcohol categories, Italy’s slower decline and strength in sparkling and premium segments may point to where demand is holding up best even as overall consumption weakens.