Italian Supermarkets Report a 5.4% Drop in Frizzante Wine Sales

Italian supermarkets are seeing a deeper slump in frizzante wines, the lightly sparkling category that has long filled an everyday drinking role, even as sales of fully sparkling wines continue to rise.

In the first half of 2026, frizzanti sales in Italy’s large retail channel fell 5.4% by value, according to an analysis published by Unione Italiana Vini on Sept. 3. Over the same period, total wine sales in the channel were down 1.2%, while sparkling wines posted a 2.9% increase. The gap suggests that frizzanti are facing more than a short-term slowdown tied to household budgets.

The industry group said the category’s problem is not only price. Data and retailer comments cited in the report point instead to a broader loss of relevance, with fewer clear occasions for consumers to choose frizzante over other drinks. That matters for producers, supermarket chains and distributors because it can influence shelf space, promotions and pricing decisions across the Italian beverage aisle, especially when one wine segment is losing value while another is gaining.

The findings draw on contributions published in Il Corriere Vinicolo and on market analysis from Circana, along with views from executives at Conad and Pam Panorama, two major Italian retailers. Together, they describe a category that appears to be losing its old place in daily consumption without yet finding a new role with younger shoppers.

Virgilio Romano of Circana, as cited in the report, said frizzanti are the most exposed segment in the wine business. He pointed to different pressures inside the category. Lambrusco, one of the country’s best-known lightly sparkling wines, has been hurt by the erosion of everyday drinking habits. White and rosé frizzanti, meanwhile, have lost ground as consumers increasingly choose sparkling wines instead.

That shift is also visible in promotions. According to the figures cited by Unione Italiana Vini, more than 41% of frizzante volumes are sold on promotion, but that share is falling. In sparkling wines, the promotional share is close to 52% and still rising. The report said that in some cases a discounted sparkling wine can sell for the same price as a full-price frizzante, while still carrying a more festive and current image for consumers.

That image problem appears central to the downturn. Sparkling wines are seen as better suited to social occasions and more likely to make an impression, according to the analysis. Frizzanti, by contrast, remain tied to older habits and a more traditional identity. Even when prices stay stable, that positioning can weigh on demand.

Executives at Conad and Pam Panorama, as cited in the report, said the decline in frizzanti is showing up not only in value, but also in volumes and units sold. Average prices, they said, have remained broadly stable, which supports the idea that the category’s weakness cannot be explained simply by inflation or aggressive price increases.

The report also argues that discounting is no longer enough to reverse the trend. Promotions may protect some sales in the short term, but they are not rebuilding base demand. That is an important issue for retailers because frizzanti have traditionally been a supermarket-driven category. If the product no longer brings repeat purchases or regular traffic, chains may rethink how much space it deserves compared with sparkling wine, beer, ready-to-drink products or other beverages competing for the same casual consumption occasions.

Packaging changes have offered little relief so far. The 1.5-liter bottle format is losing ground, according to the report, and canned versions remain marginal. Both formats have been discussed in the trade as possible ways to modernize the category or attract younger consumers, but the data cited by Unione Italiana Vini suggest that neither has become a meaningful growth driver.

Another challenge is the fragmented nature of the frizzante market. The report describes the category as strongly regional. Lambrusco and Prosecco have wider national distribution, while wines such as Pignoletto, Bonarda, Ortrugo and Ribolla tend to remain anchored to local markets. That regional identity can be a strength, especially in a country where local food and drink traditions still matter, but it can also make it harder to build a clear national message or a unified strategy in modern retail.

For some producers and chains, that may point to a more targeted approach. The report suggests that local identity could become part of the recovery path if it is backed by assortments that make sense for each market, dependable quality and new consumption settings. In practical terms, that could mean placing frizzanti more clearly alongside aperitivo occasions, casual meals or low-alcohol social drinking, rather than relying on the category’s past role as a default everyday wine.

The bigger issue may be generational. Frizzanti still have traits that fit current consumer preferences: they are generally approachable, easy to drink and often lower in alcohol than some other wine styles. They can work well in relaxed, social settings. Yet the category continues to be perceived as less aspirational than sparkling wine and more tied to older patterns of consumption.

That perception is especially important in Italy’s supermarkets, where shoppers are often making fast comparisons between products with similar price points. If a sparkling wine carries stronger emotional value at the shelf, producers of frizzanti may struggle to recover demand even without major price disadvantages.

For the broader drinks sector, the Italian supermarket data add to a wider commercial question. When consumers cut back on routine purchases but still spend on products linked to celebration, image or convenience, categories in the middle can lose their footing. In that environment, wine suppliers may have to spend more carefully on promotions, retailers may adjust assortments, and local producers may need to sharpen the identity of wines that once sold on habit alone.

Unione Italiana Vini’s assessment is that the category will not return to growth simply by changing its marketing message. The harder task, it said, is to give frizzanti a real place in new consumption habits, especially among younger adults who are no longer adopting the everyday wine routines that supported the segment for years.