Italian supermarket wine sales fell 9.7% from 2019 to 2026, Coop says.

Wine sales in Italy’s supermarket channel are coming under pressure from health-conscious consumer habits, even as the category keeps a strong appeal tied to quality, discovery, and social occasions, according to the Coop 2026 report on consumption and lifestyles presented Thursday in Milan.

The study, prepared by the research office of Ancc-Coop, the national association of consumer cooperatives, points to a clear shift in the way Italians approach alcohol. Data highlighted by Coop for WineNews show that over the 2019-2026 period, wine sales fell by 9.7% in volume in large-scale retail, while the Champagne and sparkling wine segment rose by 20.9%.

The figures suggest that consumers are not abandoning the category altogether, but are changing what they buy and how often they drink it. The report says wine is being affected by broader wellness trends that are reshaping food and beverage purchases in Italy and abroad. Those trends are not limited to wine, but extend across alcoholic drinks more generally.

Looking ahead, the report says the outlook for alcohol consumption is weak. Among Italians surveyed, 42% said they expect to reduce their alcohol intake over the next 12 to 18 months, while only 2% said they expect to increase it. The intention to cut back is strongest among Baby Boomers, at 47%, but it appears across every age group measured. The share is 44% among Gen X respondents, 42% among Gen Z, and 33% among Millennials.

The study also suggests that lower alcohol consumption is moving beyond personal choice and becoming a broader social norm. Some 17% of Italians said they believe reducing alcohol use will be one of the diet and wellness trends that spreads within their own social circle. That finding places wine and other alcoholic beverages inside a wider debate around health, weight control, and lifestyle discipline.

The report links those attitudes to a stronger focus on body weight and physical well-being. An infographic in the Coop 2026 report says 63% of Italians are keeping an eye on their weight. Asked how they pursue that goal, 43% identified sports and physical activity as their main strategy, while 36% pointed to changes in diet. In that setting, alcoholic drinks face a more difficult market because they are increasingly judged not only on taste and tradition, but also on their perceived effect on physical and mental well-being.

Albino Russo, director general of Ancc-Coop and curator of the report, said the decline in wine consumption is happening alongside growth in products seen as more compatible with wellness goals and at the same time more experiential. In comments reported by WineNews, Russo said wine still has a strong experiential value because consumers remain interested in high-quality food and beverage experimentation. That means demand for wine has not disappeared, but it is being reshaped by changing priorities.

Russo said wine continues to occupy a positive and central place in Italian food culture, yet the public narrative around alcohol has changed. In his view, wine is increasingly seen as a product that can affect both mental and physical well-being. As a result, he said, consumption is becoming less frequent and more focused on quality.

That shift is visible in the types of wines gaining ground. According to Russo, lower-alcohol wines are growing, as are white wines. Sparkling wines are also gaining in at-home drinking occasions. Those gains help explain why the broader sparkling category has outperformed still wine in retail, even as the total volume of alcohol sold, especially among younger generations, tends to decline.

The Coop findings reflect a market in transition for producers and retailers. Supermarkets remain a major outlet for everyday wine purchases in Italy, but the volume trend indicates that routine consumption is weakening. At the same time, consumers still appear willing to spend on products linked to special occasions, lighter styles, and drinks that fit a more selective pattern of consumption.

For wine companies, the data add to a growing set of signals that demand is fragmenting. Traditional table wine volumes are under pressure, while categories associated with moderation, freshness, or celebration are holding up better. The report does not present that change as a short-term fluctuation, but as part of a more durable evolution in Italian lifestyles, shaped by health concerns, changing generational habits, and a stronger emphasis on controlled consumption.