Italian Wine Sales in the U.S. Lose €300 Million in 18 Months

Italian wine sales in the United States have lost €300 million in value over the past year and a half, according to an analysis presented by Coldiretti and Filiera Italia at the opening of Vinitaly in New York on Monday, as the farm and food groups called for a closer alliance with the restaurant industry to help restore demand.

The two organizations said the decline was driven mainly by tariffs imposed under President Donald Trump, along with the effects of a weaker dollar, which they said has reduced the purchasing power of American consumers. The estimate offers a measure of the pressure that trade barriers and exchange-rate shifts can place on a major export market for producers, and it points to restaurants as a possible channel for rebuilding sales across the beverage business, especially for wine labels that rely on on-premise visibility.

Despite the setback, Coldiretti and Filiera Italia said Italian wine remains highly popular in the U.S. market, with Prosecco acting as a main support for the category. They described the sparkling wine as the most resilient product during the current period of difficulty, suggesting that consumer demand for Italian labels has not disappeared even as higher costs and weaker buying power have weighed on purchases.

In a statement released for the event, Coldiretti said it sees a need to promote what it called a pact with the restaurant sector, starting with international restaurant operators, to strengthen the market position of Italian bottles and respond to what it described as consumers’ continuing interest in Italian products around the world. The group’s argument is that restaurant wine lists, by-the-glass programs, and broader food-and-wine pairings can help reinforce brand recognition and create a stronger route back to consumers in a period when retail conditions are more difficult.

The proposal comes as the Italian wine industry faces a mixed picture at home and abroad. Coldiretti said estimates point to a decline in production volumes this year, but it also said the 2026 harvest is expected to stand out for quality. According to the group, the season should be remembered as an excellent one from a qualitative standpoint because growers produced nearly perfect grapes. It said hot weather reduced yields and raised sugar levels, while also helping vineyards avoid parasite attacks.

Even with that quality outlook, producers are still facing several obstacles. Coldiretti said rising production costs continue to weigh on the sector. It also pointed to what it described as campaigns that demonize wine consumption, saying those efforts are affecting demand. Another problem, according to the organization, is the higher cost of bottles, which it said is limiting sales in bars and restaurants.

Those combined pressures matter for more than vineyard owners. For importers, distributors, restaurant groups, and drinks operators that depend on wine sales to support traffic and margins, a weaker U.S. market for Italian labels can affect product mix, pricing, and promotional strategy. The strong performance of Prosecco, meanwhile, suggests that sparkling wine may remain one of the more durable segments as buyers become more selective.

Luigi Scordamaglia, chief executive of Filiera Italia and head of market affairs at Coldiretti, said support for producers should remain at the center of any effort to expand Italy’s position abroad. In comments released with the analysis, he said that being strong in global markets first means giving value to producers. Promoting Italian wine, he said, is not only about selling more bottles, but also about defending the supply chain and the value it creates.

The figures presented in New York add to concerns about how policy and currency conditions are reshaping trade flows in alcoholic beverages. While Coldiretti and Filiera Italia framed their proposal around wine, their emphasis on restaurants reflects a wider commercial reality: on-premise placement often serves as a gateway for imported drinks to build recognition, sustain price points, and reach consumers who may be cutting discretionary spending. In that environment, the groups are arguing that Italian wine’s recovery in the U.S. may depend not only on demand for Italy’s image and cuisine, but also on rebuilding its presence where consumers order and discover bottles.