Italian Wine Prices Rise Just 7.4% in a Decade, Among Europe’s Lowest Increases

Over the past decade, the price of wine in Italy has risen by 7.4 percent, one of the lowest increases among European countries. This data comes from a recent analysis by the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE), which used figures from the Federal Reserve Economic Data to compare changes in wine prices across 33 European countries between 2015 and 2025.

The study shows that while Italian consumers have seen a moderate increase in wine prices, other countries have experienced much sharper rises. In Turkey, for example, wine prices have soared by more than 1,500 percent over the same period. This dramatic jump is largely due to high inflation—currently at 33.29 percent according to TrendingEconomics—and heavy taxes on alcohol imposed by the Turkish government. These policies reflect both economic pressures and cultural factors, as Turkey has a significant Muslim population. As a result, a bottle of wine that cost 1,468 Turkish lira (about 30 euros) in 2015 now costs nearly 25,000 lira (over 500 euros).

Within the European Union and Eurozone, Croatia recorded the highest increase in wine prices at 92 percent over ten years. A bottle that cost 30 euros in Croatia in 2015 now sells for about 57.60 euros. Bulgaria follows with a 67 percent increase, reflecting growing interest in Bulgarian wines and recognition for regions like Plovdiv, which was named Europe’s best wine capital by European Best Destinations.

Italy’s modest price growth stands out in this context. The average price for a bottle of wine rose from 30 euros in 2015 to just over 32 euros today. Only Switzerland saw a smaller increase at 4.8 percent. Some countries even saw prices fall: Cyprus and Ireland reported decreases of 6.2 percent and 11 percent respectively over the decade.

The AAWE study examined harmonized consumer price indices for wine across Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey. The analysis included both EU and non-EU countries as well as those using different currencies.

In Italy specifically, the highest point for wine price increases came in August 2023 with an annual rise of 11.1 percent. The lowest point was in April 2017 when prices actually fell by 0.7 percent compared to the previous year. In early 2025, prices were up by 8.7 percent in January before dropping to 6.7 percent in April and rising again to just over eight percent in August. By September—the latest month for which data is available—the increase settled at 7.4 percent.

Inflation remains a key factor behind rising wine prices but is not the only cause. Higher production costs and more expensive raw materials also play a role. According to Italy’s national statistics agency Istat, inflation in Italy currently stands at 1.7 percent. Across the European Union as a whole, annual inflation reached 2.2 percent in September this year according to Eurostat.

Over the past ten years since January 2015, overall inflation in Italy has increased by about 2.4 percent with a peak of more than ten percent recorded in October 2022 during a period of widespread price surges across many sectors—including food and beverages like wine.

The relatively low increase in Italian wine prices may offer some relief to consumers and help maintain demand both domestically and abroad as global markets continue to face economic uncertainty and shifting consumer habits.