2026-06-18
Italian supermarket wine buyers are seeing shoppers put less wine in their carts, but spend more carefully on bottles they trust, according to Giuseppe Acella, beverage buyer at Maiora, one of southern Italy’s large retail groups.
In an interview published this week, Acella said the clearest shift over the past 12 months has been from volume to perceived quality. Consumers are buying fewer bottles, he said, but they are more willing to pay a bit more for wines they see as better made or more aligned with their values. He described a customer who is less driven by habit and more by a deliberate choice shaped by price, brand, origin, occasion and confidence in the product.
That change matters for the broader drinks business because it offers a view into how people are shopping in mass retail, where wine competes directly with beer, cocktails and other beverages for attention and spending. If trust, place of origin and drinking occasion carry more weight than before, retailers and producers may need to rethink assortment, shelf presentation and messaging well beyond wine alone.
Acella said wine has also lost part of its old role as an everyday table staple and is moving toward more specific occasions, often informal or social. In that setting, price remains important in supermarkets, he said, but experience, perceived quality and trust in a brand or denomination are gaining ground. Well-known labels still help simplify a purchase that many shoppers find complicated. At the same time, territorial identity and appellation are becoming more important in midrange and higher-end segments, where they serve as markers of authenticity.
He said there is no single dominant factor guiding purchases now. Instead, consumers appear to balance practical concerns with emotional ones.
Maiora is also seeing evidence of another widely discussed trend: stronger demand for lighter, fresher wines with lower alcohol levels. Acella said that shift is especially visible among younger consumers, who are paying closer attention to moderation and wellness. He also pointed to growth in no- and low-alcohol categories, though he suggested the expansion remains gradual rather than disruptive.
The market, in his view, is becoming more polarized. One group of consumers is open to experimentation and newer styles. Another still prefers traditional wines that feel familiar and reassuring. Among the most dynamic categories in stores, he said, are sparkling wines, which continue to expand as they move beyond celebrations into casual and everyday drinking moments. White and rosé wines are also performing well, supported by a more modern image and easier food pairing. Red wines remain central by volume, but their growth is slower and in some cases slightly negative relative to other categories.
To respond, Maiora has been adjusting both its assortment and its communication. Acella said the company has strengthened its premium offer with wines closely tied to territory and clear value propositions while also widening its range of lighter, fresher and lower-alcohol products. On communication, he said the focus has shifted toward sustainability, transparency and storytelling as tools for building trust. He also noted greater use of digital channels and direct sales formats that allow a more immediate relationship with shoppers.
One of the biggest obstacles for Italian wine, Acella said, is the complexity of the category itself. Italy’s large number of appellations, grape varieties and production areas is a strength, but it can be hard to explain to less experienced consumers. He added that the fragmented structure of production makes it harder to build strong brands that are easily recognized at home and abroad.
He also argued that wine often speaks in language that is too technical for today’s drinking habits, which are more informal and less ritualized than in the past. That leaves room for competing drinks categories that communicate more directly. Beer and cocktails, he said, can be easier for consumers to understand quickly at the point of sale.
Promotions remain a major sales tool in supermarkets, Acella said, because they still have a strong effect on turnover and product rotation. But he warned against relying too heavily on discounts. If shoppers learn to buy only when prices are cut, he said, the perceived value of wine weakens. For that reason, Maiora is trying to balance promotions with strategies aimed at strengthening brands and building a steadier relationship with consumers.
He said shelf organization also plays a role. A clearer shelf can help customers make decisions without reducing every purchase to price alone. That point could carry wider implications across beverages as retailers look for ways to guide shoppers through crowded categories without training them to wait for markdowns.
Looking ahead, Acella expects several current patterns to continue: lower volumes paired with higher quality expectations, continued interest in lighter and more versatile wines, and further growth in sparkling wine. He also expects sustainability and authenticity to remain central in consumer choices.
At the same time, he said some trends may be getting ahead of actual buying behavior. In his view, talk of a rapid shift toward fully dealcoholized wine or a sharp abandonment of traditional styles is overstated. The change in Italian supermarket wine aisles is real, he said, but it is unfolding gradually, with innovation and tradition coexisting rather than replacing one another.