Italian sparkling wines are on track to break the one-billion-bottle milestone in 2024, with 355 million (+7%) expected to be uncorked during the Christmas and New Year festivities alone. The data, revealed in the year-end report by the Uiv-Ismea Wine Observatory, underscores the resilience of Italy’s sparkling wine industry in the face of economic turbulence, geopolitical conflicts, and structural challenges.

Holiday consumption of Italian bubbly will be heavily skewed toward international markets, according to an analysis by the Italian Wine Union and the Institute for Agri-food Market Services. Between Christmas and New Year, 251 million wine bottles will be opened abroad (+9% compared to 2023), while 104 million will be enjoyed domestically (+2%). Meanwhile, champagne is expected to falter, with sales projected to decline by 8% to 5.1 million bottles.