Eager to explore, Gen X and millennial consumers are branching away from traditional (and often domestically grown) grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. Instead, a clear preference has emerged on online drinks platform Drizly, where the share of Italian wine has to 14% in 2023, up from 13% in 2022. The share of long-term favourites like Nebbiolo, Montepulciano and Sangiovese has remained flat year-on-year.

Younger consumers are looking to Italian alternatives, with Sagrantino, Brunello and Corvina among the fastest growing varieties on the platform. Having become almost extinct from the market in the 1960s, Sagrantino was reintroduced after campaigns from local winemakers saw it achieve the DOC status in 1977.