Until recently, reading data on Italian wine exports to the United States was synonymous with “record” or, at least, provided an immediate response of growth, stability, and bright prospects for the future. Now, however, the tide seems to have turned.With the rush to stock up on wine due to fears of tariffs now over, and with those tariffs having arrived and made their presence felt in trade, and with consumption continuing to decline, especially among the younger generations, the Italian wine industry now finds itself having to deal with difficulties arising from what was and still is its main trading partner.

The Unione Italiana Vini (UIV) Observatory, based on Sipsource data relating to wine shipments from distributors’ warehouses for ready-to-consume goods, states that “total consumption of Italian wine in the United States in May fell by 10.6% compared to the same period last year.