In Italy, the wine sector, from the bottle to the management of vineyards and wineries to the many service activities, has held up well during the pandemic period and today shows growth that also opens up great business opportunities for young entrepreneurs.
The study "The Wine Business in Italy: Exports, Future Challenges and New Professionalism" states that the Italian wine sector is confirmed as the world's largest producer, despite the +35 percent increase in costs due to the war in Ukraine.
In 2021, Italy was the second largest wine exporter with 22.2 million hectoliters (+7.3% over 2020) for a turnover of 7.1 billion euros (+12.5%). And 2022 will also be more than positive: 91.7 percent of the leading Italian producers expect an increase in revenues, even in double digits in 23.3 percent of cases.
Thanks to a real "return to the vineyard" by young entrepreneurs, it is estimated that wine producers under the age of 25 have risen to 1,200 in just one year. Today in Italy there are about 100,000 companies led by young people under 35, 25 percent women. And it doesn't end there. In Italy the world of wine generates work for about 1.8 million people in as many as 18 different sectors that draw an expanded perimeter of entrepreneurial opportunities: agriculture, processing industry, trade and catering, glass for glasses and bottles, cork processing for corks, transportation, insurance, credit, finance, accessories such as corkscrews, sabers and breathalyzers, nursery, packaging such as labels and cartons, research, training, popularization, wine tourism, cosmetics, wellness and health with wine therapy, publishing, advertising, information technology and finally bioenergy. But beware: to be more competitive, producers will have to look more and more at sustainability and new trends related to technology, artificial intelligence, and online and social marketing techniques.
But how much does it cost to buy a vineyard in an Italy that boasts 350 officially recognized wine varieties grown in as many as 20 different wine regions? For example, Valdobbiadene, which is synonymous with Prosecco, has a very rare supply of land with a DOC designation. "These can cost around 50/70 euros per square meter versus an average of 15 euros for land without Doc designations." Another area experiencing strong dynamism is Alba and the Langhe, lands of Barolo and Barbaresco. "Important companies are buying at high prices, even 3 million per hectare, so smaller ones are turning to the Tortona and Monferrato area."
