How do the Cosmetics and Food Industries Have an Impact on the Italian Wine Industry?

It all seems like it should be so simple…

The Italian wine industry thrives based on the hard work of producers and the special interest groups that travel the world promoting the industry. Every new batch of wine creates another link in the chain, ensuring the industry continues to go from strength to strength. And when you add in the effects of wine tourism and other industries that are a direct result of winemaking, you have the makings of a strong and stable industry.

And this is certainly the case.

However, many don’t realise that the fate of the wine industry is not held solely in the hands of the people who are responsible for making, marketing, and delivering your favourite wines to your doorstep. There are several industries that have an impact, be it small or large, on the success of the industry.

We can give you two:

Cosmetics and food.

In this article, we’re going to dig a little bit into how these two industries have an impact on the Italian wine industry.

The Cosmetics Industry

Let’s kick things off with an industry that, at first glance, doesn’t seem to have anything to do with Italian wine. Sure, we’ve all heard about homemade wine-based cosmetics, like the ones that strange aunt of yours is always going on about. There is even a very small selection of spas and other locations offering treatments like wine baths, creating a tenuous link to the wine industry.

Still, it seems like cosmetics have little connection to wine barring these little anomalies.

And yet there are two ways that cosmetics seem to be impacting wine.

The first lies in the increasing push towards greener cosmetics. For years, the cosmetics industry was mostly left to its own devices. Unfortunately, this led to a lot of manufacturers experimenting with chemicals that some people may not be overly fond of putting onto their skins. There’s also the issue of animal testing to consider, which has been a hot-button topic in cosmetics for years.

That freedom to do whatever they want has changed for cosmetics companies in recent years.

Today, consumers are making a concerted push for a greener cosmetics industry. This means one that uses more natural products and that moves away from practices that buyers aren’t especially fond of.

If you’ve been paying attention to the movements of the Italian wine industry, you’ve likely noticed a similar push towards more natural methods there.

While people aren’t generally rejecting non-natural wines, there’s no denying that we’re seeing more producers go organic or biodynamic. The “green” movement is very real and some argue it’s resulting in the creation of better wines from healthier land, just as natural cosmetics are apparently better for the users’ skin.

However, it’s not just mirrored industry trends that we see.

The push towards natural solutions in the cosmetics industry has led to many manufacturers exploring the use of wine in their products.

Why?

The presence of something that we’ve spoken about at length in several of our blog posts:

Antioxidants.

If you’ve read any of our posts about the health effects of Italian wine, you already know that the antioxidants contained in grapes, specifically resveratrol, have powerful curative effects. Capable of combating the free radicals that damage your cells, these antioxidants can reduce the risk of strokes, heart disease, and even cancer.

They also have anti-ageing effects. 

When applied to the skin, the antioxidants in grapes can reduce wrinkles and other visible signs of ageing by preventing skin cell damage. And this is where the link between cosmetics and the wine industry gets even stronger. Many cosmetics companies are now looking to incorporate grape-based antioxidants into their products, which has resulted in some producers being able to sell grapes to cosmetics companies.

Of course, this is an extra line of revenue that the producers would not get otherwise. And if this trend towards more natural and antioxidant-laden products continues, it’s likely that the success of the cosmetics industry will tie even more deeply into the success of the wine industry.

The Food Industry

If the cosmetics industry ties into the Italian wine industry chain in ways that you may not expect, the way that food connects to wine is wholly unexpected.

The simple fact is that wine and food go well together.

Go to almost any restaurant and they’ll have a wine list that you can use to pair your chosen meal with an appropriate wine. Visit any region in Italy and you’ll encounter locals who will happily talk to you about an Italian wine that goes well with their delicacy of choice. Wine and food are so inextricably linked that this very blog contains pages of articles detailing how to pair wines with food.

So, the more potential pairings between food and wine that exist, the more successful the Italian wine industry can be.

This is where innovation in food manufacturing becomes important.

By creating new dishes and food manufacturing processes, those in the food industry can bolster the success of the wine industry by providing new tasting opportunities. Perhaps you may get bored of eating the same foods along with the same Italian wines over and over again. But an innovative chef can introduce you to a new dish that tantalises your tastebuds in new ways. And of course, that means you get to go out and buy an Italian wine to mesh with the food.

Good food leads to more bottles of wine purchased.

So, innovative good food has a direct effect on the Italian wine industry.

The Final Word

It’s interesting to examine the many intricate connections that exist between industries that are seemingly not connected to each other. The changing trends in the cosmetics industry, in particular, seem like they may have a positive effect on the Italian wine industry for years to come.

Of course, those who only care about getting their hands on good wines will be happy to know that there are plenty available on the Xtrawine website.