What Does the Future Look Like With Italian Wine?

We think we speak for everyone when we say that we’re tired of the coronavirus pandemic now.

Yes, we’ve had to place a lot of focus on the present when talking about Italian wine because of the impact the pandemic has had on producers. And it has also been very interesting to learn about how Italian producers have adapted to the challenges the present brings. 

But we want to long beyond the pandemic.

We now have our eyes on the future and what it will bring for the Italian wine industry. After all, we’re at the point where we can see the light at the end of the tunnel for the pandemic. Vaccines are going out, restrictions are getting lifted, and we’re going to return to normality sooner rather than later.

So, we want to know what normal will mean for Italian wine years from now, when coronavirus is no longer a concern.

That’s what this article is all about.

And we have a little spoiler alert for you…

The future’s looking pretty bright for Italian wine!

These are the reasons why.

Enhanced Sophistication in Wine Tastes

We’ve seen some interesting evolutions in wine drinkers’ tastes over the last few decades, especially in countries where wine is not a traditional drink. Take the UK as an example. Though the country has imported plenty of wine over the years, it used to focus solely on a select few types that were popular in the country.

That’s changed today.

Now, UK consumers are far more educated about wine, where it comes from, and the history behind it. They’re more likely to try things they haven’t tried before and the web facilitates UK consumers’ desires to delve further into the more obscure wines produced in countries like Italy and France.

Our point?

On a general level, UK consumers have more sophisticated wine tastes now than they did a couple of decades ago. And as Italian wine becomes ever more accessible thanks to the internet, this is a trend we expect to see in many other countries in the future.

For example, if you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know about the inroads the Italian wine industry has made in China. You likely also know that Chinese consumers currently have a few standard wines they favour above all others.

This means they’re much like consumers in the UK were a few decades ago.

In the future, we’re going to see an evolution in the sophistication of these emerging markets, which will create greater demand for a higher variety of Italian wines. That’s excellent news for smaller producers, who are now able to leverage the internet to offer their products more directly to the evermore sophisticated consumer.

Organic, Natural, and Vegan Markets Will Keep Growing

We’ve written several articles about this subject so we won’t dive into much detail here. All you really need to know is that all three of these markets have experienced consistent growth over the last decade. Consumers, particularly younger ones, are more concerned about the chemicals that enter their bodies, which contributed to this growth.

We don’t see any of these markets becoming the dominant choice for Italian wine consumers in the near future. 

But we certainly see continued growth in all three areas, fuelled by the constantly rising demands of an evolving market.

Who knows?

Perhaps organic wines will become the standard in many years to come.

But over the next few years, this niche, along with the other two mentioned, will be consistently growing niches that could prove quite profitable for Italian wine producers who take advantage of them.

Small Wineries Will Prosper Again

If we bring things back to the present for a moment, one of the unfortunate side-effects of the pandemic is that many small producers have struggled. Sadly, some have even been forced to close their doors thanks to what’s happening in the world right now.

However, the future does look much brighter for these smaller producers that don’t quite have the resources to grow in the current environment.

Obviously, the pandemic will eventually end and these producers can get back to normal. But the bigger story here is the point we made earlier about more sophisticated consumer tastes. As this sophistication develops, demand for wines from smaller producers, and especially from those who dedicate themselves to specific regions, will grow. Consumers will want to explore beyond the “big brands” and discover wines that would have flown under the radar of all but a select few a decade or so ago.

Smaller producers have had a tough time of it in recent months.

But if they’re able to pull through, the future promises to be much brighter.

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

Finally, we come to the topic of Italian wines themselves.

We can see some changes in production methods brought on by the rise of organic wines and the like.

However, the industry looks unlikely to make any dramatic shifts in the future. In 30-50 years, the wines you buy will still come in bottles. We’ll likely still be having debates about whether corks or screwcaps are better. And the goal of producers to create products that are the best representation of their terroir will stay the same.

We will likely see innovations in production that lead to interesting new ways to make wine.

But even these will be tweaks more so than massive changes. Producers will still come up with new ideas, but they will continue to honour the traditions that have allowed the Italian wine industry to grow into the behemoth it is today.

Our point is that for whatever the future may bring, the core of the Italian wine industry won’t change. The dedication to quality and the land will stay, as will the demand for Italian wines. Tradition and history will be just as important as innovation.

And while the industry may evolve over time, one thing is for certain.

Italian wine will be at the forefront, just as it has been for so many centuries.