It may also be true that Italians, and partly Americans, drink less wine and consumption has been affected by this, recording (limited) numbers in decline. And yet it is moving, the market is not at risk of collapse. Fewer flasks and more glasses, people drink more consciously and responsibly. According to Mediobanca data, turnover fell by 0.2% and exports by 0.8%, both in terms of volumes and value. In this scenario, the barometer of Emilia-Romagna shows some clouds but essentially certifies the good weather in the vineyards and in the cellar. The American market remains a great opportunity for everyone: the United States is the main importer of wine in the world with 6.2 billion euros (Nomisma-Wine Monitor data), while the growth of imports in Canada in the last twenty years reaches 152%. Numbers sometimes do not say everything but they explain a lot. In an imaginary journey from Piacenza to Rimini, passing through Modena and Bologna, record numbers emerge that characterize the wine sector. The 2023 harvest produced 7.9 million quintals of grapes on 53 thousand hectares of vineyards, in approximately 16 thousand companies including cooperative giants and small quality companies. More than 150 vines are grown in Emilia-Romagna. The first five in terms of surface area are Trebbiano Romagnolo, Sangiovese, Ancelotta, Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce and Pignoletto, and they represent 65% of production. In the ‘Vigneto Italia’, Emilia-Romagna confirms itself as the fifth region in terms of surface area under vine (after Veneto, Sicily, Puglia and Tuscany), third in terms of grapes produced and second region after Puglia in terms of production of common table wines. The provinces with the highest wine production are Ravenna (46%), Reggio Emilia (17%) and Modena (13%). The latter two on the marketing roulette both in terms of reputation and numbers are banking heavily on red gold, namely Lambrusco. The Consortium for the protection of the latter is, among other things, carrying out a strong promotional operation in the south (already a receptive area) and has just concluded the annual World Lambrusco day in Matera, with tastings and presentations for wine lovers, restaurateurs and operators in the sector. In Emilia-Romagna the wine sector, numbers aside, is considered a solid attraction for tourism linked to food and wine. Also, but not only, for this reason in the last three years the Emilia-Romagna Region has made available 42 million euros to support investments by wine companies, to increase the added value of production, technological innovation and the improvement of the energy efficiency of production sites. But be careful, no money raining down. Companies that present structured projects have access to the funds. The resources come from European funds that, appropriately filtered by the Region, translate into contributions for the purchase of plants, machinery and equipment for the processing and marketing of wines, construction and renovation of cellars, installation of photovoltaic systems, setting up of points of sale for the direct market and online. The Emilia-Romagna Region in turn supports wine production with approximately 26 million euros each year, in particular on three interventions: the renovation and reconversion of vineyards (13 million), investments in cellars (6 million), the promotion of wines with designation of origin and geographical indication towards non-EU markets (7 million). The aim is to further increase the quality of the companies that must translate into the quality of the product, which to stay on the market must be less and less generic and more characterized. Among the reds considered jewels of the territory are Lambrusco, Sangiovese and Gutturnio, while among the whites on the podium stand out Pignoletto, Albana, Chardonnay, Grechetto and Sauvignon.
