The “king” of the Prosecco sparkling wines is the result of the excellent Italian wine tradition and carries the label of the Veneto district of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene. A label which, in just a few years, was able to climb to the peaks of international wine markets and export to the world the tradition of the high-class aperitif which has made Italian history. A veritable completely Italian life-style which ended up becoming popular in meeting places abroad as well.

The Veneto “Sparkling Wine” which, in 2009 entered the list of the DOCG wines (Controlled and Guaranteed Origin Denomination), increased in sales in the past year by 36.6%. The United States was the first to take up the concept of the happy hour based on the Italian Prosecco. Conegliano-Valdobbiadene products are now available everywhere in Europe. The same achievement was registered in 50 other foreign countries. The emblem of Italian winery that produces and innovates creates an amount of business that touched 380 million euro last year. The international role taken up by the winemaking district remains one of the leading basis of commercial success obtained by the 2913 wine growers, partners and owners of the 166 sparkling wine companies adhering to the cartel.

“Export has done very well in the past year”, emphasizes Giancarlo Vettorello, the manager of the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene district, “and has registered a significant rise. Data show that, together with the threshold of a third of exportation, the number of importing countries has also increased and counts over 50 today. Moreover, analysis shows us that export is also affecting small and medium sized companies which lately have strengthened their organisational structure, adding an export manager in 30% of the cases”. Quality is therefore at the foundation of the achievement of this completely Italian entrepreneurial model. A winning value, capable of affirming itself also abroad and which has made the Italian wine-making sector an anti-cyclical one. In the middle of an unfavourable economic situation, sparkling and dry wines produced in Conegliano-Valdobbiadene have consolidated their international presence. Starting from the one geared towards European markets: The main exporting countries are Germany, with an increment in turnover of 33.3% and Switzerland (+19.4%). Export in the USA has grown by 9.8%.

From 2003, the global turnover of the wine district doubled, with an average annual growth rate of 10.6% and almost 70 million bottles produced. The result of a process of growth marked also by the launching phases of the new industrial plan that has foreseen a complete restructuring of the plants and an improvement of the producing techniques employed. From the cellars of Veneto, the Veneto DOCG has ended up becoming a trend: “Its success”, Vettorello explains “is owed first of all to the creation of a new drinking style. Sparkling wines have always been differentiated between sweet and dry, traditional method. In Conegliano-Valdobbiadene, with an absolutely new grapevine which has, however, always been cultivated on these hills, a new fruity-flowery sparkling wine has been introduced and simplicity and pleasantness are the reasons for its success. Up until the 80s this uniqueness was not understood by the sector but it later became one of the most successful wines and therefore imitated.” It’s not a coincidence that the growth in turnover for sparkling wines produced in the past two years in the district has turned from 86% to 91%. Italian tradition and winemaking innovation have therefore signified a winning combination that was capable, thanks to its well-known quality, to become popular all over the world.