PROSECCO'S AMERICAN SUCCESS STORY: FROM ZERO TO $500 MILLION IN 15 YEARS

Promising U.S. market data for one of the most important Italian wine appellations ahead of Vinitaly.USA in Chicago

CHICAGO, Oct. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The American love affair with Prosecco shows no signs of slowing down. Today, the Italian sparkling wine accounts for 31% of the value of all Italian wines sold in the United States, with high penetration across all age groups, including 27% of millennials. Beyond its role as a stand-alone sparkling wine, Prosecco has also become a cornerstone of Italian mixology, widely used in cocktails, ready-to-drink formats, and spritzes.

Fifteen years after redefining its production pyramid - which includes Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, Asolo DOCG, and Prosecco DOC - the "new" denominated Prosecco has gone from virtually zero to more than $500 million in U.S. sales. Over the past seven years, sales have jumped 178%, growing four times faster than Italian wines overall, according to the latest UIV-Vinitaly Observatory report, released ahead of Vinitaly.USA (Chicago, October 5–6), the premier B2B fair for Italian wine in America.

"These past years have brought challenges beyond the wine sector - from COVID-19 to shifts in consumer spending and competition from other beverage categories," said Adolfo Rebughini, General Director of Veronafiere. "Yet Prosecco has shown remarkable resilience, backed by a consistent promotion strategy and increasingly effective marketing investments. Its presence at Vinitaly.USA, alongside the Veneto regional collective and top producers from all three denominations, underscores this momentum. Prosecco - and Italian wine more broadly - are well positioned to meet challenges such as tariffs. It proves that when Italy combines quality with strategic promotion, it can secure a leadership role in the global market, exactly the goal we pursue with Vinitaly.USA."

Record-Breaking Market Performance

According to Vinitaly and the Unione Italiana Vini (UIV), Prosecco's U.S. market share exceeds the average for Italian wine (27% vs. 24%), reaching a record $531 million in 2024. This represents a nearly uninterrupted upward trend, aside from a slight pause in 2020, followed by a 90% cumulative increase over the next four years.

Prosecco has become a pop symbol of accessible drinking, generating $2.9 billion in annual consumption at an average bottle price just under $18 (0.75L), according to Carlo Flamini, head of the UIV-Vinitaly Observatory. "In just a few years, Prosecco has achieved the highest awareness among Italian wines in the U.S., at 40%," Flamini added. "Considering the relatively young age of the product, this brings it closer to iconic wines like Champagne, which enjoys 52% awareness. But where Prosecco has already overtaken French sparkling wine is in actual purchase conversion - 31% versus Champagne's 24%."

Distributor data from SipSource further confirms Prosecco's leadership. In the first seven months of 2025, the Italian sparkling wine led the U.S. market in both volume and consumer value, with a 30% share of the sparkling category, compared to 28% for Champagne.

Breaking down spending by U.S. region, significant growth opportunities remain in the Western states and the East North Central region. Meanwhile, consumption density is highest along the Eastern Seaboard - from New England through the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, areas that account for more than half of total U.S. Prosecco sales.

At the same time, Prosecco represents 87% of Italian sparkling sales in the U.S. and 25% of total Italian wine sales, while also riding the wave of mixology trends. According to IWSR, in addition to being enjoyed by the glass, Prosecco is increasingly used in cocktails and ready-to-drink formats, from spritzes to fruit-juice blends.

Looking ahead, the challenge extends beyond tariffs to diversifying the consumer base. While traditional consumers still account for a large share of sales, Prosecco is poised to grow among America's increasingly multicultural demographic, according to the UIV-Vinitaly Observatory.

Vinitaly.USA 2025, October 5- 6, Chicago Navy Pier

At Vinitaly.USA, 250 Italian wineries and consortia will showcase their products to importers and buyers, representing an aggregate turnover of over $7.2 billion. Attendance from U.S. importers and distributors is expected to match previous years, confirming the fair's appeal and continuity as a gateway to the American market for Italian wines.

Alongside the exhibition, the event will host the wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum, educational seminars from the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA), Vinitaly Tourism sessions, and SOLExpo's Oil Bar, offering a comprehensive view of Italy's food and beverage excellence.

Prosecco's U.S. story demonstrates that quality, promotion, and adaptability can establish Italian wine as a global leader, even in challenging markets - exactly the vision Vinitaly.USA aims to showcase.

Media contact:
Carlotta Ribolini
[email protected]

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SOURCE Vinitaly.USA