An evolution of style imposed by the new needs of the market for the king of Venetian reds, which knows how to maintain balance and territoriality, its strengths that have made it famous throughout the world.
And therefore contain his alcohol content, focusing on value.
Think about the future, Amarone, which in 2023 suffered a setback in exported volumes (-12%), in line with 2019 (+1%) and in any case growing by 17% in the last 10 years.
A decline due to a reduction in consumption and the negative trend that has affected the entire world of red wines, from the USA (-9%), to Canada (-17%), to Italy itself (-5%).
The report is drawn up by the Observatory of the Italian Wine Union (UIV) at 'Amarone Opera Prima', an annual event organized by the Valpolicella Wine Consortium with 70 participating companies.
A 20th edition dedicated to the 2019 vintage, a vintage which, according to the Consortium's tasting panel, was awarded 5 stars.
Thanks to a mix of generational, ethnic and climatic factors, preferences are shifting towards types of alcohol other than wine.
"We must make a more contemporary Amarone, first of all by containing the alcohol content to which the consumer pays great attention - observed the president of the Consortium, Christian Marchesini - therefore making all our wines fresher, with producers who must act both in the vineyard , protecting the bunches from the sun's rays given the increasingly hotter climate than in the fruit room".
It is a fine wine that has satisfied the demand of a market that has changed today.
According to vice-president Andrea Lonardi, "a change in style is needed for a wine, moving from volume to value, and therefore less drying, more territory, moving from a muscular wine to one of prestige and more identity".
A path confirmed by US data, specified the head of the Observatory Carlo Flamini, because if the era for the red 'mass markets' is over, they hold premiums in the Horeca channel (catering, clubs, hotels), the only segment of price to increase by 2%.
"And it is from here that Italian products must start again - he concluded - by cultivating strong values of identity and territorial and stylistic coherence".
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