With 345 million liters of exported wine in 2024 and an import value of $2.25 billion, Italy is—along with France—the market leader for imported wines in the United States. And, tariffs or not, it has no intention of abdicating this role. This will be demonstrated by Vinitaly.USA, the Veronafiere-Vinitaly event, which will bring together the most important Italian producers at Chicago’s Navy Pier on October 5 and 6. This unique platform, the largest in the States for exhibitors, will combine B2B meetings with the American trade with strategic focus on the future of the Italian vineyard. This is revealed, among others, by an analysis by the Unione Italiana Vini Observatory (UIV) and Vinitaly, which charts the future paths of the next American wine enthusiasts in a market that is far from mature. “Seventy-five percent of American consumers of Italian wine,” explains Veronafiere Director General Adolfo Rebughini, “are concentrated in about fifteen states, led by California, New York, Florida, Texas, and Illinois. Today, Italian wine lovers primarily come from here, and are predominantly Caucasian (75%), Boomers, or Gen Xers (62%), with a significant female presence. The data confirms an average awareness of 72% and a purchase conversion rate of 55%: a heritage that—through Vinitaly—we want to consolidate while also opening up to new targets and emerging markets. From this perspective, the choice of Chicago is not accidental but reflects the desire to support Italian companies in the most strategic locations for their development in the United States.” Here’s what people are drinking in the US and what the profile of these new consumers is.
From Lambrusco and Chianti in Texas to Amarone and Primitivo in California and Florida: what’s being drunk in the US and what’s the new horizon for Italian wine?
According to an analysis by the UIV – Vinitaly Observatory based on IWSR (International Wine and Spirits Record, a global leader in data, analysis, and strategic information for the alcoholic beverage sector), the consumer of the future is male, Gen Z but also Millennial, of Latin American or African descent, preferably residing in Texas, Illinois, California, South Carolina, and Georgia, or other areas with population segments that are not only underexplored, but also, state by state, demonstrate wine appreciation rates above the national average.
Along these lines, the focus is expanding vertically on rapidly growing demographic segments, starting with Hispanics—who now account for 20% of the overall population, with peaks exceeding 50% among younger people in states like California and Texas—as well as African Americans (14%) and Asians (6%). Horizontally, the diversification then extends to new geographies, targeting emerging consumer states outside of traditional areas: an alternative audience of 113 million potential new consumers.
From the target audience analysis, for example, we note that the states with the highest male consumption are California, Florida, and New York, while in terms of ethnicity, the African-American population is significantly above average in Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia, and Hispanics are significantly above average in California and Texas. Gen Z members are above the national average in Georgia, Illinois, the Carolinas, and Texas. In Texas, as well as in New York, Millennials have significantly higher percentages than the national average.
Reversing the data for Italian wines, and starting from the top of the consumption rankings, in California and Florida the identikit of tomorrow’s consumer is male, Hispanic, and preferably belonging to the Millennial generation. Possible wines to focus on are reds, both sparkling (Lambrusco style, also in semi-sparkling or sweet versions) and still, structured, and with a marked softness, such as Primitivo and Amarone.
In Georgia, Illinois, and the Carolinas, the target market is predominantly young and very young, but African-American. Here, the product range expands, including reds, particularly basic Sicilian wines like Nero d’Avola, but also Shiraz, or—on the white side—Moscato d’Asti and Moscato-based sparkling wines.
In Texas, the focus remains on young people, but those from the Latino community (still primarily Lambrusco, but also Chianti), while in New York and Washington, the target market to focus most efforts is Millennials, with white wines not only based on Pinot Grigio, but also expanding the “experimentation” to include emerging varietals, such as Vermentino and Ribolla. Finally, in Ohio, the focus is on Gen Z, while in Virginia, African Americans have the greatest potential for Italian wines.
While these opportunities are emerging in states with a strong propensity to consume, others can be seized in those states where wine consumption has significant penetration rates, but knowledge of Italian wines is below the national average: from Arizona to Colorado, passing through Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Indiana. In Arizona, for example, when cross-referencing data by gender, ethnicity, and age, the profile that emerges is that of a woman in the over-40 age group, but also belonging to the Asian community (more oriented toward structured reds, such as Montepulciano d’Abruzzo). Meanwhile, in Arkansas, the profile drops to the Millennial generation, flanking the Caucasian population with members of the African-American community, offering them a mix of markedly “territorial” sparkling wines and Sangiovese-based reds, such as Brunello, and Merlot, such as Tuscan IGTs. African Americans are also above the national average in Louisiana and Indiana: in the first state, however, the target is preferably male, both very young and belonging to a more mature age group, while in Indiana they are mostly Gen X women. In New Mexico the main target is consumers of Hispanic origin, but male and belonging to the Millennial group, while in Colorado it is always Caucasian males of Gen X who are the most numerous: for the latter, long-lived white wines can be reserved, such as the more demanding versions of Soave and Verdicchio.
