2024 was a record year for Prosecco DOC. Bottlings of the denomination reached 660 million bottles for the first time, an increase of 7% compared to 2023, for an estimated consumer value of 3.6 billion euros. Prosecco DOC confirms itself as a pillar of the national wine sector, standing out in the sparkling wine scene as the emblem of modern method bubbles. The Consortium is committed to strengthening this identity by integrating promotion, valorisation and protection activities in the best possible way.
EXCLUSIVE PROMOTION FORMATS
This year the Consortium has continued its promotional path that enhances the values of Italian Fine Living: with a dynamic, fresh and young approach, Prosecco DOC celebrates the beauty, talent and conviviality of the Italian lifestyle through exclusive initiatives developed at an international level.
2024 saw the birth of new formats such as Tasting in the Dark – a multi-sensory tasting led by Hoby Wedler – and the Sparks Pop-up Store, presented in Milan at the Fuori Salone.
Prosecco DOC has conquered Asia with the Temporary Store at The Hyundai Seoul and the evocative Shibuya Prosecco DOC Garden in Japan and Prosecco DOC Garden in China; as well as reaching Australia thanks to the Prosecco DOC Lifestyle Drinks & Talks events organised in Melbourne and Sydney.
In the United States the Consortium collaborated with Jermaine Stone, known as ‘The Wolf of Wine,’ to produce an episode of his documentary The Original Wine & Hip Hop dedicated to Prosecco DOC, linking wine culture to the language of hip-hop.
In addition, as is now well known, the Consortium pays constant attention to artistic and cultural activities: recent examples are the mural dedicated to Giuseppe Verdi created by the artist Zoow24 in Milan in the wake of the Italian Genio and the new campaign dedicated to the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milan Cortina, on air with an initial teaser right now, but whose official launch is planned during the World Cup in Cortina, in January 2025.
INNOVATION AND RESEARCH PROJECTS
The Consortium continues on the path towards increasing the level of environmental sustainability of the Denomination. Ongoing projects include initiatives for a significant reduction in chemical inputs (from the genetic selection of vines to the identification of low-impact defence strategies, as well as the coordination of adherence to the main sustainability standards); for the reduction of the carbon footprint through the reduction of energy waste and the reuse of production waste; and for the management of water resources in the event of both excess and absence of rainfall.
Moreover, one of the next objectives is to create a community among producers, with the support of digital technologies, in order to be able, on the one hand, to manage the overall information of the Denomination and, on the other hand, to improve the efficiency of the production system with the introduction of innovative practices identified through experimentation, guaranteeing an approach aimed at the durability of the heritage that Prosecco represents.
As far as the social pillar is concerned, thanks to collaboration with local bodies, the Consortium has launched initiatives aimed at enhancing human resources through basic and high-profile training courses. In addition, in order to contribute to the redistribution of the value of Prosecco through social inclusion, a collaboration was initiated with Veneto Lavoro and Caritas.
Lastly, for the economic pillar, the Consortium monitored consumption dynamics in order to be able to contribute to the stability of the value of bulk and bottled Prosecco production, safeguarding the company’s PLV. Furthermore, in 2024, proposals were presented to modify the Production Regulations regarding oenological practices, such as the extension of cellar blending to the sparkling type; labelling, in order to valorise the wineries’ own skills; the segmentation of production, introducing typologies for the geographical mention Trieste and for the period of refinement with yeasts (Riserva). The Consortium, attentive to the evolution of consumer taste, is continuing with experimentation, in particular for the production of sparkling wine with low alcohol content.
PROTECTION OF THE DENOMINATION AND THE CONSUMER
Among the latest initiatives is the collaboration with Microsoft and IPZS for the launch of MIA (My Italian Shopping Assistant), a chatbot based on Azure OpenAI artificial intelligence and Microsoft Copilot that, thanks to a photo of the label, verifies the authenticity of Prosecco DOC bottles. The project is still in the pilot phase but has already been presented at the G7 in Ortigia as it offers great potential for the entire Made in Italy sector.
In the area of international protection, significant news is the conclusion of negotiations for an agreement between the EU and Mercosur, which would provide for a ten-year phasing out of the use of the term ‘Prosecco’ for sparkling wine produced in Brazil. However, uncertainties remain related to the ratification of the agreement, which is not expected before 2027. The protection of the Denomination in this country would represent a fundamental element in the Consortium’s strategy since a wine labelled ‘Prosecco’ is produced, albeit in limited quantities.
In addition to constantly monitoring and combating evocations and counterfeits at an international level, in 2024 the Consortium achieved significant results by blocking the marketing of Australian wine labelled as ‘Prosecco’ in Japan, China, the Philippines and Ukraine. These results reaffirm the effectiveness of the international protection strategy adopted by the Consortium, now extended to over 80 countries.
