WINE (CONSORZIO): BRUNELLO SALES SOAR, +52% OF BOTTLES RELEASED ONTO THE MARKET SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. RECORD-BREAKING OCTOBER (+106%)

BINDOCCI (PRES.): BENVENUTO BRUNELLO REPOSITIONED IN THE BEST COMMERCIAL PERIOD

(Montalcino – SI, 18 November 2021). Sales of Brunello di Montalcino enjoyed new sprint in October. On the eve of the 30th edition of Benvenuto Brunello (19-29 November), the prince of Tuscan wines appears with an absolute record of government neck labels assigned by the Consortium for bottles ready to be released onto the market: according to the certifying body Valoritalia, 1.5 million labels were distributed during the month, +106% compared to the same period in 2020 and 177% more than the average of the last 13 years. This is the best monthly performance since 2008 (the first year of data collection), which projects an equivalent of 8.5 million bottles (the vast majority of which of the 2016 vintage and the 2015 Riserva) released onto the market in the first ten months of this year, 53% more than the average recorded over the last five years (+52% on 2020). The growth of Brunello in the first ten months of this year is now four times greater than the average increase of all the Tuscan designations in the period (+13.3%). Rosso di Montalcino also achieved double digit results in the ten months (+14%), and was another protagonist of a memorable October (+61% on 2020). To quote the president of the Consorzio del vino Brunello di Montalcino, Fabrizio Bindocci, “The market seems to want to reward our designations and the 30th anniversary of our preview, the first one organised in Italy. We arrive at Benvenuto Brunello in excellent health and for the first time in the month of November, a moment that we believe to be the best from the commercial point of view. Our choice has been transparent and shared by the Region, which perfectly understood our motives. Now we have 11 important days ahead of us, in which the national and foreign press will be joined by all our stakeholders: from Masters of wine to the sommeliers of high-end restaurants, from bloggers to professional operators in the horeca sector, as well as wine lovers”.
An analysis of the neck labels shows that the 2015 vintage, including its Riserva, is already practically sold out, with over 10 million labels issued, while almost 8.6 million labels have already been issued for the 2016 vintage in the first ten months since its commercial debut. A litmus test of Brunello's golden age, according to the Consortium's analysis, is the net reduction in stocks of bottled wine in the cellars, down 25% compared to 12 months ago. Good news, in conclusion, comes in relation to the price of bulk wine, which is reported to be up (900-1050 euros/hl) by over 15% compared to the same period last year.
Benvenuto Brunello, which kicks off on Friday 19th with two days reserved to the national and international press, makes its debut with a new format in an unprecedented autumn spot for its 30th anniversary. In Montalcino, 11 days of tastings planned with 119 wineries to celebrate the release of Brunello 2017, Brunello Riserva 2016 and Rosso di Montalcino 2020 together with wine lovers and operators.