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Italy's Franciacorta wines double sales to UK

Published:  05 August, 2014

Sales of Italy's Franciacorta wines in the UK have doubled in the first six months of 2014 thanks to growing market awareness.

The Osservatorio Economico del Franciacorta said sales have grown by 100.4% - albeit off a small base - for the first six months of 2014 versus the same period last year.

Since then Franciacorta has ramped up its communications and market development programmes, and has gained several national listings. The number of producers from the region has grown by 40% in the last 18 months.

Overall global sales of Franciacorta wines grew by 9.6%, accounting for 5.3 million bottles.

Domestic sales also improved - growing 8.5% - with solid growth in the south of the country outside the traditional Franciacorta heartland. Exports of Franciacorta grew 17.4% and now account for 12.6% of all Franciacorta bottles sold worldwide. Japan remains the primary export market, followed by the USA, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium.

Vineyards in Italy's Franciacorta region, which is looking to build its profile as an alternative to Champagne, in the UK.

Franciacorta wines are looking to raise awareness of the region's wines as an alternative to Champagne in the UKMauricio Zanella, president of the Consorzio FranciacortaMauricio Zanella, president of the Consorzio Franciacorta, and owner of leading producer, Ca del Bosco, hopes to continue the positive growth over the next six months.

"We are very proud of the results achieved in this first part of this year, both in Italy and abroad," said Maurizio Zanella, president of Consorzio Franciacorta and owner of leading producer, Ca del Bosco. "However we are aware that this first semester represents only 34% of total annual production; and we hope to keep this positive trend in the next six months."

In the last 50 years, Franciacorta has gone from producing 3,000 bottles to over 14 million bottles per year. The wines use secondary bottle fermentation, and achieved DOCG status in 1995. Franciacorta is in the Lombardy region, and 109 producers are now making wine there.

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