(Verona 13 April 2026). Twelve billion euros: the value of wine consumed in restaurants, trattorias, pizzerias and wine bars, with a share of the average receipt of over 21%. Wine in the restaurant industry is a factor that contributes significantly to the €59.3 billion in added value for the sector, despite last a contraction in spending last year, as well as consumption volumes. In this context, trends in the catering sector also seem to reflect market trends, with red and full-bodied wines struggling, while fresh whites and sparkling wines are holding steady.
This emerged today at Veronafiere during the presentation of the survey, in collaboration with Vinitaly, conducted by the new Fipe-Uiv “Wine & Catering” Observatory, the first in Italy entirely dedicated to the HoReCa-wine relationship. The 58th edition of the Italian Wine saw a memorandum of understanding signed between Unione Italiana Vino (UIV) and Fipe-Confcommercio (Italian Federation of Public Premises) that aims to promote reciprocal valorization of the sectors, not the least through the work of the Observatory to monitor the state of the art and the evolution of consumption styles, trends and products.
The results of this research, conducted on a representative sample of 500 businesses including restaurants-trattorias, restaurants-pizzerias, pizzerias, cocktail bars and wine bars with service, wine still has a significant impact on catering turnover, reaching an average of over 21%, with an incidence in excess of 30% for 22% of interviewees. A fundamental impact, according to the Observatory, which is also evident in the by now well-established use of the wine list by 3 out of 4 restaurants but also by half the pizzerias-restaurants (4.1 million total items on the menu). Here, wine is a cornerstone of the offering – largely managed in person by owners as a tool for positioning and local are storytelling – which, however, is updated less than once a year in 54% of cases. This low turnover, in accordance with the data collected, is set in a context of poor training among restaurateurs in matters of wine: one-third of premises have no form of refresher courses (a figure rising to 61% in pizzerias and 50% in cocktail bars), and half of those who do take training courses do so through word of mouth from agents or distributors.
“The world of Italian wine was missing a tool that would help it better explore dynamics with the catering sector," said Uiv President, Lamberto Frescobaldi, "a combination that has been the fortune of Italian cuisine and wine throughout the world. Now is the time to leverage this synergy to achieve growth in our sectors, starting with reciprocal understanding. In this first report, the need to ensure better transfer of the product innovation that wine expresses has already emerged," he concluded, "but we can and must certainly team up and truly listen to consumers”.
On his part, Lino Enrico Stoppani, President of Fipe-Confcommercio, said: “Wine is a strategic item in the Italian restaurant offering, both economically and culturally, because it helps define the identity and quality of customer experience. Indeed, conviviality is incomplete if a meal is not accompanied by a fine wine. Observatory's data, however, highlights the need for more investment in training and communication, starting with improving wine lists, which are still a fundamental tool for valorizing the overall offering of restaurants. In a context of falling consumption, it is increasingly important to strengthen cooperation between restaurateurs and winemakers to intercept new trends and build a coherent and competitive offering, capable of also supporting business margins.”
As regards consumption, while more than half of wine orders by restaurateurs are "unchanged" compared to the two-year period 2021/22, those who have seen downturns are distinctly higher in terms of expenditure (-17 the net balance between the percentage responses indicating an increase and a decrease) but even more so in terms of consumption (-28). Restaurants/trattorias saw the most significant decreases in consumption volumes (net balance at -35). It is no coincidence that among 53% of those who identified critical issues in wine management, the first item mentioned concerns falling demand.
As for choosing wines, 'lightness' still plays an important role.” Less demanding wines (sparkling wines and even more so light whites) show two-figure net positive balances, while demand for light reds is slowing down, and for full-bodied wines even to a greater extent. And while cocktails are now a regular feature on the menus of more than one-fifth of establishments, 44% of restaurants and pizzerias still consider mixology to be inconsistent with their positioning.
Looking into the future, the majority of restaurateurs expect a stable situation (43%), more than 26% are pessimistic and expect a general reduction in alcohol consumption (a figure rising to 34% in restaurants/pizzerias), with 8% believing that low- and no-alcohol options will gain ground in their businesses.
“Catering plays a vital role in the history of Italian wine and its connection with local areas and identities," said the President of Veronafiere, Federico Bricolo. The 58th Vinitaly celebrates this with an extended gastronomic offering, ranging from "Ristorante d'Autore" to proposals by star chefs in the regional show halls, in a shared context with the candidacy of Italian cuisine for UNESCO Intangible Heritage status, which began precisely at this trade fair. Wine and catering are a consolidated marriage that, if it is to continue growing, must invest in dialogue: This is why we are supporting the Fipe-Uiv Observatory at Vinitaly in the assurance that it will bring to the Made in Italy wine business.”