In the US, consumption of Italian wine plummets: -10% in May alone. UIV warns: “Tariffs could deal a fatal blow”

There’s bad news coming from across the Atlantic, particularly from the United States market — the main customer of Italian wine. As already reiterated just a month ago, the trend remains downward, with overall consumption of Italian-made wine continuing to decline in May. The figure for the fifth month of the year shows a double-digit drop: -10.6% compared to a year ago. As noted by the observatory of the Unione Italiana Vini (with data from Sipsource), this is one of the sharpest negative performances in a three-year period that has consistently shown a downward trend.

Reassessing the structure of the national wine industry

Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of UIV, speaks of a “worrying and progressive decline in wine consumption,” which is affecting even Italian labels. “The imposition of tariffs by the United States,” he comments in a statement, “risks delivering a fatal blow to a market that is already stagnant — a market which is crucial for Made in Italy and for the long-standing relationship between Italy and the United States.” According to the organisation, which has scheduled its general assembly for 3 July, the solution lies in “reconsidering the current structure of the Italian wine sector, and this discussion will be at the heart of the upcoming assembly in Rome.”

Lamberto Frescobaldi – President of Unione italiana vini

Down 6.3% between January and May

Looking more closely at the first five months of 2025, consumption of Italian wine in the US has dropped by 6.3% — both in volume and in turnover. The Sipsource data specifically refers to wine withdrawals from distributors’ warehouses for goods ready for consumption. For another comparison: the overall average demand for wine in the United States fell by 14.4% in May 2025 compared to May 2024, and by 9% when considering the first five months of the current year.