Cuzziol’s map: value holds, volumes slip — restaurants still steer premium
In a WineMeridian interview, trade figure Cuzziol says Italian wine’s value can stay firm while bottles fall. HoReCa remains the premium channel.
Markets often confuse “less wine sold” with “wine in crisis.” Those are not the same sentence.
In a WineMeridian interview, trade figure Cuzziol sketches a sharper split. Value can stay relatively stable even as volumes soften, because the mix — not only the bottle count — sets the bill. Premium placements and ordinary supermarket stacks live in different worlds. When the mix holds, euros can hold even as litres slip.
HoReCa — hotels, restaurants, cafés — remains strategic for premium Italian labels. A glass on a list teaches price and story in a way supermarket stacks rarely do. Losing restaurant placements hurts identity as much as litres. The diner who learns a wine with food is more likely to choose it again on purpose. The shopper who grabs a random deal may not.
Watch value and volume separately. When volumes dip but premium channels hold, the system is rebalancing, not simply shrinking. Ready-to-drink cans win nights with no plan. A restaurant glass wins nights with a reason. Brands that understand that stop selling autopilot and start defending the places where wine still feels intentional.
If you pocket one idea: losing restaurant placements hurts identity as much as litres. That is Cuzziol’s map in one line.
Source: WineMeridian