Marina Nedic, Managing Director of IEM and I.E.E.M. USA: “Florida and Texas stand out for their openness to new trends and strong interest in Italy.”
In 2024, the U.S. once again confirmed its position as the world’s leading wine market. A year marked by mixed opinions on industry performance, with unresolved challenges and new trends that spark reflection—and sometimes concern. Despite this, Italy firmly maintains its leadership as the top wine exporter to the United States by volume, with an impressive 353.9 million liters. And while France retains the lead in value with $2.5 billion (+0.3%), Italy shows the most significant growth ($2.2 billion, +6.5%), narrowing the gap with its main competitor. Together, the two countries account for 70% of the value of U.S. wine imports, consolidating their dominant role in the American market.
When it comes to sparkling wines, Italy, France, and Spain dominate the U.S. market, representing over 98% of imports in this category. All three countries recorded volume growth, while only France saw a decline in export value (-6.6%). Italy, in particular, confirms its leadership in volume, with 122.6 million liters (+13.7%), a figure far exceeding France (+4.4%) and Spain (+12.1%).
To strengthen its presence in this major market, the “Simply Italian Great Wines Americas Tour” kicked off 2025 with two U.S. stops: at Ampersand Studios in Miami today and at Eataly in Dallas on February 26. The event, created by IEM – International Exhibition Management, continues its mission to promote Italian wine worldwide, showcasing its richness and diversity, with key support from its U.S. branch I.E.E.M. – International Event and Exhibition Management.
Florida, the second-largest wine-consuming state, confirms its strong demand for fresh wines, sparkling wines, and new trends, driven by the constant growth of the restaurant industry. Texas, on the other hand, with its young and affluent population, is showing increasing interest in Italian wine, confirming the potential of this expanding market.
“The Simply Italian Great Wines tour starts once again in the U.S., highlighting how important this market is for our companies. As in 2024, the tour takes place in Florida and Texas—two states where Italian wine continues to maintain a strong presence despite current challenges. These areas stand out for their openness to new trends and show growing interest in Italian wine,” explains Marina Nedic, Managing Director of IEM and I.E.E.M. USA. To strengthen Italy’s presence in foreign markets and promote Made in Italy, the Simply Italian Americas Tour benefits from the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ICE Agency. “This support allows us to carry out increasingly targeted actions toward participating operators, offering particularly significant assistance at this time,” adds Nedic.
The IEM format—featuring commercial workshops, B2B meetings, tastings, and guided seminars—offers participating companies a concrete opportunity to gain visibility by meeting local trade professionals directly.
The key players? From regional collectives such as Al.si, with wineries like Pomario from Umbria and Bersano from Piedmont, to Medici Importers Global and Mediterraneo Trade, and consortia such as Delle Venezie DOC Pinot Grigio, with producers from Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Trentino, including Bolla, Santa Sofia, Pasqua Wines, San Bartolomeo, Tenuta Grimani, Terre di Rai, and Villa Sandi, as well as Consorzio Vini Frascati and Federdoc. Plus, many wineries from across Italy: Vigna Petrussa (Friuli), Ricci Curbastro (Lombardy), Scriani and Zeni (Veneto), Il Pollenza (Marche), Masciarelli and Marramiero (Abruzzo), to name just a few.
