Overall wine consumption in the United States, the world's top demand market with a retail value of around $60 billion per year, $8 billion of which was spent just on Italian products, fell for the fifth consecutive year. The Italian Wine Union (UIV) reported that sales in supermarkets, wine shops, restaurants, and bars declined by 8.8% in volume and 7.2% in value. Italy also ended 2025 in the red, albeit with modest declines (-5.2% in volume, -3% in value) in comparison to the average, which was significantly affected by the crisis in US products. According to the UIV Observatory, the fall in Italian wines was mostly mitigated by Prosecco (+3.7% in value), a true international star, as well as timeless appellations such as Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino. According to Lamberto Frescobaldi, head of the Italian Wine Union (UIV), "Over the last four years, volumes consumed in the United States have contracted by approximately 20%; Italian wines performed better, dropping by approximately 12% according to our estimates. In this weakened market, which is also highly influenced by a loss in purchasing power, the new tariffs are critical, especially given the initial price rises on the shelves". The U.S., Frescobaldi concluded, "remains an irreplaceable market for Italian wine, but with exports set to close 2025 down 9% in value, every new partnership is both an opportunity and a necessity, starting with Mercosur and India".