Beijing – 2025 proved to be a challenging year for Asti Docg, squeezed between US tariffs – affecting Moscato d’Asti, whose main market is the United States – and the war in Ukraine, with Russia being the leading destination for Asti Spumante.
According to data from the Asti Docg Consortium based on NielsenIQ figures, global sales volumes in large-scale retail and traditional retail channels fell by 9%, to nearly 75 million bottles.
“The situation is difficult, not only for our denomination, and that’s no surprise,” said Stefano Ricagno, president of the Consortium. “But for us the general contraction in consumption is compounded by tensions in two markets that together account for more than 40% of our sales, and that has had an impact. Still, even in a year marked by tensions, there have been positive signs – starting with a clear increase in demand from Asia, particularly China, which is reaching significant levels and gives us reason for optimism. We urgently need to expand our commercial reach.”
According to the Consortium’s analysis, Asti Spumante recorded the steepest decline (-12.4%, to 49.3 million 0.75-litre bottles), while Moscato d’Asti ended the year with a smaller drop of -1.8% (25 million bottles).
“Excluding the decline in the US (-7.6%, which still accounts for 58% of total sales), Moscato d’Asti would actually have closed the year in positive territory,” noted the Consortium’s director, Giacomo Pondini. “This is thanks to relative stability in Europe (-0.6%) and, above all, growth in Asian markets (+11.3%), starting with China, which recorded a +55% increase and has now become the third-largest market for this category.”
Asia’s share of total export sales has thus risen to 18%.
Outside the EU, Asia also continues to show strong appreciation for Asti Spumante (+20%, with 3.3 million bottles sold), driven primarily by Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan and China. In the Americas, Mexico maintains its positive trend, surpassing one million bottles sold, followed by Peru with 750,000 bottles – a market that increased its demand for Asti sparkling wines by one third.