Scandinavians favour Italian wine

Italian wine has become the most commonly drunk wine in Scandinavia, partly driven by sales of Prosecco.

Consumption of wine in Sweden, Norway and Finland is on the rise with research by Wine Intelligence finding more Italian wine is consumed in Scandinavia over any other region’s wines, as reported by Vinexpo.

In Sweden Italian wines have outstripped Spanish and French wines to become the most popular choice, while in Norway and Finland Italian wine was already the number one choice, the report said.

Wine Intelligence said Italy was the only top-five country of origin to increase in popularity in the region over the last two years, with sales of Prosecco having a major impact.

Sales of sparkling wine have risen by 45% in Finland, 70% in Norway and 54% in Sweden since 2011, while Sauvignon Blanc has also become increasingly popular across all three markets.

This week it was confirmed that sales of Prosecco were now overtaking those of Champagne demonstrating the continued worldwide thirst for Italian sparkling wine. 

A downturn in wine sales in the Nordic region is not anticipated but Wine Intelligence warned that recent growth should not be taken for granted by the wine industry.

Richard Halstead, chief operating officer of Wine Intelligence said: “Norwegians may be drinking more wine, but they seem less adventurous in their choices and more unsure of their wine knowledge than they used to be.”