CorkonomicsThe economics of wine production, collection, and vineyards
The numbers
Vineyard land · Pauillac≈$2,798,250 a hectare▼ down 17% on 20232024Opening price · Château Lafite Rothschild 2025≈$376 a bottle▲ up 17% on the year beforeSold at auction · Romanée-Conti Grand Cru, DRC 2019$22,917 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Burgundy grand cru (Pinot Noir)$48–283US duty on wine from · Canada+50%since Aug 2026Everyday bottle in a US shop$13.77 a litre▼ down 1.3% in a yearSep 2026Vineyard land · Margaux≈$1,567,020 a hectare▼ down 7% on 20232024Opening price · Château Cheval Blanc 2025≈$376 a bottle▲ up 22% on the year beforeSold at auction · La Tâche Grand Cru, DRC 2018$5,417 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Champagne prestige cuvée$26–89US duty on wine from · Australia+12.5%since Jul 2026Vineyard land · Côte-Rôtie≈$1,511,055 a hectare▲ up 8% on 20232024Opening price · Château Mouton Rothschild 2025≈$336 a bottle▲ up 19% on the year beforeSold at auction · Richebourg Grand Cru, DRC 2012$3,542 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Bordeaux classified growth (2nd–5th)$17–61US duty on wine from · New Zealand+12.5%since Jul 2026Vineyard land · Côte de Nuits grand cru≈$7,275,450 a hectare2019Opening price · Château Palmer 2025≈$268 a bottle▼ down 19% on the year beforeVineyard land · Pomerol≈$2,238,600 a hectare2023
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Italy

The world's largest wine producer by volume in most years, with a small, fast-growing collectible tier in Tuscany and Piedmont.

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A wine scene in Tuscany
Pictured: Tuscany

Italy makes roughly 40–50 million hectolitres a year (ISTAT / Assoenologi). Its collectible market is concentrated: the Bolgheri 'super Tuscans' (Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Masseto), Brunello di Montalcino's top estates, and the Barolo and Barbaresco of Piedmont's leading producers.

The essentials

The economics in brief

Italian fine wine trades at a fraction of Burgundy's prices per bottle for comparable scarcity, which is the thesis behind its growing share of auction volume over the past fifteen years. Land in Barolo's best crus and in Bolgheri has appreciated sharply as a result. The Consorzi publish planted area and permitted yields; grape prices are reported by regional chambers of commerce.

Key facts

Wine production
≈ 40–50 million hl a yearISTAT / Assoenologi harvest estimates

Regions

Vineyards in TuscanyRegionTuscanyHome of the 'super Tuscans' — Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Masseto — whose Bordeaux-variety wines from Bolgheri…Vineyards in PiedmontRegionPiedmontBarolo and Barbaresco: Nebbiolo from a few thousand hectares of Langhe hillside, with a cru system that has…Vineyards in EtnaRegionEtnaVines on the slopes of a live volcano: old bush vines in black lava sand, Nerello Mascalese that tastes like…

US imports from Italy

$50$100$150$200$250$300201520172019202120232025US$ millions per month, customs valueYearMonthly, 2015–2026 · HS 2204, wine of fresh grapes · Source: U.S. Census Bureau
US$ millions per month, customs value, HS 2204 (wine of fresh grapes)Source: U.S. Census Bureauas of 1 August 2026

Sources

  1. Vendemmia — stime di produzione, Assoenologi / ISMEA / UIV, 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
Last reviewed: September 2026Report an error on this page

Related

RegionPiedmontRegionTuscanyRegionEtna