Rabotti leads Franciacorta strategy on 12.8% exports and 18.9 million bottles
Franciacorta sold 18.9 million bottles in 2025, but exports still accounted for just 12.8% of volumes. Emanuele Rabotti used the members’ assembly in Erbusco to push a 2026 plan built around identity, international expansion and new markets.
The consortium also approved the 2025 budget and the 2026 budget at the same meeting. For producers, the line is clear: the denomination wants more overseas reach without diluting the premium positioning that kept the average shelf price at 24.45 euro.
Erbusco backs Rabotti’s 2026 plan
One year after becoming president of the Consorzio Franciacorta, Rabotti told producers that the denomination showed “resilienza e capacità di adattamento: indicatori concreti della solidità del posizionamento e della fiducia dei mercati internazionali”.
He said Franciacorta sold 18.9 million bottles in 2025, slightly below 2024, while Italy still represented 87.2% of volumes. The export share rose 5.3% from the previous year, a sign that the international side of the business is gaining ground even as domestic sales still dominate the mix.
Vienna, Lugano, Zurich and Miami
The 2026 program puts Europe and the United States at the center, with stops planned in Vienna, Lugano, Zurich, Miami and Munich. About 100 wineries will take part in the international initiatives, giving the strategy a scale that goes beyond a single promotional event.
Rabotti also said the consortium would preserve and develop the legacy of Silvano Brescianini and strengthen the denomination’s distinctive identity. He added: “un’eredità importante che il Consorzio intende preservare e sviluppare, rafforzando ulteriormente l’identità distintiva della denominazione”.
Identity first, volume second
The backdrop is not volume growth for its own sake. The consortium is framing the 2026 push as a defense of value and recognition, with Rabotti saying: “La presenza di un’identità forte e riconoscibile ha permesso, negli anni, di distinguerci come comparto unico nel panorama vitivinicolo, capace di esprimere valore non solo nel prodotto, ma anche nel territorio, nella cultura e nella visione collettiva”.
He closed the assembly by saying: “Proseguiamo così il nostro percorso di valorizzazione globale con coerenza e visione, traducendo in iniziative concrete quanto emerso nell’assemblea dei soci: un equilibrio tra identità e progettualità per continuare a raccontare l’eccellenza della denominazione”. The practical read for wineries is straightforward: 2026 is set to be the year Franciacorta spends more time abroad, but on its own terms.
