There is an 'Italian style' in cooking – recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage – and likewise in drinking alcoholic beverages: moderate consumption, deeply connected to conviviality and the table. This emerges from the first research on the subject conducted by the Department of Communication and Social Research of La Sapienza University of Rome commissioned by Federvini, presented today at Montecitorio during the 'The Italian Way' event.
The most significant feature emerging from the study concerns the close correlation between consumption and mealtime. Over 80% of wine consumption is concentrated at lunch and dinner; over 70% of cocktails are linked to aperitivo. The consumption of alcoholic beverages in Italy is not, in the vast majority of cases, an isolated or compulsive act: it is part of a structured social ritual, in line with the traditions of the Mediterranean diet, itself recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.
This behavioral pattern is reflected in aggregate numbers. With 8 liters of pure alcohol per capita consumed every year, Italy ranks below 6% compared to the OECD countries average. In the European comparison, the gap is even more marked: countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Iberian ones record consumption between 11 and 12 liters annually per capita, that is between +37.5% and +50% compared to Italy.
The health of Italians: Eurostat data
Virtuous behaviors are reflected in the health of the population. According to Eurostat data, theItaly records the highest life expectancy in Europe: 84.1 years, compared to an EU average of 81.5 years. This primacy does not depend on a single factor but is at least partly attributable to a dietary model that also includes moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Strengthening this picture, data on the evolution of risk behaviors: their prevalence in the Italian population has decreased by 6 percentage points between 2007 and 2023. A structural, not cyclical, trend indicating a culture of progressively improving consumption.
Young people: less daily consumption, more awareness
A specific look is directed to the 18-24 age group. 72% of young Italians have consumed at least one alcoholic beverage in the last 12 months (75% among males, 68% among females), but the most relevant data concerns daily consumption: only 5.7% of young people drink alcoholic beverages daily, compared to 31.3% of those over 75. Younger generations therefore show a lower propensity for habitual consumption, with signs of reduction also in overall frequency and potentially risky behaviors.
The voice of Federvini
‘Today we have further evidence of what we have always maintained: there is an Italian style of drinking, based on moderation, culture, and responsibility', said Giacomo Ponti, President of Federvini. 'It is precisely this style that proves more effective than restrictive and prohibitionist policies that periodically reemerge internationally. A model around which over the centuries a supply chain of companies deeply rooted in the territories has developed, contributing to the economy and representing a symbol of quality worldwide.'
Education and responsibility: the university program
Alongside research, Federvini has confirmed its commitment in the field ofeducation on conscious consumption, launched in 2022 with the program 'Communicate responsible consumptionIn collaboration with the academic world. The program involved over 700 students from nine universities — including La Sapienza and LUISS in Rome, Cattolica in Milan, the Universities of Verona, Florence, Turin, Catania, Vicenza and Luigi Vanvitelli in Caserta — training the future communication professionals as the first ambassadors of an aware message towards their peers. Two important public-private partnerships, with the Municipalities of Rome Capital and Naples, allowed the development of poster campaigns onrespective territories.
Editorial Staff of GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade)
