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The Brexit effect: ‘Sudden drop’ in Italian food and drink exports to the UK

As Brexit negotiations got underway in Brussels on Monday, Italy was already feeling the effect of the UK's vote to leave the European Union, with wine exports particularly hard hit.

Published: 19 June 2017 15:55 CEST
The Brexit effect: 'Sudden drop' in Italian food and drink exports to the UK
The Vinitaly Italian wine exhibition in Verona in autumn 2016. Photo: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP

Food exports to the UK saw a 6.8 percent drop compared to the same period last year, while wine exports fell by seven percent, the Italian farmers' association Coldiretti said.

“The Brexit effect is being felt on symbolic Made in Italy products in Great Britain, where there was an overall sudden drop of eight percent in exports of Italian products,” the organization said.

It added that as well as a fall in the value of the pound, another factor could be “a more nationalist stance among the British, leading to the replacement of imported products”.

The fall in exports to the UK hit all sectors, with vehicle exports down 3.3. percent, furniture exports 7.2 percent, and textiles 12.7 percent, according to figures from national statistics agency Istat for the first quarter of 2017.

But wine producers were particularly hard hit, with Coldiretti saying wine was “the first victim of the chaos caused by Brexit”.

Traditionally good value Italian wine is now more expensive for British consumers than it has ever been, with unfavourable exchange rates and increased tax on alcohol combining to drive up the price of foreign tipple.

The figures confirm the fears expressed by Italy's winemakers in the run-up to and aftermath of the Brexit vote in June 2016.

Before the vote, Coldiretti warned that Britain leaving the EU could “seriously upset trade relations” with Italy, which exports a huge amount of food and drink to the UK each year. Last year, the UK overtook the US as the biggest consumers of Italian wine, helping drive a 38 percent surge in sales of prosecco and other fizzy wines in the first quarter alone, outstripping champagne for the first time.

It is also the fourth biggest importer of Italian food products. After wine and prosecco, the most important items are pasta, fruits and vegetables, and cheese.

And after the UK voted to leave the bloc, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson reportedly explicitly threatened Italy's economic development minister with a drop in prosecco sales if the UK was not allowed to stay in the single market.

READ ALSO: Why Italy wants Unesco heritage status for its Prosecco hillsWhy Italy wants Unesco heritage status for its Prosecco hills
Photo: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP

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FOOD AND DRINK

Six of the most Italian non-alcoholic aperitivo drinks

As well as its most famous cocktails, Italy has a long tradition of making refreshing aperitivo drinks without the alcohol.

Published: 11 April 2024 12:01 CEST
Six of the most Italian non-alcoholic aperitivo drinks

Italy’s favourite aperitivo-hour cocktails are known far beyond the country’s borders, so their names will probably be familiar to you whether you drink them or not.

But if you’re in Italy and not drinking alcohol, you might find yourself stumped when it comes time to order your aperitivo at the bar.

The first time I found myself in this situation, there was no menu. The waiter instead rattled off a long list of all the soft drinks available, most of which I’d never heard of, and I just picked something I thought sounded nice.

Luckily it turns out that Italy has some great options for an aperitivo analcolico. As well as ‘virgin’ versions of well-known cocktails, there are bitters, sodas and other Italian-made soft drinks that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.

They might not be quite as iconic as the Aperol Spritz, but they’re as thoroughly Italian – plus, effortlessly ordering one of these will make you look like a true local.

SanBittèr

San Pellegrino’s SanBittèr is one of the most famous non-alcoholic Italian drinks of all, with its highly-recognisable red packaging, often enjoyed in place of Campari cocktails because of its similar dark, ruby-red color.

This drink is carbonated with a slightly sweet, citrus flavor. The recipe is more complex than that of an orange or lemon soda, with notes of spice and herbs, making it ideal to pair with your aperitivo-hour snacks.

Crodino

Crodino looks a lot like an Aperol Spritz with its bright orange hue, and that’s not an accident: it’s said to have been created as a non-alcoholic alternative, and the zesty, slightly herbal taste is similar. It’s typically served the same way. in a round goblet glass over ice with a slice of orange: a Crodino Spritz.

The name comes from the town of Crodo in Piedmont, where it is still bottled today by the Campari group.

Chinotto

Citrusy Chinotto is an acquired taste for many, but it’s worth trying: it’s one of the classic Italian bitters and is said to have a long history, dating back to a recipe shared by Chinese sailors arriving on the Ligurian coast in the 1500s.

It may look a little like Coca Cola, but don’t let the appearance fool you.

(Photo by Eugene Gologursky /Getty Images via AFP)

Aranciata/Limonata

Aranciata is Italy’s version of an orange soda, but not as sugary, and it tastes like oranges. Its base is sparkling water with the addition of orange juice and sugar. There are various brands, but San Pellegrino’s is the most popular. It also sells a ‘bitter’ aranciata amaro, with even less sugar, more citrus tang and herbal notes, which might be more aperitivo-hour appropriate.

Limonata is, as you might guess, the Italian answer to lemonade. Again there are many versions out there but the fizzy San Pellegrino limonata is beloved for its strong, sweet-sour flavour and there’s nothing more refreshing on a hot summer’s day.

Cedrata

Cedrata is one of Italy’s oldest and best-known non-alcoholic drinks. It’s a refreshing, carbonated drink made from a large citrus fruit called a cedro, grown in southern Italy. It’s far less bitter than a Chinotto, but not as sweet as limonata.

The main producer of Cedrata today is Tassoni, and this is what you’re likely to get if you order it at a bar.

Gingerino

This is harder to find than the other aperitivi on the list and is seen as decidedly retro, but it’s worth trying if you can track it down.

It’s another orange-coloured, sparkling drink which became popular in Italy in the 1970s and is still sold today, though you’re more likely to find it in the north-east, close to Venice, where it’s produced.

You may be expecting it to taste a lot like ginger beer, and there are similarities, but it has stronger citrus notes and more bitterness.

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