We’re already halfway through 2019 and Italy is stealing the show on London International Vintners Exchange, which is a global fine wine market. Its best performance ever - Italy 100 closes at +24% in the first six months of 2019 with some ups and downs. Also, the number of Italian wines doubles in the Liv-Ex 100, shining among the investors and collectors around the world. Liv-Ex, which is a benchmark index of the platform, scans & monitors the price development of the top 100 wines on the market.

In the data analyzed by WineNews, for the first time in the year, it has shown a month of growth, with June closing at + 0.4%, but the balance sheet from the beginning of the year closed down, at -0.93 %. This happens also for the performance after 6 months from Liv-Ex 1000, which is the biggest index of Liv-Ex, down by 2.04% because of the collapse of Burgundy 150 (-6.23%) and of Bordeaux Legends (-3 %). 

If in 2019, index Champagne 50 & Rhone 100 increase +0.37% and 0.4% respectively, the best performance is that of Italy 100, composed by the last physical vintages of Sassicaia, Masseto, Solaia (Antinori), Tignanello (Antinori), Ornellaia, Barbaresco di Gaja, Barolo Monfortino Riserva and Barolo Cascina Francia di Giacomo Conterno, Guado al Tasso (Antinori) e Redigaffi di Tua Rita, which closes at +2.4%. 

The worth of these fine Italian wines is also attested by the future admission of Italian labels in Liv-Ex 100 (where Bordeaux wines will be reduced from 67 current to 50, and it will be added 7 for Italy and Burgundy respectively, and 3 for Champagne NDR) : from the current Italian members Masseto 2014, Ornellaia 2013 and 2015, Sassicaia 2014 and 2015, Tignanello 2015 and Barolo Monfortino Riserva 2010 di Giacomo Conterno, there will be added from the next month Masseto 2015, Sassicaia 2016, Solaia 2015, Tignanello 2016, Barolo 2014 di Bartolo Mascarello, il Barolo Villero 2013 Brovia and Sperss 2013 di Gaja.

We can summarize the news by stating that Italy doubles its worth in the main index, and shows development in the fine wine market - where Belapaese is in the spotlight with its most important brands.