Wine exports hit 14-year low

The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) released its annual report on the global wine sector for 2024 during a virtual press conference on April 15, 2025. The report offered a broad view of the challenges and developments affecting wine production, trade, and consumption across more than 180 countries. Key factors shaping the sector include the continuing effects of climate change, shifts in consumer behavior, and geopolitical instability.

John Barker, Director General of the OIV, called for deeper multilateral cooperation and industry-wide adaptation. He said that while these challenges are serious, they also create openings for innovation, especially in sustainability, research, and emerging markets. Barker encouraged greater investment in long-term resilience and emphasized the need for international collaboration.

Global wine exports in 2024 totaled 99.8 million hectoliters, marking the lowest level since 2010 and a marginal decline of 0.1% compared to 2023. This decline followed low production levels in consecutive years, combined with higher export prices and weaker international demand. Some countries showed signs of improvement. Chile added 1.0 million hectoliters, Australia increased by 0.4 million, Portugal by 0.3 million, and the United States by 0.3 million. Spain, Canada, and Germany each recorded export declines, with Spain falling by nearly one million hectoliters.

The value of global wine exports in 2024 reached 35.9 billion euros, down 0.3% from 2023. The average price per liter stayed close to the previous year at 3.60 euros, just 0.3% lower. Despite minimal year-over-year change, prices remain higher than pre-pandemic levels, driven by the ongoing trend toward premium products and global inflation.

Bottled wine remained the dominant export category, accounting for 50.8% of total volume and 67% of global export value. Bottled wine volumes declined by 1.8%, but average prices rose 1.9% to 4.7 euros per liter. Sparkling wine saw a 0.3% decrease in volume and a 3.7% drop in value, with the average price falling to 7.9 euros per liter. Bag-in-Box wines held a 3.6% share of export volume and declined about 5% in both volume and value, while maintaining stable pricing. Bulk wine grew 3.3% in volume and nearly 10% in value, representing around one-third of global export volume but only 7.4% of export value due to its lower average price of 0.8 euros per liter.

Italy, Spain, and France remained the top three exporters by volume, together accounting for 54.7% of global volume and 63.4% of total value. Italy showed growth for the first time in several years, increasing export volume by 3.2% to 21.7 million hectoliters and export value by 5.6% to 8.1 billion euros. Growth was led by strong performances in sparkling and bottled wines. Spain, while still second in volume, reported its lowest export levels in a decade at 20 million hectoliters, a one-million-hectoliter decrease from 2023. However, Spain's export value rose by 1.4%, helped by stronger Bag-in-Box sales offsetting declines in bulk wine. France ranked third in volume but remained the top exporter by value, shipping 12.8 million hectoliters worth 11.7 billion euros. Sparkling wines contributed to a 2.4% decline in volume and a 6.5% drop in value, despite stability in bottled wine exports.

Outside of Europe, Chile's wine exports increased by more than 14% to 7.8 million hectoliters, with value rising over 6%. Australia saw a nearly 7% increase in export volume and a sharp 30% rise in value, particularly in bottled wines. South Africa recorded modest growth after recent declines, while Portugal performed well except in the Bag-in-Box category. Germany's exports continued to decline, New Zealand recorded small losses, and the United States showed a slight overall volume increase, with only bulk wine exports showing positive results. Argentina posted moderate growth. Canada's exports dropped sharply due to a decrease in re-exports.

On the import side, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States remained the leading wine-importing countries, accounting for more than a third of global imports by both volume and value. Germany imported 12.7 million hectoliters, its lowest in two decades, with total value falling nearly nine percent to 2.5 billion euros. The United Kingdom ended several years of declines with a 2.4% increase to 12.6 million hectoliters, largely due to bulk wine purchases, while its total import value held at 4.6 billion euros. The United States continued to lead in import value at 6.3 billion euros, with volumes stabilizing just over twelve million hectoliters.

Other key developments included France's lowest import levels since 2016, mainly from decreased bulk wine purchases; the Netherlands importing less than four million hectoliters for the first time since 2016; and a small rise in Canadian imports. Italy increased its imports—mostly bulk wine—by more than 65%. China ended a six-year decline with strong growth. Belgium saw declines except for sparkling wines. Japan imported slightly more wine but spent less, while Portugal's imports fell sharply across all categories.

The OIV's report reflected how ongoing economic pressures, climate-related disruptions, and shifting global demand continue to reshape the global wine industry, prompting new strategies and responses from both producers and importers.