White Wine Trading Surged on Liv-ex as Red Wine Lost Ground

New data from Liv-ex, the London-based marketplace for fine wine, shows a sharp long-term rise in demand for white and sparkling wines, while red wine trading has failed to keep pace, pointing to a broader change in how buyers approach the secondary market.

According to the figures released Monday, the value of white wine traded on Liv-ex has climbed 650% since 2010. Over the same period, sparkling wine trade has risen 1,100%. Red wine has moved in the opposite direction. In 2025, the total value of red wine traded on the exchange was 15.0% lower than it was in 2010.

The data suggests that the shift is not tied to a short-lived trend or a seasonal swing. Liv-ex said white wines have held up better during the recent downturn in the fine wine market, with steadier trade values than either red or sparkling wines. Sparkling wines, especially Champagne, saw a strong run during the Covid-era market boom and then a correction. White wines did not peak as sharply, and that appears to have helped them maintain stronger demand as the market cooled.

The strongest gains in white wine trading have come from Burgundy, which Liv-ex now identifies as the leading white wine region on its platform by value. The exchange said that rise has been driven by two forces at once: higher trading volumes for lower-priced white Burgundy and relative price stability among top-tier bottles. That combination has helped Burgundy widen its lead over Bordeaux in the white wine segment.

Bordeaux whites have lost ground over the past decade. Since 2011, the value of Bordeaux white wine traded on Liv-ex has fallen 17.6%, according to the exchange. That decline allowed Burgundy to overtake Bordeaux as the dominant white wine category by value. The change reflects both shifting buyer tastes and a market that is relying more heavily on pricing data and liquidity when deciding where to place money.

Liv-ex said buyers have increasingly moved away from Bordeaux as white Burgundy gained in both price strength and ease of trade. In practical terms, that means merchants and collectors are favoring wines they believe can be bought and sold more easily, while also matching current drinking habits.

Sophia Gilmour, a market analyst at Liv-ex, said part of the change may come from how consumers plan to drink fine wine rather than simply what styles they prefer. She said white wines are generally ready to drink earlier than reds, making them more attractive to buyers who do not want to wait many years before opening a bottle.

“In general, white wines are ready to drink earlier than reds,” Gilmour said. “The shift towards white wines may have as much to do with a change in buying habits as a change in drinking habits.”

She added that many fine wine buyers once had both the patience and storage capacity to age bottles for a decade or longer, but that a growing share of buyers now purchase with the intention of drinking sooner. White Burgundy fits that pattern well, she said.

Gilmour also pointed to challenges facing white Bordeaux. While she said there is a growing number of high-quality white Bordeaux wines, she noted that the best examples remain expensive and may not carry the same level of brand recognition as leading Burgundies. That makes them harder to trade in a market where buyers are becoming more selective.

Champagne has followed its own path, but Liv-ex said some of the same forces are at work there as well. Because Champagne is often bought for near-term consumption rather than long-term cellaring, demand has remained supported even during a weaker market, when merchants have been less willing or less able to hold large inventories.

The findings come at a time when the fine wine trade is adjusting to slower conditions after several years of volatility. During the pandemic-era boom, prices for many collectible wines rose quickly as global demand increased and investors entered the market. Since then, activity has become more cautious, with buyers paying closer attention to value, liquidity and how soon wines can be consumed or resold.

Liv-ex framed its latest figures as evidence of a structural shift in capital allocation within fine wine rather than a temporary reaction to market stress. White wines appear to be benefiting from that change because they offer a mix of earlier drinkability, established prestige in regions such as Burgundy and more stable trading patterns during uncertain periods.

For merchants, collectors and investors, the numbers suggest that category choice is becoming more important than ever. Red wine still accounts for a large share of fine wine identity and tradition, but Liv-ex’s data indicates that this dominance no longer guarantees stronger trade performance. Buyers are spreading their spending across categories differently than they did a decade ago.

The exchange said access to timely and unbiased market data is becoming more important as those patterns evolve. In an environment where fewer participants are willing to buy broadly across all regions and styles, detailed information on sustained activity and long-term value is playing a larger role in purchasing decisions.

The latest figures do not mean red wine has lost its place in fine wine altogether. But they do show that whites and sparkling wines have gained ground steadily over many years, and that their appeal has continued even after broader market enthusiasm faded. For now, Burgundy’s white wines appear to be at the center of that shift, with Champagne also holding buyer interest as merchants navigate a more selective trading climate.