Italian Wine Exports Show Signs of Recovery in Early 2026

Italian wine exports showed further signs of recovery in the first quarter of 2026, even as shipments remained well below the levels recorded a year earlier, according to Italian national statistics reviewed by WineNews.

From January through March, Italy exported €1.7 billion worth of wine, down 8.2% from the same period in 2025. The decline was still significant, but it marked an improvement from the sharper drops seen earlier this year. In January, export value had been down 18.7% year over year, and in the first two months of 2026 the decline stood at 13.3%.

Export volumes reached 472.8 million hectoliters in the first quarter, down 4% from a year earlier. That was slightly weaker than the pace reported through February, when volumes were down 3.2%, but it still pointed to a market that is stabilizing after a difficult start to the year.

The United States remained Italy’s largest foreign market for wine and offered one of the clearest signs that the downturn may be easing. In the first quarter, exports to the U.S. totaled €407.9 million, down 20.5% from the same period in 2025. That is still a steep decline, but it was less severe than in January, when exports to the U.S. were down 35.2%, and in February, when they were down 27.5%.

The March figures suggest that losses in the American market narrowed further. Compared with March 2025, Italian wine exports to the U.S. fell by about €13 million, a smaller shortfall than in previous monthly readings. Volumes shipped to the U.S. reached 81.6 million hectoliters in the quarter, down 8.4% from a year earlier, but also improving from declines of 11.5% through February and 19.3% in January.

For beverage producers and importers, that matters because the U.S. remains one of the most important destinations for premium imported wine, and any stabilization in demand can affect pricing, inventory planning and distribution across the broader alcohol trade.

Other major markets also improved compared with their performance in the first two months of the year. Germany, Italy’s leading market in Europe, imported €263.3 million worth of Italian wine in the quarter, down 4.5%, an improvement from the 9.1% decline reported through February.

The United Kingdom bought €154.2 million worth of Italian wine, down 8.3%, also better than the 12.9% decline seen in the first two months of the year. Canada was nearly flat at €94.8 million, up 0.3%, while Switzerland imported €86.4 million worth, down 9.6%.

France posted one of the more surprising gains among major destinations. Italian wine exports there rose 4.3% to €67.5 million in the quarter. The Netherlands imported nearly €56 million worth of Italian wine, down 4.7%.

In Belgium, exports totaled €48.9 million, down 10% from a year earlier, though that result represented an improvement of more than seven percentage points from February’s pace.

Russia recorded one of the strongest increases among Italy’s export markets. Shipments there rose 46.5% to €45.2 million, putting Russia ahead of Sweden, where exports totaled €45 million and fell 7.3%. Japan remained Italy’s most important Asian market for wine at €37.8 million, down 5.3%, but that too was better than the 8.3% decline reported through February.

China continued to show positive momentum, though from a relatively low base compared with its past potential for Italian producers. Exports to China reached €19 million in the quarter, up 17%. Brazil also grew, rising 11.8% to €9.3 million, reinforcing its status as one of the emerging markets watched closely by exporters. Australia moved in the opposite direction, with exports falling 20% to €13.4 million.

The latest figures point to a gradual rebound rather than a full recovery. Italy’s wine sector is still dealing with weaker trade flows than last year and with broader uncertainty tied to international tensions and changing consumption patterns in several markets.

Even so, the trend since February has been more encouraging across most major destinations. For wineries, bottlers and distributors, that shift could help ease pressure after months of weaker overseas sales and may offer some support to trade activity across restaurants, retailers and beverage wholesalers if demand continues to firm in coming months.