Moldova’s still wine exports fell 18% in the first seven months of 2026

Moldova exported sharply less still wine in the first seven months of 2026, even as the average value of each liter sold abroad increased.

Data published on Aug. 19 by Moldova’s National Office of Vine and Wine, or ONVV, and the ASYCUDA customs system showed that still wine exports reached 47.8 million liters worth $69.5 million from January through July. That was down 18% in volume and 11% in value from the same period a year earlier.

Using those reported changes as a guide, the comparable 2025 period was about 58.3 million liters and $78.1 million. That implies a drop of roughly 10.5 million liters and about $8.6 million in still wine exports over the year.

The weaker shipment numbers did not translate into a similar drop in unit value. Based on the reported totals, the average export value for still wine was about $1.45 per liter in the January-to-July 2026 period, up from roughly $1.34 per liter a year earlier. That is an increase of about 8.5%, suggesting Moldovan exporters sold a more favorable product mix, achieved higher prices, or both.

The still wine decline came within a broader fall in Moldova’s wine and grape-based export trade. Across all vitivinicultural products, the country shipped 61.5 million liters abroad in the first seven months of 2026, down 16% from the same period in 2025. Export revenue totaled $116.2 million, a 5% decline. The smaller fall in value than in volume points to the same pattern seen in still wine: less product moving overseas, but at higher average prices.

The category data showed that not all segments moved in the same direction. Liqueur wine was one of the stronger performers, with exports in that category rising 60% in value and 47% in volume. Bottled sparkling wine moved the other way, with export value down 21% and volume down 29%. The figures indicate that gains in smaller or more specialized categories helped offset part of the decline in still wine, which remains the core of Moldova’s wine exports.

The export business also remained concentrated in a limited number of markets. Moldovan producers sold wine and related products into 65 countries during the period, but the top 10 destinations accounted for 81% of both export value and export volume. That concentration leaves the sector exposed to changes in demand, pricing, and logistics in a relatively small group of foreign markets.

Europe remained Moldova’s main export region, accounting for 61% of total export value, or $71.4 million. The Commonwealth of Independent States represented 25%, or $28.9 million. Outside those markets, the largest regional shift came in Africa, where export value rose 61% to $7.4 million, helped by demand from countries including Nigeria and Ghana. The Americas moved in the opposite direction, with export value falling 61% to $4.5 million, while Oceania dropped 94% to about $1,000.

Romania continued to be Moldova’s leading market for bottled wine by a wide margin. It took 25.3% of bottled export volume and 32.8% of bottled export value, according to the data cited in the report. Other important destinations included the Czech Republic, Nigeria, the Netherlands and Poland, while the United States, Ukraine, Canada and China also held smaller shares.

The 2026 figures add to evidence that Moldova’s wine sector is exporting less by volume than in recent years while trying to preserve revenue through higher-value sales. Industry data cited in the report showed that the January-to-July 2026 export volume of 61.5 million liters for all vitivinicultural products was the lowest in the available 10-year series, even though total export value remained closer to the long-term average.

The ONVV data were reported by the wine industry publication VinoVistara, which noted that some backward-looking comparisons, including the estimated prior-year totals and average price per liter, are derived from rounded percentage changes rather than a linked primary table. The report also excluded divin, Moldova’s brandy category, from the still wine calculations.