Moldova’s wine export volume hit a 10-year low in the first eight months of 2026

Moldova’s wine and related beverage exports fell in volume during the first eight months of 2026, but the country still brought in more money per unit sold, according to figures from the National Office for Vine and Wine, or ONVV, based on customs data and reported this week by Wine-Intelligence.

From January through August, Moldova exported 68.6 million liters of wine products, including bottled and bulk shipments, to 67 countries. The total value reached $129.3 million. That was a 16% drop in volume from the same period a year earlier and a 7% decline in value.

The smaller fall in export value than in export volume points to higher average prices and a changing product mix rather than a simple collapse in demand. For beverage producers, importers, and distributors, that matters because it can signal a shift toward higher-priced segments, with possible effects on contract terms, margins, and pricing across wine and spirits portfolios.

Still wine remained the core of Moldova’s export business. It accounted for 78% of exported volume and 61% of export value in the January-August period. But that segment was weaker than a year earlier. Export value for still wine fell 11% to $78.5 million, while volume dropped 17% to 53.6 million liters.

Even in that weaker still wine segment, prices moved higher. The average bottled still wine export price rose 6% to $2.11 per bottle, according to the data cited by Wine-Intelligence. Bulk still wine prices rose 10% to $0.80 per liter. Those increases suggest exporters were able to hold or improve pricing even as they shipped fewer liters.

Sparkling wine also had a difficult year. Bottled sparkling export value fell 25% to $3.3 million, and volume was down 32%. Average prices still increased, rising 10%, which again showed that the value decline was softer than the drop in physical shipments.

Fortified wines moved in the opposite direction. Export value in that category rose 53% to $7.9 million, and volume increased 41% to 3.3 million liters. Bottled fortified wine exports posted especially strong growth, with value up 69%. The figures indicate that fortified products became one of the main supports for Moldova’s beverage export earnings this year.

Aromatized wines and vermouth recorded the sharpest fall of any category. Export value plunged 71% to $2.3 million, showing a steep contraction in a segment that had already been smaller than still wine and brandy.

Brandy, sold in Moldova as Divin, was another area of growth. Total brandy export value increased 15% to $37.3 million. Bottled brandy exports were notably stronger, with value up 66% to $15.1 million. At the same time, the average bottle price fell 7%, which suggests the growth in that part of the business was driven more by larger volumes than by higher prices.

Taken together, the category data show a more mixed picture than a headline decline in exports might suggest. Traditional still wine remains dominant, but other products, especially fortified wine and brandy, are taking a larger role in supporting export revenue. That diversification could become more important for producers as they respond to weaker demand in some overseas markets and pressure on standard wine volumes.

The geographic breakdown also showed uneven demand. Europe remained Moldova’s largest market, accounting for 61% of total export value, or $79.1 million. The Commonwealth of Independent States accounted for 25%, or $32.1 million. Both regions posted modest single-digit declines, which meant Moldova’s core markets remained relatively stable even in a weaker overall year.

The biggest swings came outside those traditional destinations. Export value to Africa jumped 60% to $8.8 million. By contrast, exports to the Americas fell 58% to $5.1 million, and exports to Asia dropped 23% to $4.3 million. Oceania, already a very small market for Moldova, almost disappeared from the export data, with value down 94% to about $1,000.

The concentration of Moldova’s export business remained high. The top 10 destination markets accounted for 81% of both export volume and export value. Romania was the single most important market. It took 33.6% of bottled wine export value and 25.8% of bottled wine export volume. Nigeria, Poland, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic rounded out the top five markets by value, reflecting a combination of long-established European demand and faster growth in parts of Africa.

The African growth figures are notable for beverage companies watching where demand is shifting. If that trend continues, exporters may devote more sales efforts and logistics capacity to markets that can absorb higher-value shipments or categories outside standard still wine. At the same time, the sharp drop in the Americas and the weaker performance in Asia could lead producers to reassess where they place promotional spending and how they position products by price and format.

The latest data also stand out in a longer historical view. According to the 10-year August-period series cited by Wine-Intelligence, Moldova’s 68.6 million liters in export volume this year is the lowest level in that record and well below the 10-year average of 84.8 million liters. Yet the export value of $129.3 million remained above the 10-year average of $112.8 million.

That gap between lower volume and relatively firmer value has widened since 2022, when both measures hit a low point before a partial recovery in 2023 and 2024. The current numbers suggest that Moldova’s beverage industry is selling a smaller basket abroad than it did in earlier years, but one that is priced higher on average and spread across a somewhat broader mix of products.

For exporters and buyers, the result is a market that may be carrying less volume but more value per bottle or per liter. That can change how Moldovan wine, fortified wine, and brandy are negotiated in export channels, especially if producers continue to favor categories and markets that support better pricing rather than larger shipments.