German wine export value fell 3% despite steady first-half shipments

German wine exports held steady in volume in the first half of 2026, but the industry brought in less money as weakness in some major markets offset gains elsewhere, according to figures released Wednesday, October 28, by the German Wine Institute, or DWI.

The industry exported 600,000 hectoliters of wine from January through June 2026, unchanged from the same period a year earlier, DWI said. Export value fell 3% to 186 million euros. Based on those totals, average export revenue worked out to about 3.10 euros a liter, although that broad figure does not show how much of the change came from pricing, product mix or currency effects.

The figures point to a market that is proving resilient in volume but under pressure on earnings. For producers, that means keeping shipments moving has not been enough to protect revenue. The data also show a split between regions that are still expanding for German wine and others that remain difficult.

The clearest weak spot was the United States. DWI said exports to the U.S. fell 11% in both volume and value in the first half of 2026. The institute linked that decline to continuing tariffs and a difficult market environment. The U.S. accounted for 9% of German wine export volume in the period, a sign that its role in the export mix has become smaller than that of several northern European markets combined.

Those northern markets have gained importance. Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark together represented one-quarter of all German wine exports in the first half of 2026, according to DWI. That share makes the region one of the industry’s main supports at a time when global wine consumption has been weakening.

Sweden stood out even within that group. At an export forum cited in the DWI release, Jan Dworsky, who heads the Wines of Germany office in Stockholm, said sales of German wine through Sweden’s state alcohol retailer, Systembolaget, rose 10% in volume and 11% in value in the first nine months of 2026. That growth came even though the broader Swedish wine market shrank 2% over the same period, DWI said.

The institute said demand for lighter, fresher white wines has helped German exporters hold up better than the overall market in some countries. Melanie Broyé-Engelkes, DWI’s managing director, said maintaining export volumes should be seen as a solid result given the worldwide trend toward lower wine consumption. Germany has long been associated with white varieties, especially Riesling, and the institute’s argument is that this profile fits changing consumer preferences in several export markets.

Still, the first-half figures show that stable demand for German wine did not translate into higher receipts. A 3% fall in export value with flat volume suggests either lower average realized prices, a shift toward lower-priced products, or both. The DWI release did not provide the absolute export totals for January through June 2025, and it did not break out the first half by quarter, limiting a closer reading of how the year developed month by month.

The release came as DWI used an industry forum to promote export opportunities for German producers and to present participation options in business trips and trade fairs organized by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. That timing underscores the broader pressure on wineries to look abroad for growth even as some overseas markets become harder to serve.

For German producers, the export picture in the first half of 2026 was therefore mixed. Volume was preserved at 600,000 hectoliters, equivalent to 60 million liters, but revenue slipped to 186 million euros. Stronger demand in Sweden and the broader Nordic region helped offset declines in the U.S., yet not enough to prevent a drop in overall export value.

The numbers also suggest that the geography of German wine exports is continuing to shift. Northern Europe is taking a larger role in supporting shipments, while the U.S. remains important but more challenging. For wineries facing weaker global consumption, the ability to defend shelf space in steady markets and expand in receptive ones may matter more than relying on a single large destination.