Spain’s Wine Exports Drop 0.8% in Value Despite 2.1% Growth From Castilla-La Mancha

Spain’s wine sector experienced a mixed performance in international markets during the first nine months of 2025, according to data from the Spanish Tax Agency (AEAT) analyzed by the Interprofessional Wine Organization of Spain (OIVE). The country’s total exports of wine-related products, which include wine, must, vinegar, and aromatized wines, reached €2.55 billion, a decrease of 0.8% compared to the same period in 2024. However, the volume exported increased slightly by 0.2%, totaling 2.06 billion liters.

The overall decline in value was mainly due to a drop in wine exports themselves, which fell by 2.2% in value and 0.8% in volume. This negative trend was partially offset by strong growth in other categories: must exports rose by 8.9% in value and 2.9% in volume, while vinegar exports increased by 6.3% in value and 3.6% in volume. Aromatized wines saw declines of 4.9% in value and 3.4% in volume.

Castilla-La Mancha remained the leading region for wine-related exports, accounting for 28% of the total value and more than half—53%—of the total volume exported from Spain during this period. The region’s exports reached €724.6 million, up 2.1%, and 1.1 billion liters, up 1.7%. Castilla-La Mancha also recorded the largest absolute increases both in value (€14.7 million) and volume (18.5 million liters).

The Community of Valencia showed notable growth as well, becoming the second-largest exporter by volume with 281 million liters (up 5.1%) and third by value with €265.8 million (up 4.3%). Murcia, Andalusia, Extremadura, and Castilla y León also posted increases in export revenue.

In contrast, some traditional high-value regions faced significant setbacks. La Rioja saw its export revenue fall by €33 million—a drop of 14.1%—and its export volume decrease by 18.5%. This was the largest absolute decline among all regions for both metrics except for Catalonia, which led losses in volume with a reduction of 14.1 million liters (down 10.8%) and was second only to La Rioja in lost revenue (€18.9 million less than last year). The Community of Madrid and Aragón also reported double-digit declines both in value and volume.

At the provincial level, Ciudad Real consolidated its position as Spain’s top exporter of wine-related products both by value (€422.7 million, up 4.8%) and by volume (628 million liters, up 5.4%). The province accounted for nearly one-sixth of Spain’s total export revenue from these products and almost a third of total export volume nationwide.

Other provinces that contributed positively included Toledo (with a notable increase of €9.6 million in value and 15.6 million liters in volume), Valencia (€8.7 million more in value and an additional 10.3 million liters), and Murcia (€7.4 million more in value and an increase of 7.7 million liters). On the other hand, Albacete registered the largest drop in export volume among all provinces (down by nearly 31 million liters), while La Rioja had the biggest loss in export revenue.

Barcelona maintained its position as the second province by export value but experienced declines both in revenue (down €14.2 million) and volume (down over 10 million liters). Madrid and Zaragoza also saw their export figures fall significantly.

The data highlight a divergence between regions focused on high-volume production at lower prices—such as Castilla-La Mancha—and those specializing in higher-value wines like La Rioja and Catalonia, which have been more affected by global market pressures this year.

The overall picture for Spain’s wine sector is one of stability in terms of quantity exported but a slight contraction in earnings from international sales during the first three quarters of 2025. The resilience shown by Castilla-La Mancha and the Community of Valencia has helped cushion losses elsewhere, but challenges remain for regions that rely on premium wine exports as they face increased competition and changing demand patterns abroad.

Industry observers note that while growth in must and vinegar exports has provided some relief for national figures, the continued decline in high-value wine shipments could have longer-term implications for Spain’s reputation as a producer of quality wines on the global stage if current trends persist into next year.