Spain’s grocery shoppers bought 3.3% less wine in the first half of 2026

Wine sales through Spain’s food retail channel fell in the first half of 2026, with shoppers buying less wine and average prices showing little change, according to an analysis released Sept. 10 by Del Rey AWM based on household food panel data from Spain’s Agriculture Ministry.

The report said consumers bought 1.4 million hectoliters of wine through the channel in the six months through June, down 3.3% from the same period a year earlier. Spending fell 2.4% to 493.5 million euros. The average price rose 0.9% to 3.42 euros a liter, a small increase that limited the decline in sales value.

Del Rey AWM said the drop in volume in the semester was sharper than the decline shown in the rolling 12-month data, while price trends improved slightly. In the 12 months through June, volume in the food retail channel was down 2.4% and value was down 2.9%, with average prices off 0.6%. In the six-month period, the modest increase in price helped narrow the fall in revenue to 2.4% even as volume weakened further.

The firm said the food retail channel represents only part of Spain’s wine market. The ministry’s panel placed wine consumption in this channel at 3.1 million hectoliters in the 12 months through June, equal to 34.6% of total estimated wine consumption of a little more than 9 million hectoliters, based on INFOVI data cited in the report. The rest of the market comes from hospitality, specialty stores, temporary outlets, online sales and direct winery sales. Compared with the broader market, however, food retail held up somewhat better. The report said total wine consumption in Spain fell 7.2% in the 12 months through June, a much steeper decline than the 2.4% drop in the grocery channel.

The report also placed the current numbers in the context of the pandemic. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, at-home consumption rose as bars and restaurants were shut for months. Del Rey AWM said home wine consumption later returned to levels similar to those seen before the pandemic, and in some cases moved somewhat lower.

By category, still wines were weaker than sparkling wines, and still wines with protected designation of origin posted the biggest losses. That segment, the largest in the market, fell 7.5% in volume to 58.7 million liters in the first half and 5.9% in value to 279 million euros. Sparkling wine declined less, with volume down 0.9% and value down 3.5% to 48.2 million euros. Fortified wines were flat in value at 22.3 million euros and down 3.9% in volume.

The only still wine segments to post higher revenue were the lower-priced categories. Wines with protected geographical indication rose 6.3% in value to 30.1 million euros and 7.7% in volume. Wines without a geographical indication increased 4.1% in value to 110 million euros, even though volume slipped 1.3%. Del Rey AWM said those segments sell at lower average prices, at 3.10 euros a liter for PGI wine and 1.77 euros a liter for wine without an indication. The report said the average price for wine without indication rose 5.5%.

The split by color showed a similar divide. Red wine, which remains the largest color category among Spanish consumers, had the sharpest declines. Sales of red wine in the food retail channel fell 7.9% in value to 234.2 million euros and 7.1% in volume to 68.1 million liters. Its average price slipped 0.9%.

White wine moved in the opposite direction. Del Rey AWM said white wine sales rose 5.1% in value, helped mainly by a 4.9% increase in average price, while volume edged up 0.3%. Rosé, a much smaller segment, also posted higher revenue as price gains offset lower sales volume. The report showed rosé value up 2.9%, volume down 6.5% and average price up 10.0%.

Del Rey AWM said the figures fit a broader pattern that has been visible for years in both domestic consumption and exports, with white wines performing better than reds. The firm said consumers appear to be showing more interest in fresher, easier-drinking wines, while also noting that some higher-value red wines continue to perform better than the broader red category.

The fastest growth in the ministry panel came outside traditional wine. De-alcoholized wine remained a very small business in the food retail channel, with sales of 2.2 million euros and 0.3 million liters in the semester, but the report said those figures were up 84.9% in value and 147% in volume from a year earlier. Del Rey AWM warned that growth rates in such a small category can be volatile and should be watched over a longer period.

Wine-based beverages were much larger and also grew quickly. The report said that category reached 79.2 million euros in sales and 36.3 million liters in the first half, with an average price of 2.18 euros a liter. Value rose 15.0% and volume rose 20.1%, while the average price fell 4.3%. Those gains came even before the peak summer months, which are important for some of these drinks.

Within wine-based beverages, the ministry panel tracks vermouth, sangria, tinto de verano and nonalcoholic drinks. Del Rey AWM said vermouth sales rose 15% in value in the first six months of the year. Tinto de verano and other nonalcoholic wine-based drinks each posted value growth of more than 30%, and all of those subcategories were up more than 20% in volume. Sangria was the exception, with value down 3.8% and volume unchanged.