Wine market, “bulk wine” suffers more than wine in general both in volume and value

As the global wine market continues to contract, the bulk wine segment is also facing a downturn worldwide. At least that was the case in the first six months of 2026, according to a report by Del Rey Awm for Vinexposium, released ahead of the “World Bulk Wine Exhibition”, which will take place in Amsterdam on November 30th and December 1st. This is an increasingly smaller segment within the global wine business, yet it still accounts for 7% of the world wine trade by value and more than 32% by volume. According to the report, over the ten-year period from 2017 to 2026, bulk wine trade declined by 21% in volume and 12.8% in value, with a particularly sharp slowdown in the 12 months ending in June 2026. Data show a 10.5% drop in volume, to 29.3 million hectoliters, and a 10.7% decline in value, to 2.3 billion euros, while prices remained broadly stable at 0.79 euros per liter.
Among the world leading bulk wine exporters by volume, Spain ranks first with 4.7 million hectoliters, despite a steep 20.9% decline in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. It is followed by Australia (1.9 million hectoliters, -5.1%) and Italy (1.7 million hectoliters, -2.5%). In value terms, Spain also leads with 261 million euros (-13.6%), ahead of Italy at 148 million euros (-4.5%) and Australia at 132 million euros (-3.5%). Australia position was also “helped” by the sharp decline in neighboring New Zealand, whose exports fell -27.3% to 115 million euros. The largest importers of bulk wine are the United Kingdom, Germany and France. In volume terms, Germany tops the ranking with 3.4 million hectoliters imported in the first six months of 2026 (-6.3% year-on-year), followed by the United Kingdom with 2 million hectoliters (-2.4%) and France with 1.7 million hectoliters (-20%). In value terms, the United Kingdom ranks first with 262 million euros (-8.8%), followed by Germany with 231 million euros (-4.8%) and France with 104 million euros (-13.4%). Particularly notable is -36.4% drop recorded by the United States, which ranks fourth with 86 million euros in imports.
The report highlights a scenario in which bulk wine has performed significantly worse than the wine market as a whole. During the first 6 months of the year, while the overall wine market declined by around 4.5% in both volume and value, bulk wine posted a -12.5% decrease in value, down to 1.11 billion euros, and a -14.5% decline in volume, to 14 million hectoliters. These figures once again illustrate the challenges facing the global wine market in general, and the bulk wine sector in particular.
A highly competitive segment where even a few cents can make a difference, the bulk wine business is also notoriously difficult to monitor. In this context, one of the latest developments is the launch of the “Vrac Index”, founded by Michael Bennett. The platform aggregates data on prices, volumes, stocks and customs flows for bulk wine from a wide range of public sources across producing countries. It currently covers 30 countries, including Italy, drawing on 14 official data sources. “Historically, the bulk wine trade has relied on phone calls, relationships and instinct. The data exist, but they are fragmented across 14 public sources and five languages. Vrac Index brings these flows together into a single, fully documented dashboard that enables teams to verify market conditions before signing a contract. We are here to replace opacity with open information, so that every link in the supply chain can price accurately. We believe open data make markets fairer. When producing countries publish their market data, both growers and buyers benefit. Our coverage map clearly shows who shares their data and who does not yet do so, not to point fingers, but to encourage every market to become more transparent”, concludes Bennett.