Export of Eu wine in March 2026 in third countries at 3.6 billion euros in value (-6.5% on 2025)

Small but significant signals of recovery are emerging for European and Italian wine in markets outside the Old Continent. In March 2026, exports of European wine (and wine-based products) to third countries amounted to 3.6 billion euros, or -6.5% compared to the same period in 2025, improving on the -7.3% recorded in the January-February period and the -11% in January (all year-on-year). The snapshot comes from the Overview of EU agri-food trade (Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development) of the European Commission, analyzed by WineNews, which shows that in March there are signs of growth in continental wine exports, despite an overall context that remains difficult and still far from last year figures. The recovery is also visible in volumes, at 31.2 million tonnes, and, for the first time in 2026, in positive territory (+0.2%).
Compared to the first quarter of 2025, exports of European wine to the United States, the main market, fell by -19.3% in March 2026, to a value of 1 billion euros; however, this still marks an improvement on the -22.5% recorded in the comparison between the first two months of 2025 and those of 2026. The United Kingdom, in March 2026, grew by +6.9% compared to March 2025, with the quarterly figure reaching 657.3 million euros, close to break-even (-1.6%). While the United States declined, other markets rose: Russia, for example, with 124.1 million euros in the quarter, grew by +40.5%; Brazil, with 44.3 million euros, recorded +3.9%.
Reflecting this trend, the improvement compared to February also involves Italy, with Italian wine accounting for 29.3% of the total EU wine exported in the first 3 months of 2026. From January to March 2026, Italian wine slightly exceeded 1 billion euros in exports to non-EU markets. While the overall figure remains negative, at -11% compared to the first quarter of 2025, there is an improvement compared to February, when the two-month result showed -15% over the same period in 2025. In the first 3 months of 2026, exports to the United States amounted to 433 million euros (-20.8%), a trend which reduced the gap seen in February (-27.2% for the first two months). The United Kingdom is also recovering, with export figures reaching 158.9 million euros: -8.8% compared to the first quarter of 2025, but previously -12.9% in the two-month period.
In March 2026 compared to March 2025, on a month-to-month basis, Italy recorded better figures in key markets such as Canada (35.5 million euros, +4.4%) and Switzerland (37.3 million euros, +0.4%), although the cumulative quarterly result is still negative. Growth was also recorded in each of the first three months of 2026 in countries with great potential such as Russia (46.5 million euros, +49.1%) and China (20.2 million euros, +16.2%), while among “emerging” markets, Brazil posted +10.9% compared to the first quarter of 2025, for a value of 9.76 million euros.
France, Italy main competitor, performed better overall: in the first three months of 2026, it exported wine to non-EU markets for 1.7 billion euros, down -4.3% compared to the same period in 2025.
It is still too early, of course, to speak of a full recovery, as further confirmation will be needed; however, the trend, already highlighted by Istat data for February analyzed by WineNews, at least suggests a glimpse of clearer skies ahead.