Moldova exports its lowest volume of wine in a decade

Thursday, September 17, 2026

Data from Moldova's National Office of Vine and Wine (ONVV), compiled from customs records, shows a shift in the country's export profile during the first eight months of 2026. Between January and August, Moldova exported 68.6 million liters of wine products, both bulk and bottled, for US$129.3 million, destined for 67 countries. Compared to the same period in 2025, volume fell by 16% and value declined by 7%.

The difference between the two declines suggests that the sector is selling fewer liters, but at a higher average price. This gap is clearly visible in the main categories and points to an export composition with a greater weight of higher-value products, a factor that could influence trade negotiations and pricing within the beverage industry.

Still wines remain the backbone of Moldova's exports, accounting for 78% of export volume and 61% of total value. Sales in this category fell by 11% in value to $78.5 million and by 17% in volume to 53.6 million liters. Even so, the average price of bottled wine rose by 6% to $2.11 per bottle, and the price of bulk wine increased by 10% to $0.80 per liter.

Sparkling wine also had a poor year. The value of bottled product fell by 25% to $3.3 million, and volume dropped by 32%. Despite this decline, the average price increased by 10%, reinforcing the idea that the correction does not affect volume and revenue equally.

The exception was fortified wines. Their exports rose 53% in value and 41% in volume, reaching $7.9 million and 3.3 million liters. Within this category, bottled fortified wines increased by 69% in value. Conversely, aromatized wines and vermouth suffered the sharpest decline of the period, with a 71% drop in value to $2.3 million.

Another driver of exports was brandy, marketed in Moldova as Divin. This category saw a 15% increase in value, reaching $37.3 million. Bottled brandy sales rose 66% to $15.1 million, although the average price per bottle fell by 7%. This combination suggests growth driven more by the number of units sold than by price.

By destination region, Europe remained the main market, accounting for 61% of the export value, or $79.1 million. The Commonwealth of Independent States followed, with 25% and $32.1 million. Both regions registered single-digit declines. The most significant shifts occurred outside these two blocs: Africa increased its purchases by 60%, to $8.8 million, while the Americas saw a 58% decrease, to $5.1 million, and Asia fell by 23%, to $4.3 million. Oceania was virtually eliminated from the trade map, with a 94% drop and a mere $1,000.

Geographic concentration remains high. The top ten destinations account for 81% of both the volume and value of exports. Romania alone absorbs 33.6% of the value of bottled wine and 25.8% of its volume. Following Romania are Nigeria, Poland, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic, which rank among the top five destinations by value—a mix of regular European buyers and a growing African presence.

The data from the last ten years reinforces this interpretation. The volume exported between January and August 2026, at 68.6 million liters, is the lowest on record and falls well below the decade's average of 84.8 million liters. However, the value of $129.3 million still exceeds the ten-year average of $112.8 million. The gap between these two figures has been widening since the low point in 2022, following a partial recovery in 2023 and 2024 and a further decline in 2025 and 2026.

For the country's wineries and distilleries, the data paints a picture of an export market increasingly reliant on categories like brandy and fortified wines, while still wine sales are declining and vermouth is losing ground. For distributors and importers, this shift could translate into a Moldovan product offering with lower volume but higher unit prices, with Africa being one of the markets driving this change most significantly.