Italian wine exports are still declining in 2026, but the gap with last year is narrowing.
After a difficult first half, the figures through July show a more encouraging trend. The improvement owes much to a partial rebound in the United States, though that market remains firmly in negative territory. Meanwhile, markets that had been in long decline, from Russia to East Asia and parts of South America, are starting to deliver real growth.
The Overall Picture: Volumes Recover Faster Than Value
According to ISTAT data for the first seven months of the year, analyzed by WineNews, Italian wine exports reached €4.35 billion, down 5.3% from the same period of 2025. Volumes totaled 1.19 billion liters, a drop of just 0.8%.
That is a clear improvement on the mid-year figures, when exports were down 6.2% in value and 4% in volume. Quantities are now almost back to last year’s levels, but the gap between the two measures suggests the recovery has come at the expense of average prices at the winery. Producers are shipping nearly as much wine, but earning less for it.
North America: The United States Narrows the Gap
The US, the largest market for Italian wine, remains the key factor in the overall recovery. Through July, it imported €997.4 million of Italian wine (-11.2%) and 196.1 million liters (-5.7%). The decline is still steep, but it is an improvement on the -14.1% recorded at mid-year.
Canada also contained its losses, with imports of €229.5 million (-5.5%) and 41.8 million liters (-1.6%).
Europe: Still in Difficulty
European markets continue to struggle:
- Germany: €632.7 million (-6.6%) and 266.6 million liters (-4.2%)
- United Kingdom: €420.9 million (-6.3%) and 135.1 million liters (-5.7%)
- Switzerland: €204.1 million (-10.7%) and 36 million liters (-8.6%)
- France: €186.5 million (-1.84%) and 56.2 million liters (-5.70%)
Switzerland shows the sharpest decline in value among the major European destinations, while France holds up best in value terms even as its volumes fall more steeply.
Growth Markets: Russia, Japan, China and Brazil
The brightest news comes from outside the traditional strongholds.
Russia is the standout. Italian wine exports there soared to €177.3 million, up 82.4% on the first seven months of 2025, with volumes up 19.9% to 31.9 million liters.
Japan has nearly returned to parity in value (€106.4 million, -0.9%) and is growing in volume (29 million liters, +9.4%).
China, though starting from a smaller base, is recovering strongly: value rose 22.6% to €46.6 million, and volume rose 7.4% to 8.7 million liters.
Brazil shows mixed results. Value grew 6.7% to €25.5 million, but volume fell 3.2% to 6 million liters.
Outlook: Cautious Optimism
These markets are only a sample, but together they show a picture that is still challenging and gradually improving. The narrowing gap in the US, the stabilization of Canada and the revival of Russia and East Asia offer some hope that 2026 may close less negatively than its first months suggested. The key question for producers is whether they can recover value as well as volume.
Source: WineNews