Moldova's viticulture sector opened 2026 on a mixed but ultimately encouraging note. Total export value for Q1 reached $53.2 million — a 5% increase year-on-year — even as total volume fell 16% to 29 million litres.
This divergence signals a meaningful shift: producers are commanding higher prices per litre across nearly all categories, pointing to ongoing premiumisation of Moldova's wine offer on international markets.
Export by market region
| Region | Value share | Value (mln $) | Change vs Q1 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 65% | $34.6 | ▲ +21% |
| CSI | 25% | $13.0 | ▲ +6% |
| Africa | 5% | $2.5 | ▲ +39% |
| Asia | 3% | $1.6 | ▼ −20% |
| America | 3% | $1.5 | ▼ −74% |
| Oceania | 0% | $0 | — |
Europe remains the dominant destination, absorbing 65% of total export value — $34.6 million — representing 21% growth over Q1 2025. Africa emerged as a bright spot at +39%, while America saw a dramatic 74% drop to just $1.5 million.
Product category breakdown
| Category | Volume share | Value share |
|---|---|---|
| Still wines | 80% | 61% |
| Divin & distillates | 15% | 32% |
| Liqueur wines | 4% | 5% |
| Sparkling wines | 1% | 2% |
| Vermouths | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Divin and distillates, representing just 15% of volume, generated 32% of total value — the highest value-to-volume ratio of any category. Bottled Divin exports surged 177% in value and 201% in volume year-on-year, a remarkable leap reflecting new markets and improved production capacity.
Detailed performance by category
| Category | Total value | Value change | Total volume | Volume change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still wines | $32.4 mln | ▼ −3% | 23.2 mln L | ▼ −18% |
| Sparkling wines | $2.7 mln | ▲ +30% | 1.2 mln L | ▲ +13% |
| Liqueur wines | $2.7 mln | ▲ +30% | 1.2 mln L | ▲ +13% |
| Vermouths | $0.156 mln | ▼ −96% | 0.067 mln L | ▼ −96% |
| Divin / Brandy | $16.8 mln | ▲ +77% | 4.1 mln L | ▲ +44% |
Top 10 destination countries — bottled wines
| Country | Volume share | Value share |
|---|---|---|
| Romania | 26.9% | 34.9% |
| Czech Republic | 9.9% | 7.2% |
| Poland | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Nigeria | 8.3% | 7.9% |
| Netherlands | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Canada | 4.7% | 3.5% |
| Ukraine | 4.0% | 3.2% |
| Russian Federation | 3.2% | 2.3% |
| China | 2.7% | 3.0% |
| Germany | 1.9% | 2.6% |
| Others | 23.0% | 21.4% |
Romania leads by a significant margin, representing 34.9% of bottled wine export value. Nigeria's presence at fourth place in volume underscores the growing importance of West African markets. The top 10 countries together account for 83% of total export value and 81% of volume.
10-year export dynamics (Q1 each year)
| Year | Volume (mln litres) | Value (mln $) |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 33.1 | $31.7 |
| 2018 | 37.0 | $42.0 |
| 2019 | 33.6 | $35.2 |
| 2020 | 35.2 | $36.5 |
| 2021 | 20.1 | $31.2 |
| 2022 | 29.2 | $39.8 |
| 2023 | 30.0 | $44.8 |
| 2024 | 31.3 | $49.8 |
| 2025 | 34.6 | $50.6 |
| 2026 | 29.0 | $53.2 |
| 10-yr average | 31.5 | $41.3 |
Q1 2026's $53.2 million marks the highest opening-quarter value recorded in the decade, surpassing the prior peak of $50.6 million set in 2025. Volume sits below the 10-year average of 31.5 million litres — consistent with a sector that is deliberately trading volume for value.
Source: VinoVistara