Russia's domestic wine industry is facing a sharp contraction.
Wine production figures for the first half of 2026 revealing double-digit declines across nearly every wine category, according to data from the Federal Service for Alcohol, Tobacco, and Consumer Protection (Rosalkogoltabakkontrol), obtained by RBC Vino.
Production Figures Paint a Grim Picture
Still wine production fell by 12.6% between January and June 2026, dropping from 17.6 million decaliters in the first half of 2025 to 15.4 million decaliters this year. Sparkling wine producers fared even worse, with output falling 14%, from 7.2 million decaliters to 6.1 million decaliters over the same period.
The steepest decline was recorded in the liqueur wine segment, where production plunged 31.6% — from 644,900 decaliters in the first half of 2025 to just 441,100 decaliters in the first half of 2026.
Alcohol Sector as a Whole Sees Modest Contraction
The wine industry's struggles are part of a broader, though milder, downturn across Russia's alcohol production sector. Overall, domestic enterprises reduced alcoholic beverage output by 3.1% in January–June 2026, bringing total production to 519.3 million decaliters.
Almost every category of alcohol posted negative growth during the period. The two notable exceptions were liquor and vodka products, which grew by 9.9%, and grape-based ethyl alcohol beverages, which rose 5.8%.
Retail Sales: Wine Struggles, Sparkling Wine Bucks the Trend
On the retail side, grape wine sales in Russia fell 2.7% to 26.4 million decaliters in the first half of the year, per Rosalkogoltabakkontrol figures. Fruit wine sales suffered the sharpest drop of any retail category, falling 37.4% to just 895,700 decaliters, while liqueur wine sales declined 5.6% to 551,100 decaliters.
Amid this widespread contraction, sparkling wine (champagne) stood out as the only wine segment with positive sales momentum, growing 3.9% to reach 10 million decaliters — suggesting Russian consumers are still willing to spend on celebratory or premium occasions even as everyday wine consumption retreats.
Spirits and Strong Alcohol Show Mixed but Generally Positive Trends
Spirits categories performed comparatively better than wine. Liqueur sales rose 11.5% to 9.7 million decaliters, the strongest gain among major spirits categories. Vodka sales edged up 0.2% to 35.3 million decaliters, while cognac sales slipped 2.4% to 6 million decaliters.
In total, sales of alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content above 9 degrees reached 56.7 million decaliters, up 1.5% year-on-year — indicating that stronger spirits are holding their ground, or even gaining slightly, while wine loses market share.
Beer and Fermented Beverages Remain Largely Stable
Beer sales dipped only marginally in the first half of 2026, down 0.2% to 290.4 million decaliters, while beer-based drinks fell 1.8% to 44.7 million decaliters.
Within the broader fermented beverage category, cider was a standout performer, with sales jumping 29.4% to 5.5 million decaliters. Mead also grew, up 10.2% to 1.5 million decaliters. Perry was the exception, falling 28.3% to just 64,200 decaliters.
Taken together, total sales of fermented beverages — beer, beer drinks, cider, perry, and mead combined — held steady at 342 million decaliters, essentially unchanged from the first half of 2025.
The Bigger Picture
Across all categories, Russians purchased 438.7 million decaliters of alcoholic beverages between January and June 2026, a decline of just 0.2% compared to the same period last year. This near-flat overall figure masks significant divergence beneath the surface: wine, and particularly liqueur and fruit wine, is in steep decline, while vodka, liquor, cider, and sparkling wine are either holding steady or growing.
The data suggests a broader shift in Russian consumer preferences — away from traditional wine categories and toward stronger spirits, cider, and, notably, sparkling wine, even as total alcohol consumption in the country remains roughly stable.
Source: RBC Vino, Kommersant