Moldova's wine and spirits industry shipped 53.5 million liters of vitivinicultural products abroad in the first six months of 2026, a 17% drop compared with the same period last year, according to new data released by the National Office of Vine and Wine (ONVV).
Export value fell by a smaller margin — down 4% to $100.8 million — suggesting that producers are increasingly selling higher-value products even as overall volumes contract.
The figures, compiled from Moldova's ASYCUDA customs system, cover all categories of vitivinicultural exports — still wines, sparkling wines, fortified and liqueur wines, vermouth, and divin/brandy — in both bulk and bottled form. Moldovan producers reached 63 countries during the period, with the top ten destinations accounting for 82% of both export value and export volume.
Bottled Wine Gains Ground on Bulk
One of the clearest trends in the data is the shift toward bottled products, which typically carry higher margins than bulk shipments. Bottled still wine exports fell 11% in value to $37.0 million, a smaller decline than the 19% drop seen in bulk still wine value. The average bottle price for still wine actually rose 10%, reaching $2.10 per 0.75-liter bottle.
Sparkling wine told a similar story: while bottled shipments dropped 23% in value, the category's overall footprint remained small at $5.8 million total, up an impressive 55% year-over-year thanks to strong momentum in earlier growth.
Divin and brandy emerged as the standout performer. Total divin/brandy exports rose 32% in value to $30.8 million, driven by bottled shipments that jumped 98% in value and 115% in volume — a sign that Moldovan brandy producers are successfully building demand for packaged, branded product rather than relying on bulk sales.
Vermouth was the weak spot, with exports plunging 76% in value and 73% in volume, the sharpest decline of any category tracked.
Europe Remains the Anchor Market
By region, Europe absorbed 62% of Moldova's wine export value ($62.3 million), up 5% from the prior year and confirming its role as the industry's most important market. The Commonwealth of Independent States (CSI) followed with 25% of value ($24.8 million, down 4%).
Africa posted the fastest regional growth, with export value climbing 62% to $6.3 million, though it remains a small share of the total at just 6%. The Americas saw the steepest regional decline, down 64% to $4.0 million, while Asia fell 24% to $3.3 million. Oceania, always a marginal market for Moldovan wine, saw exports collapse 94% to a mere $1,000.
Romania Cements Its Position as Top Buyer
Among individual countries, Romania remained by far Moldova's largest bottled-wine customer, taking 24.7% of export volume and 32.1% of export value — a disproportionately high value share that points to Romanian buyers favoring premium bottled product. Czechia, Nigeria, Poland, and the Netherlands rounded out the next tier of buyers, each capturing between roughly 7% and 9% of volume.
A Longer-Term View
Looking at the past decade of half-year export data, the 2026 volume of 53.5 million liters sits well below the ten-year average of 63.8 million liters and marks the lowest first-half volume since the pandemic-affected year of 2022, when exports fell to 41.3 million liters. Export value, at $100.8 million, remains above the ten-year average of $84.5 million, reinforcing the picture of an industry exporting less volume but capturing more value per liter — a trend consistent with Moldova's ongoing push to shift from bulk wine sales toward bottled, branded exports.
Source: VinoVistara