IN BREVE
- Exports of European PDO wines are down in the first four months of 2026, with Italy losing 6.2% in value.
- Sparkling and white wines are limiting losses, while red wines continue to decline, highlighting a fragmented market.
- French Crémant and Champagne show positive growth, while Spanish Cava records a loss of over 9%.
- Italian PDO white wines, such as those from Sicily and Tuscany, maintain good performance in terms of value.
- The declines in red wines, especially in Tuscany and Veneto, signal a significant downsizing in the sector.
European PDO wine exports closed the first four months of 2026 down in the main producing countries. According to the new report by Nomisma Wine Monitor, between January and April, Italy lost 6.2% in value compared to the same period in 2025. Declines were also seen for France (-3.4%), Germany (-5.5%), and especially Spain (-8.5%).
The picture varies significantly depending on the type. Sparkling and white wines generally manage to contain losses, while for many red wine denominations, exports continue to decrease. However, there are some counter-trend results, confirming an increasingly fragmented market.
“The data highlighted in the latest Wine Monitor Report reveal a dual-speed export of PDO wines where, in an overall recessionary market scenario, whites and sparkling wines limit losses while many red wines continue to fall,” states Denis Pantini, head of Nomisma Wine Monitor.
SPARKLING WINES: CRÉMANT AT +19.4%, PROSECCO STABLE
Among European sparkling wines, the most significant growth concerns French Crémants, which increased their exported volumes by 19.4% in the first four months. Champagne was also positive, progressing by 3% in terms of quantity.
Prosecco, on the other hand, recorded substantial stability, with a slight contraction of 0.8% in volume. After a particularly difficult 2025, Asti is trying to regain ground and grew by 1% in exported quantities.
Contributing to the attempted rebound of the Piedmontese denomination are also purchases from China. In the Asian country, sparkling wines still represent a niche, but show a growing consumption trend.
The result for Cava was decidedly more negative. The Spanish sparkling wine lost over 9% of exported volumes compared to the first four months of 2025.
STILL WHITES: BURGUNDY, LOIRE, AND BORDEAUX GROW
For still white wines, positive signals are coming from some French denominations. Burgundy and Loire both increased by 6% in exported quantities, while Bordeaux whites achieved a growth of 16%.
In Italy, PDO white wines from Sicily and Tuscany are holding up particularly well. Despite stable volumes, the export value increased by 2.8% and 3.3% respectively.
Veneto whites, however, dropped by almost 4% compared to the first four months of the previous year. The decline in Mosel Rieslings was even more marked, with exports decreasing by 11%.
PDO REDS IN DIFFICULTY: BORDEAUX AT -19%
The red wine segment presents the most critical picture. One of the few exceptions is Burgundy, which increased the value of its PDO red exports by almost 3%. However, the economic result is accompanied by a volume contraction of the same magnitude. Meanwhile, the downsizing of Bordeaux reds continues. Export value fell by 19%, while exported quantities decreased by 8%.
The situation remains difficult for Italian PDO red wines as well. Tuscany and Veneto lost over 10% in value. Piedmont limited the decline to 2.5%, despite a 9% growth in exported volumes. This gap signals a reduction in the average sales value. In Spain, Rioja reds fell by 7.5% in value and 6% in exported quantities.
AN INCREASINGLY DIFFERENTIATED MARKET
The differences between denominations, categories, and destination markets make it difficult to attribute the decline in European exports to a single cause. “The export performance of individual denominations suggests we should not generalize,” concludes Pantini.
According to the head of Nomisma Wine Monitor, performance is affected by both cyclical and structural factors simultaneously. In many cases, it is the latter that carry the most weight, especially in the ongoing decline of red wine exports.
