I Grandi Vini reports that global bulk wine trading contracted sharply in the first quarter of 2026, with volumes falling 15.5% to 720.4 million litres and value falling 15.3% to €581.2 million, according to analysis from Spain’s Interprofesional del Vino. Spain, one of the world’s major bulk suppliers, exported 468.1 million litres in the first half of 2026, down 21.1%, although the average price increased 10.2% to €0.55 per litre, indicating that lower volumes have not produced a uniform collapse in pricing. The figures point to a more selective international bulk market, with demand, origin, grape variety and wine type increasingly producing divergent price trends.
Bulk wine
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Bulk Wine Flounders in a Buyer’s Market
Wine-Searcher reports severe oversupply across the bulk-wine market, with some California producers reportedly giving premium Pinot Noir away simply to empty tanks before the next harvest. Buyers at the International Bulk Wine & Spirits Show showed limited interest beyond categories such as Sancerre and white Burgundy, while distributors said they were reluctant to accept unfamiliar products or wines without established demand. The report also highlights substantial vineyard reductions and redundancies, alongside growing US retailer demand for higher-margin private-label wines.
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California’s Oversupply Persists, Even as Grape Shortage Talk Grows
Wine-Searcher reports from the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium that California is still awash with unsold wine, even as analysts debate whether a grape shortage could emerge by summer 2026. It describes a wager between SVB wine executive Rob McMillan and bw166’s Jon Moramarco, set against an industry backdrop where no one expects sales to rebound in 2026 and many expect stress, consolidation, and closures before a broader recovery.