Spain leads wine exports to Germany thanks to bulk wine boom

Spain has overtaken Italy as the leading exporter of wine to Germany, the world's largest wine market by volume. This achievement is due to the remarkable growth of bulk wine exports, which between January and September 2024 increased by 30 % in turnover and 10 % in volume. These data have been published by the Spanish Wine Market Observatory (OEMV).

Germany has prioritised purchases of Spanish wine, especially from Castilla-La Mancha, opting for bulk in order to reprocess it or sell it bottled and thus maximise profits. In a context of economic recession, with German GDP falling between -0.1% and -0.3% from 2023, the German market is looking for cheaper products to improve its profit margins.

A similar trend is observed in Italy, where the purchase of Spanish bulk must in large volumes for various uses stands out.

Spain is consolidating its position as the world's leading supplier of bulk wine and must, with Castilla-La Mancha at the forefront of this growth. Wineries and cooperatives in La Mancha are taking advantage of this trend to increase their exports both in value and volume, while many competitors are facing difficulties due to falling consumption and a shrinking market.

According to Enólogos magazine, the value of Spanish must exports, mainly of Castilian-La Mancha origin, has surprisingly surpassed that of sparkling wine. This achievement becomes even more relevant if one considers that the sparkling wine market is dominated by large multinationals, investment funds and DO Cava wineries, while bulk must is marketed by cooperatives and local wineries with their own capital and social economy.

Castilla-La Mancha is thus positioning itself as an international benchmark in the export of wine products, boosting the regional economy and highlighting the quality of its products.

Source: Revista Enólogos