Through the opening six weeks of 2025, the major bulk wine markets of the world continued where they left off at the end of 2024 – experiencing differing activity and pricing levels. One common theme is that the shorter winegrape crops of 2023 and 2024 have been most felt on generic wines, which appear to be in tight supply – at least in Europe, Chile and South Africa. This has led to some elevated generic-wine prices, especially in Spain where pricing increases since November have stimulated European interest in alternative sources such as France, Chile and Argentina. 

The market for standard-quality varietal wines is less tight, but supply of varietal whites does feel closer to some kind of balance than reds, with carryover low in Chile, South Africa and Australia as the Southern Hemisphere’s 2025 harvests get underway. Early expectations are for average-sized crops at best: Chile’s is likely to be constrained by extensive vine removals over the past 24 months; similar applies in South Africa, where lack of cashflow in recent years has reduced vineyard investment; some grapes in Australia may go unpicked in response to the slowness of the red wine market; the same applies in New Zealand but on whites, following bumper 2022 and 2023 harvests that have left 2023 carryover still in tank. 

The recent US-Canada tariff spat has added to industry fears around impediments to trade just as it works to adjust to, and combat, flat or declining wine consumption in key markets. As so often seems to be the case, wine was collateral damage (see California page), with retaliatory anti-American sentiment in Canada likely to hurt sales of US wine in its most important export market for some months to come. Italy’s wine exports to the US increased after November’s presidential election, in anticipation of US tariffs on EU imports; so far, the new US administration’s tariffs on EU products have been confined to steel and aluminium. Meanwhile, US-China and EU-China trade frictions rumble on. 

Amid the tit-for-tat tariff battles, the wine industry must be prepared but undeterred, cognisant that where there are difficulties there are often opportunities as well. As ProWein’s 2025 Business Report says, amid all the noise the industry needs to be redoubling its focus on meeting “rapidly changing consumer preferences” (see this month’s ProWein Preview). This includes lowand no-alcohol wines, high-alcohol flavoured wines (a trend in the US), and everything in between, such as RTD wine-based cocktails and spritzers. Supply currently exists on the bulk market to meet such innovations right through to conventional mid-tier programmes. For the latest opportunities, get in touch with us directly – and you are welcome to come see us in person at ProWein, on Stand A21 in Hall 12. In the meantime, read on for detailed updates from each market.

Read the full report 

Grape Market Bulk Wine