Bulk wine defies market downturn
While wine volumes fall worldwide, buyers and producers at the recent World Bulk Wine Exhibition (WBWE) say the category is gaining strength — buoyed by sourcing flexibility, premiumisation, and shifting trade flows.
Global wine consumption continues to decline, but the bulk wine category is emerging as one of the few resilient segments of the market, according to data released at the World Bulk Wine Exhibition (WBWE) last week. Speakers pointed to cost pressures, shifting trade flows and sourcing flexibility as key factors behind bulk wine’s continued growth.
OIV figures presented at the fair confirmed that 2024 marked the lowest global production since 1961, while consumption fell again across most major markets. Despite this, bulk wine now represents 34% of global export volumes, though just 7% of export value — a gap exhibitors say is narrowing as premiumisation reshapes the category.
“For years bulk was seen as the dumping ground of the industry,” one producer told db. “That’s no longer the case.” Buyers at the fair noted an increase in high-quality wines being offered in bulk, driven in part by oversupply in countries such as the US and Australia.
Kingsland Drinks’ Paul Braydon highlighted that the UK market is now accessing wines previously unavailable for bulk shipment, including premium Californian styles. “We packed a Napa Cabernet for a discounter this year — the most expensive litre of wine we’ve ever bought in bulk,” he said. “It retailed at under £15. Even five years ago, that would have been impossible.”
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Suez disruption, freight volatility and sourcing agility drive demand
The shift reflects broader supply-chain pressures. Logistics providers at WBWE reported continuing instability in global freight routes, including Suez Canal disruptions and increased transit uncertainty, prompting importers to prioritise volume efficiency and agile sourcing. Bulk shipments allow buyers to manage price volatility more effectively, exhibitors said, while offering brand owners more flexibility in switching origins.
Consumption trends are also reshaping trade flows. WBWE data showed China posting a modest rebound, while Ivory Coast, Mexico, and several African markets saw notable import increases. Meanwhile, traditional high-value bottled markets such as the United States continue to soften.
Producers and buyers at the show said that while global wine demand remains under pressure, the structural advantages of bulk — lower freight costs, improved environmental performance, format flexibility, and now more widely available premium liquid — are likely to support continued growth.
“The market is tough, but bulk is in a better place than many other parts of the industry,” one exporter said. “Efficiency matters more than ever — and that’s where bulk wins.”
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