New export data from Moldova's National Office of Vine and Wine (ONVV) paints a picture of an industry in transition.
In the first half of 2026, the country exported 53.5 million liters of vitivinicultural products — 17% less than a year earlier — yet earned $100.8 million doing it, a comparatively modest 4% decline. The gap between those two numbers tells the real story: Moldovan wine is getting more expensive, and producers are leaning into it.
The data, drawn from customs records in the ASYCUDA system, spans every category the country produces — still and sparkling wines, liqueur wines, vermouth, and divin/brandy — sold either in bulk or bottled. Exports reached 63 countries in total, though the trade remains highly concentrated: just ten markets accounted for 82% of both the volume and the value shipped abroad.
Divin and Bottled Wine Lead the Charge
The standout category this year is divin (Moldovan brandy), which posted a 32% jump in export value to $30.8 million. Bottled divin exports nearly doubled, up 98% in value and 115% in volume, while bulk divin grew more modestly at 8%. It's a clear signal that branded, packaged brandy is finding new buyers faster than bulk barrels are.
Bottled still wine also outperformed its bulk counterpart. Although still wine overall remains the largest category by far — $59.9 million and 41.5 million liters, both down double digits — the bottled segment declined less steeply (-11% in value) than bulk (-9% in value but -19% in volume), and its average bottle price climbed 10% to $2.10 per 0.75-liter bottle. Liqueur wines followed a similar pattern, with bottled value up 71% even as bulk liqueur wine sales shrank.
Not every category benefited from this shift. Vermouth exports collapsed, down 76% in value and 73% in volume — by far the steepest fall in the report — while bottled sparkling wine value dropped 23% despite the category's overall value rising thanks to earlier strength.
Where the Wine Is Going
Europe continues to dominate as Moldova's top destination, absorbing 62% of export value ($62.3 million, up 5%), followed by the CSI region at 25% ($24.8 million, down 4%). Africa was the fastest-growing region by percentage, up 62% to $6.3 million, albeit from a small base. The Americas and Asia both contracted sharply, down 64% and 24% respectively, while Oceania's already tiny export volume nearly vanished, falling 94%.
At the country level, Romania remains the dominant buyer of bottled Moldovan wine, taking nearly a quarter of export volume (24.7%) but almost a third of its value (32.1%) — evidence that Romanian importers are paying a premium for Moldovan bottles compared with other buyers. Czechia, Nigeria, Poland, the Netherlands, and the United States rounded out the top tier.
Reading the Ten-Year Trend
Set against the last decade, the first half of 2026 ranks among the weakest years for export volume, well below the ten-year half-year average of 63.8 million liters, though still ahead of the pandemic-era low of 41.3 million liters recorded in 2022. Export value, however, at $100.8 million, remains comfortably above the ten-year average of $84.5 million. Taken together, the numbers suggest Moldova's wine sector is shrinking in size but not in ambition — fewer liters leaving the country, but each one, increasingly, worth more.
Source: ONVV, Wine of Moldova
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