Greek Wine and Must Inventories Rise 18% to 2.01 Million Hectoliters
Greek wine and must stocks reached 2,012,529 hectoliters on July 31, 2026, up 18% from 2025. The buildup, weak winery sales and record July wine inflows from other EU countries are intensifying pressure on grape prices during the 2026 harvest.
Stocks reach 2.01 million hectoliters
Greek inventories of wine and must totaled 2,012,529 hectoliters on July 31, 2026, according to data reported by Gargalianoi Online. The Vine, Wine and Spirits Department of Greece’s Ministry of Rural Development and Food submitted the figures to the European Commission on September 1, 2026.
KEOSOE, the Greek wine industry organization that processed the data, calculated an 18% increase from the 1,705,581 hectoliters held in 2025. The buildup follows a 12.23% year-on-year increase in 2025, indicating that excess stocks have accumulated for a second consecutive year ahead of the new marketing season.
Unclassified wine dominates the inventory
Wine without a geographical indication accounted for the largest volume, at 1,272,573 hectoliters, or 63.23% of total stocks. Its reported share was 27.90% in 2025. Protected geographical indication wine represented 23.06% of the total, down from 31.98% a year earlier.
The sharp shift toward wine without a geographical indication concentrates the inventory problem in the market’s less differentiated segment. These wines are more directly exposed to competition based on price, while the overall stock increase raises storage requirements and leaves wineries with less room for the incoming vintage.
KEOSOE partly linked the higher inventory to reduced winery sales in 2026, although it said the extent of that decline would need to be confirmed at year-end. Reports of weaker consumption have also damaged market sentiment, but the organization said the decline still requires verification.
Grape prices fall during the harvest
The inventory figures arrive as the 2026 harvest is under way and grape prices are under severe pressure. At an emergency board meeting, KEOSOE said purchase prices had fallen by 60% in many cases. It argued that demand for grapes still existed, but only at low prices, and referred to possible cartel-like practices in the grape market.
KEOSOE also pointed to the large-scale arrival at wineries of table grapes that were not exported. Such grapes are prohibited from being made into wine, but wineries reportedly pay €0.15 per kilogram for them. The organization said this practice pushes down prices for legally designated wine grapes. In several regions, vineyards are being left unharvested or picked hurriedly before grapes reach adequate maturity, with prices at €0.20 per kilogram. KEOSOE warned that these conditions are accelerating vineyard abandonment.
Low-priced EU wine adds to pressure
Low-priced purchases of wine from other EU member states are another factor. The reported prices were €46 per hectoliter for white wine and €58 per hectoliter for red wine, while inbound volumes reached a historical record in July 2026. These supplies give wineries a cheaper alternative at a time when domestic stocks are already elevated, weakening growers’ bargaining position.
The stock overhang does not necessarily point to a large 2026 crop. KEOSOE said the forecast for the coming wine production was below the already low harvests of 2025 and 2024. A smaller crop may limit further inventory growth, but wineries must first work through 2.01 million hectoliters of existing wine and must. Until sales recover or stocks decline, storage costs and low-priced EU supply are likely to keep pressure on winery purchasing and vineyard revenues during the coming marketing season.
