New World still wines gain ground in Russia as European sales retreat
Sales of Chilean, South African and Argentine still wines rose in Russia in the first half of 2026, while major European categories contracted. Russian wine remained dominant, and European producers retained a meaningful position in sparkling wine.
New World suppliers expand in a shrinking Russian wine market
Still wines from Chile, South Africa and Argentina increased their sales in Russia during the first half of 2026, taking business from European suppliers as consumers and distributors sought more affordable alternatives. The gains came despite a broader decline in the category and costly logistics from the Southern Hemisphere.
According to market-participant data reported by Kommersant, sales of Chilean still wine rose 20% year on year to 1.33 million decalitres. South African wine advanced 10.2% to 978,030 decalitres, while Argentine wine recorded the fastest growth among the three, climbing 30.8% to 266,470 decalitres.
European categories lose volume
The expansion contrasted with falling sales for several established European origins. New Retail, citing the same market data, reported a 21.6% decline for Spanish still wines and a 14.6% drop for Portuguese products. RBC had previously reported that Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and Germany all lost market share in Russian still wine sales in 2025.
The shift reflects more than consumer interest in new regions. Wines from countries designated by Russia as unfriendly are subject to an import duty of 25% of customs value, with a minimum charge of $2 per litre, according to Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Higher duties and excise taxes have raised shelf prices, giving suppliers from Chile, South Africa and Argentina more room in accessible price segments.
Russian wine remains the market leader
Domestic still wine continued to account for most Russian sales, but it also weakened. Kommersant reported that its market share fell from 60.2% to 59.5% in the first half, while sales declined 4.9% to about 17 million decalitres. Russian producers therefore remain far larger than any individual foreign supplier, although they did not capture all of the volume lost by Europe.
Production also moved lower. Data from Russia’s alcohol and tobacco regulator, cited by Kommersant, showed that the country produced 15.44 million decalitres of still wine and 6.16 million decalitres of sparkling wine in January-June 2026. The decline in domestic output and sales creates selective openings for importers, but not necessarily overall market growth.
Sparkling wine follows a different pattern
The competitive picture is less favourable to New World suppliers in sparkling wine. Russia held 70.9% of the segment in the first half of 2026, down from 71.7% a year earlier, according to Kommersant. European producers also retain established recognition: Vedomosti reported that Italy, Spain and France together represented 27% of Russian sparkling-wine sales in January-September 2025.
Moldovan, Serbian and Argentine sparkling wines posted notable demand growth in the first half of 2026, according to Kommersant, but their expansion starts from a smaller base. For distributors, the market is splitting by category: Chile, South Africa and Argentina are gaining shelf space in still wine, while Russian and European labels remain harder to displace in sparkling wine.
