The United States consolidates its position as the world’s largest wine spender, surpassing Germany as the leading importer in volume.
WILMINGTON – In 2022, United States wine imports reached historic highs, with 1.437 billion liters and $7,321.3 million, marking a 3.3% increase in volume and 3.7% in value. As highlighted by the data from the OEMV – Observatorio Español del Mercado del Vino, the full report is available on their website. The country maintained its position as the world’s largest wine spender, surpassing Germany as the leading importer in volume for the first time. This growth is mainly attributed to packaged wines, with sparkling wine imports also experiencing a record year.
Italy and France were the major contributors, accounting for nearly 70% of the total value. Italy led in volume, consolidating as the top supplier with 125.5 million liters of sparkling wine, a 10.3% increase. France, however, led in value with $1,148.5 million, a 5.1% increase, registering the highest average price at $22.49 per liter. Spain saw a decline as the third supplier, with a 4.6% drop in volume and an 8.4% decrease in value.
New Zealand surpassed Chile as the leader in value for bulk wine imports, while Australia showed signs of recovery from a negative 2021. Canada remained the primary supplier of bulk wine in volume, with 43% of the total, though its low average price of $0.26 per liter placed it fourth in value.
The United States spent more than ever on French and Italian wines, although the volume purchased from both countries slightly decreased compared to 2021. Spain ranked fourth in value, after New Zealand, despite being seventh in volume, as it registered a price above the market average and that of most major exporters.
In conclusion, the U.S. wine market continues to grow, reaching historic highs in a market with great added value. While bag-in-box wine experienced a decrease in spending, packaged wines and sparkling wines drove the overall increase, with Italy and France leading the way.
