Incremental buying keeps bulk market ticking over In its ‘World Production Outlook: First Estimates 2025’, published in late November, the Organisation of Vine & Wine (OIV) estimated global wine production at between 228 and 235 million hectolitres. The mid-range projection – 232 million hectolitres – would, the OIV stated, represent a 3% recovery from the provisional 2024 figure of 225.8 million. We suspect the OIV’s midrange projection could be an overestimate, as it includes a questionable expectation of the US harvest: rather than larger as the OIV states, California’s 2025 crop is widely assumed to have come in even smaller than 2024’s twenty-year low. Widespread non-harvesting of uncontracted grapes meant a disparity between crop potential and the tonnages that in fact crossed the scales. The OIV’s estimate of Italy’s harvest could also be downwardly revised, after reports that some deleterious effects from adverse condit

Some markets active amid persistent global weakness Three bulk wine markets – France, Italy and Chile – entered November having experienced good activity levels through October. “Activity” is the key word: sample requests and price discussions have constituted most of the activity in southern France; actual transactions have been limited. Likewise, a steady stream of enquiries into Chile’s remaining 2025-vintage supplies, and its prospects for 2026, have outnumbered transactions. But there have been good transaction levels in Italy, as it has become clear all of Europe’s three major harvests came in short of their five-year averages. This month’s Global Market Report provides information on what Italian wines transactions have been occurring, which 2025 wines are being released early to bridge a supply gap, and what 2025-vintage stocks Chile still possesses. The latest prices on all these items, as well as France’s new 2025-vintage prici

Afternoon Brief, April 20th

The World’s Leading Bulk Wine Fair Launches Its First-Ever US Show: The inaugural WBWE USA show will be held on June 8th and 9th at Sonoma County Event Center at the Fairgrounds...

Afternoon Brief, November 24th

The WBWE Has Been the First International Wine Fair to Take Place in the West in 2021: The 13th WBWE (World Bulk Wine Exhibition) brought together 265 wineries from 15 different countries and received more than 4000 professional visitors from 57 nationalities...

Registration is now open for the 9th annual Wine Industry Expo (WIN Expo) and this year's educational conference sessions will include fifteen comprehensive workshops focusing on four main tracks: Winemaking & Production, Business Strategy & Leadership, Vineyard & Growers, and Sales & Marketing. The Business Strategy & Leadership track, sponsored by Mather Economics, Turrentine Brokerage, and the WBWE, will feature interactive sessions that will tackle the topics of Bulk Wine, State of the North Coast, Sustainable Operations, and Winery Mergers & Acquisitions. Read more below: State of the North Coast Wine Industry This session, presented by industry veterans and category experts, will recap the 2021 harvest and provide an update of the current state of the bulk wine market and grape/wine market with a specific emphasis on the North Coast. In addition, the panel will present sales data, highlighting consumer...  READ more about Business Strategy &