According to the latest figures from Statistics Austria, Austria exported 67.7 million litres of wine in 2022, equivalent to 231.3 million euros in value. Although volume was slightly lower than the previous year (-3.5%), value rose by 6.4%. As a result, the export price per litre reached a record level of €3.42. “Success in the export markets, and especially the record average price, is very important for our wine industry. The current wave of inflation is also hitting our winegrowers hard, which is why we need to focus on growing their added value,” emphasises Chris Yorke, CEO of Austrian Wine (Austrian Wine Marketing Board).

White wine and Sekt in demand

Austria’s white Qualitätswein was in particularly high demand (+7.9% in value). “We have noticed that our white wines are really hitting the spot with international consumers and demand is continually growing,” says Yorke. Demand for Sekt also continued to rise (+19.3%).

Strong growth in Canada, the USA and Northern Europe

With reference to the specific export markets, Yorke explains, “Already at last year’s VieVinum, Austria’s largest wine fair, we began to notice that our wines are in very high demand in certain countries, such as Canada, the USA and in Northern Europe. Consumers in these markets are looking for high-quality, environmentally consciously produced wines and also pay good prices for them. That’s a perfect match for us!”

Canada managed to secure good growth again, with a 46.7% increase in value to 10.7 million euros. Over the last five years, the value of exports to the Canadian market has grown more than sevenfold. The USA was also on the upswing again in 2022, recording a 11.2% rise in value. Strong growth was also seen in the Netherlands (+17.0% in value) and Scandinavia, e.g. Sweden (+7.2% in value), Denmark (+29.4% in value) and Finland (+62.3% in value). Switzerland, Austria’s second most important export market, also witnessed a respectable rise of 8.6%. In Austria’s biggest export market, Germany, exports of cheaper bulk wine increased to the detriment of bottled wine, resulting in a slight drop in export value (-1.3%).

Losses in the UK and China

The United Kingdom was on a downward trajectory in 2022, dropping 38% in value. As a result of Brexit, working this market has become more complicated and challenging. Following a strong increase in 2021 (+77.9%), the volatile Chinese market fell again slightly (-15.8% in value).

Japan and Korea on the upswing

Following several years of stagnation, the prestigious Japanese export market grew considerably (+61.3%). Strong growth (+26.4% in value) was also recorded in South Korea, which is emerging as a promising future market for Austrian wines.