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The EU exported wine worth €130.4 million to Russia in November 2022. In November 2021, it was only 89 million euros, the industry portal Wine-Searcher reports, citing wine data from the European Commission. The director of the Spanish wine marketing association OEMV, Rafael Del Rey, said in an interview that global sparkling wine shipments to Russia increased by 39 per cent from €207 million to €287.7 million between October 2021 and October 2022. According to Atlas World Trade statistics based on data from each country's customs authorities, re-exports of sparkling wines to Russia via Latvia doubled from €70 million to €140 million over the same period, he said. The export value of still wines to Russia rose by 4.7 per cent from 652 to 683 million euros in the same period.
As the publication of statistics by customs authorities on flows of goods in Russia has been prohibited since February 2022, these figures cannot be compared. The situation has become more complicated since November last year, when Russian President Putin included wine and spirits companies in the Russian parallel import mechanism or "grey market". This allows Russian companies to import and buy goods from abroad even without the consent of the brand owners.
The situation is complex, explained an unnamed cognac manager: faced with these parallel imports, which they cannot control, European producers have to stay local in Russia despite all moral concerns
Among the companies that have been able to increase their exports to Russia are Aveleda from Portugal, Familia Torres from Spain and Moët Hennessy. The latter did not want to comment on the matter, according to Wine-Searcher. Martim Guedes from Aveleda, however, stressed that all profits from the Russia business went to charitable organisations supporting Ukrainian refugees in Portugal. However, Volodymyr Kucherenko, director of Ukrvinprom, Ukraine's national wine and viticulture company, stressed to Wine-Searcher: "Every European wine sold in Russia brings Russia taxes that are used to buy weapons to kill Ukrainians".
(al / source: wine-searcher.com; photo: 123rf)