In short
- Prioritise two or three markets based on demand, import prices, competition and entry requirements, not gut feeling.
- Within the EU, wine moves under an e-AD through EMCS; outside the EU you need an export declaration and whatever paperwork the destination requires.
- In the US, the importer needs a TTB permit and a COLA for each label, and the winery must be registered with the FDA.
- Work out the price ladder from EXW to shelf before negotiating: every step adds costs and margins.
- Promotion in non-EU countries can be subsidised up to 50% through Spain's wine sector intervention, via your autonomous community.
How to choose markets for exporting wine
The most expensive mistake when exporting wine is opening countries opportunistically: a contact at a fair, a one-off order or a competitor who is already there. For a small or mid-sized winery, the sensible approach is to work two or three markets in depth before thinking about the next one.
- Demand and trend: consumption, imports by type of wine (still, sparkling, bulk) and recent evolution.
- Import price: the average price at which wine enters that country and whether your positioning fits.
- Image of Spanish wine and of your designation of origin against French, Italian or New World wines.
- Entry barriers: tariffs, local excise duties, registrations, labelling and whether retail is run by a monopoly.
- Channel structure: how many steps there are between your winery and the consumer, and who makes the buying decision.
- Your own capacity: languages, available volume, promotion budget and time to travel.
For reference, according to the Spanish Wine Interprofessional Organisation (OIVE), using Spanish Tax Agency data, Spain exported wine worth €2,879.5 million and 1,891.8 million litres in 2025, 5% less in value than in the record year of 2024. In bottled still wine, the United Kingdom and the United States were the top destinations; Canada was the only one of the fifteen main markets to grow in both value and volume; and in bulk wine, Germany and France were the main buyers.
These figures sketch the map, but they do not tell you where your wine fits. For that you need to cross trade data by tariff heading (2204 for wine of fresh grapes) with your price and product type. That is what the market analysis in Exporta.ai does, using official trade data from more than 190 countries.
Channels for selling wine abroad
In most countries you will not sell directly to consumers. The channel shapes the final price, the logistics and the kind of partner you need.
| Channel | How it works | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Importer | Buys, imports, handles import formalities and duties and resells to distributors, shops or restaurants. | The usual way in, and essential in regulated markets such as the US. |
| Distributor or wholesaler | Supplies the on-trade and shops in a region; sometimes also the importer. | When you want regional coverage and a local sales force. |
| On-trade (HoReCa) | Hotels, restaurants and cafés, usually through a distributor. | Wines with a story, a well-known appellation or a food-pairing profile; builds image. |
| Retail and supermarkets | Supermarket chains and specialist shops; they buy through tenders or via an importer. | Volume and competitive pricing; requires consistent supply. |
| Online | Online shops, marketplaces and distance selling. | A complement; selling to consumers in another country has its own tax rules. |
| State monopolies | In Sweden (Systembolaget), Finland (Alko) and Norway (Vinmonopolet) retail is state-run; in Canada it is controlled by provincial bodies such as the LCBO (Ontario) or the SAQ (Quebec). | Access is through tenders, usually via a local importer. |
Monopolies deserve a special mention. Systembolaget, for example, publishes its range needs with price, profile and volume, and local importers submit proposals. If your wine fits the tender, the volume can be significant; if it does not, there is no other way into the retail channel.
Requirements and paperwork for exporting wine from Spain
Sales within the European Union
Wine is an excise product. In Spain, the excise rate on wine and fermented beverages is zero for still and sparkling wine, but that does not exempt you from controls: movements between Member States are covered by an electronic administrative document (e-AD) issued through the Spanish Tax Agency's EMCS system, which assigns each shipment an ARC code.
If you ship under duty suspension to a tax warehouse or registered consignee, duty is paid at destination at that country's rate, which can be very different from Spain's. If the wine has already been released for consumption, the simplified e-AD is used. Distance selling to consumers in another country has its own obligations, such as paying duty at destination, often through a tax representative.
Sales to non-EU countries
Outside the EU you need the customs export declaration, a commercial invoice, a packing list and a transport document. Depending on the destination, you may be asked for proof of origin to apply tariff preferences, analysis certificates, health certificates or prior registration of the product or the importer. Confirm the exact list with your importer and freight forwarder: one missing document can hold up a container at destination.
Labelling
To sell in the EU, since 8 December 2023 wine labels must include the list of ingredients and the nutrition declaration. Both can be provided through an electronic label (for example, a QR code), but the energy value and allergens must appear on the physical label. Outside the EU, each country adds its own rules: language, importer details, health warnings or tax stamps.
United States: TTB, COLA and FDA
- The importer needs a Federal Basic Importer's Permit from the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau).
- Each label needs a COLA (Certificate of Label Approval) approved by the TTB before import.
- The winery must be registered with the FDA as a food facility, and each shipment requires Prior Notice to the FDA.
- Sales usually go through importer, distributor and retailer, and each state may have its own requirements.
The TTB explains this in its guide to importing bottled alcohol beverages. In practice, a good US importer handles the permit and the COLA, but you must provide labels, technical sheets and your FDA registration.
The price ladder: from ex-works to shelf price
A winery sets its EXW (ex-cellar) price and the consumer sees a much higher price on the shelf or wine list. In between come transport, taxes and several margins. If you do not run this calculation before negotiating, you may close a deal that leaves your wine outside its price segment.
| Step | What is added | Illustrative example |
|---|---|---|
| EXW price | Price per bottle at the winery, excluding transport and insurance | Starting point (index 100) |
| Transport and insurance | Freight, insurance, palletising and logistics to destination, depending on the Incoterm | Actual shipping cost; weighs more on small volumes |
| Customs and taxes | Tariffs if any, destination excise duties and VAT or equivalent | Country-specific; in some markets it is the biggest jump |
| Importer margin | Import, registrations, storage, promotion and risk | For example, 25-35% (illustrative) |
| Distributor margin | Sales force, delivery and customer credit | For example, 20-30% (illustrative) |
| Retailer or restaurant margin | Shop, supermarket or wine list | For example, 30-50% in retail; usually higher in restaurants (illustrative) |
| Shelf price | Final consumer price, including consumption taxes | The sum of all the steps |
Work backwards: start from the price of the wines you will compete with on that shelf and subtract each step until you reach the maximum EXW price you can ask. The Exporta.ai country report gives you exactly that: a maximum EXW reference price for each market.
How to find wine importers
Finding wine importers is the most labour-intensive part of exporting. Combining several routes works better than relying on just one.
Trade fairs
The major fairs bring together importers and distributors from all over the world. As of October 2026, the next announced editions are Wine Paris (formerly Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris; Paris, 15-17 February 2027), ProWein (Düsseldorf, 7-9 March 2027) and Vinitaly (Verona, 11-14 April 2027). Confirm dates on each organiser's website before booking, and arrive with meetings already set.
Databases and directories
Importer directories, exhibitor lists and information from ICEX and Spain's economic and commercial offices abroad are a good starting point. The problem is that they date quickly: check that the company is still active, which brands it carries and who makes the buying decision.
Direct prospecting
The most predictable route is prospecting: identifying wine importers and distributors that match your profile (price, regions they already carry, channel), finding the decision-maker and contacting them in their language with a concrete proposal. The step-by-step method is in how to find international distributors, and we run it through our B2B prospecting campaigns.
The Exporta.ai customer finder lets you filter by the Food and beverages sector and find importers, distributors, shops and hotels, with the person who makes the buying decision and their verified email. Counting results is free, so you can size a market before investing in it.
Grants for exporting wine
The wine sector has its own line of support, on top of general internationalisation grants:
- Wine Sector Intervention (ISV): within Spain's CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027, it funds wine promotion programmes in non-EU countries with up to 50% of eligible costs. Calls are run by the autonomous communities and usually require a tax address in the region. For 2026, the Sectoral Conference on Agriculture allocated €46.8 million across 657 programmes.
- ICEX: programmes such as ICEX Next for companies starting to export, and sector promotion under the Foods & Wines from Spain brand.
- ACCIÓ (Catalonia): instruments such as internationalisation vouchers, subject to each call.
- Chambers of Commerce: internationalisation support programmes and trade missions.
Always check the current call: deadlines, eligible costs and whether you must apply before carrying out the actions. You will find the full picture in our internationalisation grants guide, and we can manage it through our grants service.
Common mistakes when exporting wine
- Going to many countries on a small budget. One visit a year to ten markets builds no relationship.
- Setting EXW without working out the ladder. The wine ends up on the shelf at a price where it cannot compete.
- Mistaking interest at a fair for an order. Without follow-up in the following days, most contacts go cold.
- Signing broad exclusives without targets. A country exclusive with no minimum volumes can block a market for years.
- Underestimating paperwork. An unapproved label or pending registration can hold a shipment at destination.
- Not adapting your materials. Technical sheets, price lists and presentations must be in the buyer's language and in the format their market uses.
- Depending on a single importer. If one importer accounts for all your sales in a country, their decision is your risk.
When to work with a wine export consultancy
A winery can export on its own if it has someone with languages, time to travel and a sales method. When it does not, a wine export consultancy or an outsourced export department brings data-driven market selection, a qualified importer base, contact in the buyer's language, trade fair preparation and KPI-based follow-up.
It also helps to keep operations in order: price lists by country, currencies and multilingual B2B catalogues. For that we work with Holded, as an official Solution Partner.
Frequently asked questions
What documents do I need to export wine from Spain?
Within the EU, shipments are covered by an e-AD issued through the Spanish Tax Agency's EMCS system, and excise duty is settled at destination. Outside the EU you need an export declaration, commercial invoice, packing list, transport document and whatever the country requires, such as proof of origin, analyses or registrations. Always confirm the list with your importer and freight forwarder.
How do I find wine importers?
Combine three routes: trade fairs such as Wine Paris, ProWein or Vinitaly; directories and exhibitor lists; and direct prospecting of importers that match your price and type of wine, contacting the decision-maker in their language. Tools such as Exporta.ai let you locate food and beverage importers and distributors with the verified email of the person who makes the buying decision.
What do I need to export wine to the United States?
A US importer holding a federal TTB permit, an approved COLA for each label before import, your winery's FDA registration and Prior Notice for every shipment. Sales usually go through importer, distributor and retailer, and each state may add its own requirements. An experienced importer will guide you through the process.
Are there grants for exporting wine?
Yes. Spain's Wine Sector Intervention funds up to 50% of wine promotion programmes in non-EU countries, through calls run by each autonomous community. There are also programmes from ICEX, from ACCIÓ in Catalonia and from the Chambers of Commerce. Always check the current call and its deadlines before committing any spending.
How much margin does a wine importer take?
There is no single figure: it depends on the country, the channel and the functions the importer takes on, such as registrations, storage, promotion or credit. That is why you should work out the full price ladder, from EXW to shelf price, starting from the price of competing wines at destination. Ask the importer to explain their pricing structure before closing.
