New Zealand wine exports slip to $163.7m in December, closing year at $2.0bn

Wine exports in December 2021 totalled $163.7 million on shipments of 23.4 million litres to 60 countries, with the United States accounting for more than two-fifths of all trade.

December shipments ease after strong run

New Zealand exported $163.7 million of wine in December 2021, shipping 23.4 million litres at an average price of $6.98 per litre. The result represents a decline from the previous two months, which both exceeded $199 million, and marks the lowest monthly value since April's $114.2 million.

The rolling 12-month total to December 2021 reached $1,961.5 million, reflecting the cumulative performance across the calendar year.

Year-over-year comparisons unavailable

Year-over-year growth figures for December are not available in this reporting period, limiting the ability to assess performance against the corresponding month in 2020. Monthly data throughout 2021 showed considerable variation, with exports ranging from April's low of $114.2 million to September's peak of $208.5 million.

United States dominates destination mix

The United States remained New Zealand's dominant wine market in December, absorbing $68.3 million worth of shipments and representing 41.7 per cent of total export value. The United Kingdom followed with $31.4 million (19.2 per cent share), while Australia took $26.0 million (15.9 per cent).

Canada ranked fourth at $8.2 million (5.0 per cent), trailed by Germany at $5.8 million (3.6 per cent). The top five markets collectively accounted for more than 85 per cent of New Zealand's wine export value in December.

China received $4.0 million in shipments (2.4 per cent share), with Ireland close behind at $3.8 million (2.3 per cent). France imported $2.0 million, while Singapore, Russia, Denmark, and Hong Kong each received between $1.3 million and $1.5 million.

New Zealand wine reached 60 destination markets during the month, demonstrating the industry's geographic diversification even as trade remains concentrated among a handful of key partners.

Bulk wine accounts for quarter of export value

Bottled wine in containers of two litres or less—including sparkling varieties—generated $119.2 million in December, whilst bulk shipments in containers exceeding 10 litres contributed $42.1 million, representing 25.7 per cent of total export value.

The packaging split reveals a pronounced price differential: bottled wine averaged $9.06 per litre compared with $4.32 per litre for bulk. The bulk segment's substantial share of export value, despite commanding less than half the per-litre price of bottled wine, indicates that volume shipments in large-format containers remain an important component of New Zealand's export model, likely destined for bottling and distribution in destination markets.

Provisional data subject to revision

These statistics are drawn from Stats NZ's merchandise trade data for December 2021. Figures for the most recent month are initially provisional and subject to revision as late declarations are processed and classifications are refined. Final confirmed data may differ from these preliminary results.