Argentine wine industry: market, regulatory, and export news

The Argentine wine industry is navigating significant market shifts, regulatory changes, and a decline in global competitiveness.

Market data from the National Institute of Viticulture (INV) shows a transition in consumer preferences, with non-varietal wines increasing by 13.9% to reach a 71.7% market share. This growth has offset a 24.5% decline in varietal wines. Packaging trends reflect this shift toward accessibility, as tetra brik volumes rose by 8.6% while bottle volumes fell by 2.4%. Production is also diversifying into varieties like Bonarda and Cabernet Franc, with new viticulture emerging in southern regions such as Chubut.

Simultaneously, President Javier Milei’s administration is advancing a bill to amend the General Wine Law to reduce state oversight. The proposal seeks to loosen the legal definition of wine by removing requirements that it be made from ‘fresh grapes’ or produced in specific areas, and eliminating the mandate to bottle at the harvest site. Critics warn these changes could decouple production from harvest cycles and impact grape grower prices. The reform would also shift the INV’s focus to the final bottled product rather than intermediate stages.

Compounding these shifts, a report by the Mediterranean Foundation’s IERAL indicates a decline in Argentina’s global market share, projected to drop to 2.1% by 2025 from 4.7% in 2008. In Mendoza, bottled varietal exports in 2026 were 36% lower than in 2010. The report attributes this decline to logistics, production costs, and commercial strategies, noting that Argentina has lost ground even in key markets like Brazil and the United States.