Although I have been involved in the wine industry for over a decade, it was only recently that I became aware that Canada is a significant bulk wine exporter. And it’s all thanks to another wine writer’s **rant **on Instagram.
Sierra Wine Guy (aka Joe Campbell) took a swing at Canada for adding pain to the current U.S. wine industry’s woes. He has since taken that post down – but in essence while California (and to a lesser extent Washington State and Oregon) is drowning in a glut/surplus of wine, grubbing up vineyards, having some growers and wineries close their doors, Canada has been flooding their market with cheap bulk wine.
So…
Although I have been involved in the wine industry for over a decade, it was only recently that I became aware that Canada is a significant bulk wine exporter. And it’s all thanks to another wine writer’s **rant **on Instagram.
Sierra Wine Guy (aka Joe Campbell) took a swing at Canada for adding pain to the current U.S. wine industry’s woes. He has since taken that post down – but in essence while California (and to a lesser extent Washington State and Oregon) is drowning in a glut/surplus of wine, grubbing up vineyards, having some growers and wineries close their doors, Canada has been flooding their market with cheap bulk wine.
So, what’s really going on?
Apparently, Canada’s bulk wine exports are significant. They consist primarily of fortified wines mixed with grain spirits destined for markets in the U.S., China, U.K., South Korea, and France. According to Wine Business, in the U.S. these bulk exports are used as a cheap alcohol base for vermouth, some port-style wines, wine-based cocktails, wine-based margaritas, and wine-based spirits.
In 2024, over 50 million gallons of bulk wine were exported to the U.S from Canada at a cost of $1.08 a gallon. American companies making above mentioned products from ‘Canadian bulk wine’ pay a less expensive federal wine excise tax instead of a more expensive spirits’ tax. Thus, they are benefiting from a legal loophole … but it has taken a market away from California growers whose excess grapes could go into distillation for brandy and other products. So, there’s the beef!
**Did you know? **Canada ranked 12th as a world wine exporter (2022 stats from OIV) – 99% of exports were bulk wine. However, in the first half of 2025, Canada imported 61.8 million litres of bulk wine, ranking as the 6th largest importer worldwide. 👉 A key fact: 85% of these imports came from New World suppliers, led by Australia (40%), Chile (20%) and the United States (13%) with the rest coming from South Africa, New Zealand and Argentina.
Additionally, the Americans claim that this ‘Canadian bulk wine’ is actually a re-export of bulk wine from other countries that Canada imports.
Bulk wine in Canada is primarily imported by provincial liquor boards—such as the LCBO (Ontario), SAQ (Quebec) and BCLDB (British Columbia)—which act as the official importers of record for commercial, retail, and blending purposes. Major wineries (such as Arterra Wines Canada and Andrew Peller Ltd.) also import bulk wine directly for blending into Canadian-produced, International Canadian Blends (ICB) or ‘cellared in Canada’ wines. Others include Ciatti Company Canada, a major broker for bulk wine transactions and specialized wine agents (working in Alberta’s private market).
Hence, someone is making money in bulk wine, but it isn’t the Canadian nor the American grape growers!
There is something else I recently became aware of – an annual World Bulk Wine Exhibition held in Amsterdam. Wine produced globally by volume as ‘bulk’ accounts for 33 % of all wine production. The WBWE claims to attract buyers responsible for up to 80% of all wine volumes bought and sold in the world. The exhibition which spans two days had 240 exhibitors in 2025, an Academy programme with free-pour tastings, masterclasses, conferences and expert debates on major challenges and trends of the industry, as well as the only bulk wine competition. Next year’s event will be held in Amsterdam on Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, 2026.
Here are the event numbers for 2025:
- 2,150 trade visitors
- 60 visiting countries
- 240 exhibitors
- 1,000 booked meetings
- 39 IBWC medals
The World Bulk Wine Exhibition is advertized as serving a wide range of business models: from private labels for supermarkets, restaurants, celebrity labels to bottling destinations. WBWE is also a cross-segment catalyst offering a wide range of wines, spirits, low/no alcohol and organic products that reflect the consumer trends of today and tomorrow.
Here area a few key take-aways by Richard Siddle, who attended the 2025 WBWE, and posted his article in The Buyer/Insight:
- there are millions of litres of bulk wine to sell, the big issue was finding buyers willing to pay the price wanted including many French de-classified AOC wines from unsold old vintages now looking to move them on as bulk wines
- the power lay very much in the hands of increasingly ambivalent buyers willing and able to cherry pick the best deals
- there is a global surplus of wine including bulk made more difficult with Trump’s tariffs, declining consumer consumption, and the collapse of the Chinese market for international wine
- there’s going to be fundamental changes in the industry to alter its size and shape
- an advantage of the fair is that it embodies transparency, offering opportunities for buyers and sellers to talk openly about what is happening in the wider wine world, and to understand the different supply and vintage issues, and what impact that is going to have on pricing
- the overall quality of bulk wine has improved with more “expressive and complex wines” on show than in previous years and talk of “premium bulk”
- there was some buzz over new wine markets in Africa, particularly in the affluent cities of East Africa, the Middle East and parts of South America; new countries to exhibit at WBWE for the first time in 2025 included Lebanon, Mauritius, and Panama
- also present were low and no alcohol wines which are a hugely potential market for bulk wine
- Vinexposium, the organisers of WBWE, will hold its first Vinexpo Explorer event dedicated to bulk in Mendoza (in partnership with Promendoza) between June 8-10, 2026, before returning to Amsterdam (Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, 2026)
For the average wine enthusiast and consumer, finding out about the bulk wine industry is akin to peeking behind the curtain in Oz to see who’s pulling the levers and pulleys in the complex world of global wine business.
As always, thank you for reading. Cheers!
Published by Lidija Biro
I am a wine enthusiast who has completed the Winery and Viticulture Program at Niagara College, earned a French Wine Scholar title, and completed DipWSET. It is a dream come true to be pursuing my passion for wine after a satisfying teaching career and proof that it is never too late. As I embark on a wine and travel journey, please come along and follow my blog. View more posts