The price of imported wine in Russia is expected to rise due to higher excise duties and new taxes. A prominent wine expert and critic, a member of the Russian Association of Sommeliers and Experts, warned that consumers should anticipate a higher floor price for Russian wines, potentially reaching at least 600 rubles per bottle.
The expert pointed out that the import tax on beverages from nations not aligned with Russia has increased from 12% to 20% as part of broader trade measures.
While officials frame the change as a modest adjustment, the policy includes a crucial clause stating that the tax cannot fall below 1.5 dollars per liter of imported wine. That safeguard is pivotal for pricing dynamics. In interviews with multiple television channels, the analyst emphasized the material impact of this threshold.
Previously, the cost of bringing wine into the country was around 20-22 eurocents per bottle for suppliers. Under the new regime, import costs have surged roughly sixfold, a shift that signals higher retail prices across the board. The expert estimated that the price range centered around 400 to 600 rubles could see an increase of approximately 200 to 300 rubles per bottle. This comes alongside a near tripling of excise charges on alcoholic beverages, a move that is likely to push wines from the European Union—Spain, Italy, France, and Germany—toward prices about one and a half times higher than before. We could see bottles in the 600 to 700 ruble range becoming more common.
Naturally, domestic wines will not be immune to these shifts. As the market moves, producers may be forced to adjust to the new baseline. If the market price for a bottle climbs to 600 rubles, it becomes unlikely that products will remain available at 400 rubles, according to the analyst.
Some larger wine producers might still manage to stabilize the core segment, but the overall landscape is expected to tighten, the expert noted. As prices adjust, other specialists anticipate that the market will settle on new pricing by the middle of the next summer season.
Legislation enacted last year set higher excise duties on certain alcoholic beverages, effective from May 2024. Under the new framework, excise on wine stands at 108 rubles per liter, while sparkling wines and wine-based drinks carry an excise of 141 rubles per liter.
Earlier discussions around excise taxes focused on tobacco in an effort to address public health concerns. The current wine tax reforms form part of broader fiscal and regulatory strategies under review by policymakers and industry stakeholders in Russia.