I’m writing these lines on Thursday, December 26, 2025, with the year drawing to a close. Keeping a record of what the sector has experienced matters, especially for a small venue like WAYANA that stands in the middle of it all. Consider this an account built on close-up observations.

A Glance at the Global Landscape in 2025

For the second consecutive year, global wine consumption and sales showed no real growth. An industry long burdened by oversupply is still searching for a new equilibrium, and no clear signs suggest we’re close. Several global dynamics have delayed this correction:

• Shifts in Consumer Preferences: The rising popularity of alternative beverages, especially cocktails, continues to pull attention away from wine.
• Low-Alcohol and Alcohol-Free Options: Once a niche, this segment is now the fastest-growing across beverage categories.
• Anti-Alcohol Campaigns: Particularly in North America, anti-alcohol advocacy has intensified, unsurprising for a country carrying Prohibition in its historical memory.
• Stagnation in Marketing: The global wine industry is locked in internal debates, and those who call for transformation lack a shared roadmap, limiting progress.
• Advertising Restrictions: Most countries continue to tighten their regulations.
• Declining Profitability: Small producers, in particular, struggle to maintain financial viability, with more stepping away from production.
• Tariff Instability: Policies introduced during the Trump administration still unsettle European producers. Newly implemented UK tariffs toward the end of 2025 also began affecting consumption.

The Situation at Home

Turkey feels the effects of global dynamics, but also carries its own unique challenges:

• Advertising and Promotion Ban: Introduced in 2013 and tightened significantly since 2015, the ban has silenced a sector already suffering from weak capital accumulation.
• Falling Purchasing Power: Years of economic mismanagement have sharply eroded household income, reducing discretionary spending.
• Soaring Production Costs: Rapidly rising costs keep domestic wine prices high, while insufficient support has made imports more appealing. Policies favoring high-alcohol spirits have hurt both wine and rakı.
• The Guarantee Requirement: A globally unique system designed to protect future tax revenues has pushed many small producers out of business. Appeals before the Constitutional Court will determine what lies ahead.

What We Observed in the Market in 2025

With collaborations spanning over 150 producers, WAYANA has a wide view of the landscape. Key findings:

• Decline in Producer Numbers: The roughly 200 licensed wineries appear to have fallen to around 160.
• Drop in Sales: Producers report that their 2025 sales declined by about one-third compared to the previous year. Many compensated by reducing production volumes.
• Tax Stamp (Bandrol) Supply Issues: Difficulties in obtaining tax stamps have slowed an already strained sales cycle.
• Operating Without Support: With no state-backed strategy or coordinated promotional effort, exporters face foreign markets entirely on their own.
• Unfair Competition: Domestic bottle prices struggle to compete with high-alcohol imports. The fact that Turkey is the world’s top importer of Chivas Regal and the third-largest importer of Johnnie Walker speaks for itself.

What to Expect in 2026

• As Turkey attempts to recover from years of misaligned economic policy, the burden falls directly on its citizens. Basic necessities like housing, food, and education now claim a larger share of household budgets.
• No improvement is expected in the regulations governing production, sales, or communication.
• Complaints about high prices will continue, and producers face serious risks regarding long-term economic sustainability.
• Industry-wide events that once brought producers together are no longer held. Only a handful of companies still manage to host “Grand Tasting”-style gatherings for professionals.
• Meanwhile, experimentation with new grape varieties continues with noticeable enthusiasm.
• From time to time, we still hear of a newcomer obtaining a production license.

In Essence

Nothing declines forever. Sooner or later, the sector will rise again. But it seems we still have some distance to travel before that happens.

The hope is that we manage to endure the road ahead without losing breath.