Luanda, June 17, 2026 (Lusa) — Portuguese wine exports to Angola grew by 20% in volume in 2025, bucking the trend of the decline seen in global markets, Frederico Falcão, president of ViniPortugal, revealed on Wednesday.
The figures were released to Lusa on the eve of the Vinhos de Portugal Festival, which takes place on Thursday in the Angolan capital, Luanda, and is set to host the largest edition of the event to date, with 51 producers in attendance.
In absolute terms, Angola imported around €54 million worth of Portuguese wine last year, totalling 40 million litres — the largest volume of all Portuguese export markets and fifth in terms of value, behind France, the United States, Brazil and the United Kingdom.
“Angola used to be our largest market; it then declined, but over the last two years it has been growing,” said the official, noting that the country finished 2025 in first place in terms of export volume.
This growth contrasts with the global trend, as Portugal recorded a 1% fall in wine exports worldwide last year, whilst other wine-producing countries saw even sharper declines, making Angola an exception.
The stabilisation of the kwanza is cited as one possible explanation.
“Exchange rate stability and some improvement in the economy, also helps wine consumption,” said Frederico Falcão, adding that wine, not being an essential good, is particularly sensitive to periods of economic turbulence.
“It started with Covid, then came the wars in Ukraine and now also in the Middle East — this whole climate of economic instability greatly affects wine consumption. Angola has been somewhat more stable in this respect,” he emphasised.
Portuguese wine continues to dominate the Angolan market: with an 88% share, it is the country with the largest relative presence compared to other export markets — in Brazil, the Portuguese share is around 16% and in Poland 10%.
South Africa ranks second in the list of wines consumed in Angola, followed by France, Spain and Italy, with significantly lower market shares.
“In no other country do we have such a large share,” emphasised the president of ViniPortugal, attributing this leadership not only to the historical and emotional ties between the two countries, but also to the ongoing promotional work carried out by ViniPortugal, the producers and the wine committees operating in the market.
Despite this growth, the market’s potential is far from exhausted.
Per capita consumption in Angola stands at 1.5 litres per year, a far cry from the 62 litres in Portugal; that is, a total of 0.3 million hectolitres per year, compared with 5.6 million in Portugal – a difference that could present an opportunity.
“There are plenty of consumers to win over, to bring into the world of wine,” argued Frederico Falcão, adding that the aim is not merely to gain market share from competitors, but to stimulate growth in total consumption within the country.
It is this challenge that ViniPortugal seeks to address with festivals such as the one taking place on Thursday, which includes an exclusive tasting for industry professionals — importers, distributors, sommeliers and operators in the Horeca sector (hotels, restaurants and cafés) — and a session open to the public between 6.00 pm and 9.00 pm.
The programme also features a live cooking demonstration (‘show cooking’) led by Angolan chefs Helt Araújo and Elisabeth Martins, exploring pairings between Angolan cuisine and Portuguese wines.
Angolan consumers, who tend to be rather conservative, drink mainly red wine, with the Alentejo and the Douro regions dominating their preferences, although all Portuguese wine-producing regions are stepping up their efforts in Angola and are represented at this year’s festival.
ViniPortugal is the inter-professional association of the Portuguese wine sector responsible for promoting Portuguese wines and spirits in overseas markets under the ‘Vinhos de Portugal’ brand.
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