South Korea drank fewer wine litres in H1 2026 — and paid more for what remained.
Vino Joy News’ mid-August 2026 read on first-half imports shows the premiumisation pattern clearly: volume down, value up. Chile lost the volume crown it long held, while the United States stayed near second by value. The market is not abandoning wine; it is editing the cart toward fewer, dearer bottles.
Mini-concept: premiumisation is litres falling while money rises. Households and venues cut wasteful volume and keep celebration or pairing bottles. Exporters who only win on cheapest bulk lose; those who hold brand and quality share can grow revenue in a shrinking litre pool.
For young Seoul drinkers, that pattern matches intentional choice. An RTD is easy volume. A wine bottle is a planned moment — dinner, gift, tasting flight. Korea’s H1 scoreboard says the culture is shifting that way even when total litres dip. Chile’s lost volume crown is the caution label for anyone who thought cheap forever wins Asia.
Keep one pattern: H1 litres down, value up; Chile loses volume lead; US holds near No.2 by value — premiumisation in Seoul’s import mix.