Facebook Ads CPM Benchmarks for Wine and Spirits

Introduction

Wine and Spirits CPMs spent the year moving in two distinct gears: near-market in Q1 and again at year‑end, but deeply discounted through the middle months. Across all countries, the category’s median CPM averaged 14.1, roughly 29% below the all‑industry global benchmark at 19.8 over the same period. The standouts were a sharp mid‑year trough and a strong Q4 rebound that never quite matched the broader market surge. This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. This analysis explores ad performance trends for Wine and Spirits across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

The period opened at 18.57 in January 2025 and ended essentially flat at 18.50 in January 2026 (−0.4%). Within that steady bookend, the category swung widely: a March high of 20.56 preceded a steep drop to the July low of 6.84, a 67% slide from peak to trough. From there, CPMs rebuilt into Q4, reaching 19.20 in November before easing to 15.92 in December and resetting higher in January 2026.

On average, month‑to‑month volatility measured 2.9 CPM points, about 20% of the series mean, with the sharpest single‑month lift in November (+45% vs. October). Overall range across the period was 13.7 points—nearly the full size of the category’s average—highlighting a market that was more elastic than steady.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

The rhythm split cleanly by season:

• Q1 2025 averaged 19.84, a firm, high‑cost start.
• Q2 collapsed to a 9.10 average (−54% vs. Q1), as April through July posted the year’s softest CPMs.
• Q3 stabilized slightly at 10.03, signaling a gradual rebuild.
• Q4 climbed to 16.12 on average, led by November’s seasonal high (19.20) before a typical December cooldown.

Performance typically tightens in late Q3 and Q4 as global competition rises; here, Wine and Spirits followed the broader cadence but from a lower base, with a more pronounced mid‑year lull and a measured year‑end lift.

Country vs. Global

Relative to Facebook Ads benchmarks across all industries, Wine and Spirits spent 9 of 13 months below market. The category ran above the benchmark in January–March 2025 (+5% to +14%) and again in January 2026 (+18%). The widest discount arrived in July (65% below market), while the narrowest gap during the underperformance phase came in November (24% below).

The category’s month‑to‑month swings averaged about 1.8x those of the global benchmark (2.9 vs. 1.6 points). Its amplitude was larger too: a 13.7‑point spread versus 9.5 points for the overall market. Meanwhile, the global series rose steadily into Q4, peaking at 25.22 in November, then cooled sharply to 15.74 in January 2026 (−11% YoY), while Wine and Spirits held nearly flat year over year.

Closing

In sum, this CPM analysis shows Wine and Spirits across all countries operating below overall market costs most of the year, with a dramatic mid‑year trough and a disciplined Q4 recovery. Understanding Facebook Ads benchmarks for CPM in the Wine and Spirits industry across all countries helps quantify category‑specific ad costs and compare industry ad performance to global patterns.