by Dr. Hermann Pilz and Richard Grosche
While wine exports to Germany were on the whole slightly below the previous year, imports from the New World reached a record high. Spain and France suffered the biggest losses. Italy is still number one in volume and value.
Germany imported 1.2 billion litres of wine worth 1.5 billion Euros in 2005. That is 1.1%, or 13 million litres, less than in 2004. Value dropped by 1.2 percent or 18 million Euros. The largest foreign supplier in 2005 was Italy (463 million litres, 516 million Euros), up 13.3 percent over last year. France followed (212 million litres, 380 million Euros) with a loss of 5.8 percent. Spain (now 180 million litres, 185 million Euros) is in third place with a dramatic loss of 23.3 percent.
Chile with 57 million litres and a value of 75 million Euros is the most popular overseas category. The United States ranked second in that sector, selling 45 million litres worth 60 million Euros. Australia is still growing with 40 million litres and 69 million Euros. South Africa showed the biggest increase, up 54.3 percent to 37 million litres worth 59 million Euros. While Chile (-8.8%) and the USA (-6.4%) are losing volume, Australia (+26.2) and South Africa (+54.3) gained market share in 2005.
Along with Argentina (6.2 million litres), New Zealand (1.2 million litres) and China (0.27 million litres), the New World s top ten combined for a total of 184 million litres, which represent 16.2 percent of total imports. At that the share of New World wines has doubled within three years, bringing that category to rank four behind Spain. In 2002 their combined share was only 8.7 percent.
