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The per capita consumption increased by half a liter
in 2006-07, based on figures released for the year ending in August, 2007.
The increase was of 2.5 liters per person in the last decade.
The consumption is based on the balance sheet of stocks
and depletions during the last fiscal year provided by all the growers
and producers through various associations.
The balance sheet includes data about on-premise consumption,
such as restaurants (about 20%), as well as household wine purchases (about
80%) during the fiscal year (The trend is almost reverse of the Indian
market where over 70% sales are in restaurants.) Says Monika Reule, Managing
Director of the German Wine Institute, 'we welcome this positive development,
particularly the fact that German wine is increasingly popular in the
domestic market- its home.'
The increase in per capita is primarily due to increase
in still wine consumption. The sparkling wine consumption has been steady
for the last couple of years at 3.7 liters per capita.
A total of 16.9 million hectoliters of domestic and foreign
still wine was consumed. The current balance sheet shows that the combined
per capita consumption of still and sparkling wine lies at 20 million
hl.
This volume of consumption places Germany as the fourth
largest wine market in the world. France continues to be the first, despite
the falling trends is first at 33 million hl, followed by Italy and the
USA.
USA is expected to have crossed Italy and become number
2 consumer behind France. US
wine consumption is expected to challenge France by 2015.
But the US may reach the no 1 position in overall consumption
as soon as this year. The Economist magazine's 'World in 2008' edition
published claims US may reach the position even in 2008. It claims it
has estimates indicating that in 2008, Americans will drink some 27.7m
hectolitres of wine – while France will drink just under 27m.
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