German Wine Estates Report Slower Sales in 2025

The German Association of Prädikat Wine Estates said on Wednesday that sales for its member wineries became more demanding in 2025, even as several channels remained stable and direct contact with customers continued to play a central role.

In a yearly survey released after the VDP wine fair in Mainz, the group said many of its members reported shifts in how they sell wine, with some channels gaining importance while others held steady. The association said it did not want to describe the situation as a crisis, but rather as a structural change in the market that requires more effort from producers.

According to the survey, about one-third of all sales at VDP member wineries still comes from cellar-door sales, a share that has remained stable for some time. The wineries’ own online shops accounted for about 12% of sales, up from previous years, while outside online retailers generated about 5%.

Supermarkets remained a minor outlet for VDP wines, accounting for 6% of sales, while discount chains represented less than 1%. The main sales channels continued to be specialist wine merchants and restaurants.

The association said roughly 75% of VDP wines are sold in Germany, while 25% are exported. The most important foreign markets remain Scandinavia, the United States, Britain and Switzerland. Export, the group said, is becoming more important overall.

Many member wineries told the association that maintaining sales now depends more than ever on long-term relationships with customers and trade partners. The VDP said the market now demands more visibility, more explanation and more personal contact. Sales no longer happen on their own and must be actively managed through travel, events, tastings and other formats.

For 2025, the VDP said its member wineries sold an estimated 33.5 million bottles in total, down by 2.2 million bottles from the previous year. The association said the decline was due not only to a difficult consumer environment but also to a smaller harvest in 2024 after frost damage reduced yields.