Dry Wines Took a Majority of Germany’s Quality Wine Market in 2025

Dry wine continued to gain ground in Germany in 2025, with 53% of all German Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein classified as dry, according to the German Wine Institute, or DWI, citing an analysis of the nationwide quality wine examination.

The figure was up 1 percentage point from 2024 and extended a longer shift in German wine styles. Dry wines accounted for 48% in 2020 and 40% in 2010, the institute said. The data points to a steady move away from sweeter profiles in one of Europe’s largest wine-producing countries.

The same pattern appeared in sparkling wine. Among examined sparkling wines, the share of Brut, Extra Brut and Brut Nature rose to 54% in 2025, up from 50% in 2020. Semi-dry wines held steady at 19%, unchanged from the previous year, while off-dry and sweet wines lost 1 percentage point from 2024.

The color mix also kept shifting. White wines represented 70% of the quality wine offer in 2025, according to DWI. Rosé reached 13%, while red wines fell to 17%. The figures suggest that the market is continuing to move toward lighter styles, both in sweetness level and color.

In total, about 6.2 million hectoliters of wine passed Germany’s quality wine examination in 2025, DWI said. That was 7% less than a year earlier. The institute said one likely reason was the relatively small 2024 harvest. On average over multiple years, wines that pass the quality examination account for about 95% of German wine production.

The numbers matter beyond vineyard statistics because they can shape how producers, retailers and restaurants plan their assortments. A larger share of dry still and sparkling wines may influence purchasing decisions, shelf space and inventory management across Germany’s beverage trade, especially for supermarkets and hospitality operators adjusting their wine mix to match consumer demand.