Nearly half of German wineries face closure amid declining consumption

Germany’s wine industry is facing what its leaders call a “profound crisis,” with nearly half of the country’s wineries and about 30 percent of its vineyard area at risk of disappearing if current trends in consumption and sales continue. The warning comes from the German Wine Institute and the Deutscher Weinbauverband, the national winegrowers’ association, which issued a press release this week highlighting the severity of the situation.

The statement, reported by French wine news outlet Vitisphere, stressed that whether it is 30 percent of vineyard area or 50 percent of wineries affected, the impact would be dramatic. The association called on federal politicians to pay attention to the crisis, saying that ignoring it is no longer an option.

German wine producers are struggling to maintain their share of the domestic market. Currently, German wines account for only 42 percent of wine consumed in Germany, a figure that has been steadily declining. This drop in market share has put significant financial pressure on producers. Thomas Schaurer, a winegrower, noted that some German wines are now being sold for as little as €0.99 per bottle—less than the price of a bottle of mineral water.

Producers have also expressed frustration with their regional wine bodies. Schaurer criticized what he described as their “indifference” to the challenges facing growers. The crisis has led to discussions about “vine-pull” programs and “crisis distillation,” terms more commonly associated with recent struggles in France and Spain, where authorities have sometimes paid growers to remove vines or distill surplus wine.

Despite these challenges, the Deutscher Weinbauverband is not currently seeking direct federal financial aid. Instead, it is urging German consumers to support local producers by choosing domestic wines over imports. The association said that if every person in Germany bought just one more bottle of German wine per year instead of an imported one, it could provide enough economic support for many family-run wineries to survive. This would also help maintain environmental and social standards unique to German viticulture.

The call for support comes at a time when many small and medium-sized wineries are already struggling with rising production costs and changing consumer habits. The industry fears that without increased domestic support, Germany could lose a significant part of its winemaking tradition and landscape.