German wine market sees rise in dry wines

The German Wine Institute (DWI) reports that 53 % of all German Qualitäts‑ and Prädikatsweine surveyed in the 2025 nationwide quality wine test were offered in a dry style, a one‑percentage‑point increase over the previous year. The share of dry wines has risen steadily from 40 % in 2010 to 48 % in 2020 and now to 53 %.

White wines dominate the market, accounting for just under 70 % of the total quality‑wine offering, while red wine fell to 17 % and rosé to 13 %. Fifteen years ago, red wine represented 33 % of the mix. Among sparkling wines, 54 % of the tested Qualitätssekte were classified as “brut” to “brut nature”, up from half that share five years earlier. Overall, about 6.2 million hectoliters of wine were examined, 7 % less than the previous year, reflecting a comparatively small 2024 harvest.

The DWI noted that the continued rise of dry wines is leading to a corresponding decline in semi‑sweet and sweet wines, and that the availability of off‑dry wines has changed only marginally since 2010.