The report, Germany Landscapes 2016, found that 35% of regular wine drinkers surveyed stated that they had high involvement levels with wine, significantly more than the 30% the previous year, with 39% reporting wine to be important to their lifestyles, compared with 33% the previous year.
While price and value remain important factors for German wine drinkers, they are increasingly paying attention to quality, as 54% of regular wine drinkers state that they ‘always look for the best quality wines they can get for their budget’, compared to 45% in 2015.
The report also found that provenance is also becoming more important for German wine drinkers, with region of origin now becoming the most important choice cue, ahead of grape variety, country of origin and familiar brands.
WI says the report is based on research carried out among 1,005 German regular wine drinkers in March 2016 and 1,004 in March 2015, using its online consumer survey platform, Vinitrac.
The report says ‘Old World’ countries continue dominate German drinkers’ awareness, with domestic wine remaining the Rheinhessen, the largest wine region in Germany, has the highest purchase levels with 23% of German regular wine drinkers recently purchasing Rheinhessen wine.
Wine Intelligence COO Richard Halstead said: “Although the German market might not be moving at the brisk pace of some less developed markets, the subtle changes that are taking place are no less interesting.
“Increasing interest and involvement is a positive sign for the industry, while the trend towards regionalism is good news for domestic producers.
“And for imported producers, the sparkling category is perhaps the greatest source of excitement at the moment, with Champagne, Cava and Prosecco all showing strong signs of growth,” said Halstead.
The Wine Intelligence Germany Landscapes 2016 report costs £2,500 or five of its ‘report credits’.
