Germany is the world's most significant market for wine. More than fifty percent of wines consumed in Germany come from foreign producers. In 1999, imports have been equivalent to 12.4 million hl at a total value of two billion dollars. Core countries to import to Germany are EU countries (around 80%), namely Italy, Spain and France. However, the share of imports from non-EU countries has been around 15% with forecasts of further growth by year 2000 to 19%. Bulgaria, Macedonia and Hungary are the principal non-EU suppliers. The bulk of imported wine (not including liquor and sparkling wines) is red wine, accounting for 55%. .
German Imports of Wine from Selected Countries -1998 (January - October).
Hl 1,000 US $ %.
USA 77,402 25,550 1.65.
ITALY 3,780,496 517,770 33.44.
FRANCE 2,512,215 581,164 37.54.
SPAIN 1,698,535 194,149 12.54.
MACEDONIA 395,593 20,016 1.29.
BULGARIA 216,996 18,524 1.20.
Demand:.
Germany produces primarily delicate, light white wines with low alcohol and some red wines. About 80 percent of the vineyard area is planted with white grape and 20 percent with red varieties. German wine production is characterized by small-scale viticulture. Two thirds of the vineyards are part-time enterprises. Seventy percent of growers do not produce wine, but rather deliver grapes to cooperatives for processing. .
Germany, with its 82 million people and the largest economy in Europe, is the leading European market for food and beverages. Products both of German and other European Union origin dominate the shelves of retail outlets; this is mainly due to a duty free movement of goods among EU members. Stringent German/EU food and beverage laws, as well as packaging and labeling regulations do favor EU member goods, however Bulgaria's legal framework for this sector includes the Law on Wine and Alcoholic Beverages, adopted in 1999, promulgated in State Gazette 86/1999, and entered into force on January 1, 2000, which aligned Bulgaria with the EU wine law and thus made Bulgarian wine accessible to EU market, specifically Germany without the restrictions which other non-EU competitors face.
