Good year for the apple and fruit wine industry

"2022 was a good year for German cider and fruit wine producers," sums up Klaus Heitlinger, Managing Director of the Association of the German Fruit Wine and Sparkling Fruit Wine Industry (VdFw). Domestic sales of cider, fruit wine, cider and other apple and fruit wine-based beverages in 2022 were 107.7 million litres, 3.9 per cent higher than the previous year's result of 103.6 million litres. In the same period, the industry's turnover increased from 122 million euros to 133 million euros (+9 per cent).

As Heitlinger continues to explain, this overall pleasing development is not solely an effect of the gastronomy business, which is strengthening again after the Corona years: "Cider corresponds to the trend towards regional products, has a strong connection to the culture of the meadow orchards and also shows profile with pure varieties, non-alcoholic or also organic variants. Cider and other products containing apples and fruit wines also provide impulses - an exciting field for the development of drinks that reinterpret cider and fruit wine. With a balanced mix of classics and novelties, apple and fruit cider producers are also succeeding in appealing to new and younger consumers."

Growth is being driven by innovative beverages. Cider and other cider-based beverages are experiencing particularly strong growth: their domestic sales increased by 19.9 percent to 16.5 million litres in 2022 (2021: 13.7 million litres). Fruit wine-based beverages also remain on a growth course with a sales increase of 10.9 percent: 22.1 million litres were sold (2021: 19.9 million litres). Apple and fruit mulled wine had already managed to return to pre-Corona levels in 2021. In 2022, apple- or fruit wine-based hot drinks made another leap from 9.4 million litres to 11.7 million litres (+23.6%).

With domestic sales of around 40.5 million litres, cider remains the strongest product in the sector in 2022. The classic fruit wines, including cherry wine, strawberry wine, currant wine and blackberry wine, which are particularly popular, recorded sales of 12.4 million litres. For the speciality honey wine or mead, it was 2.4 million litres.