Apple and fruit wine sector draws positive balance overall

Depending on the company-specific share of the out-of-home and event business, German cider presses have felt the effects of the Corona pandemic to varying degrees. Nevertheless, the balance sheet of the Association of the German Fruit Wine and Sparkling Fruit Wine Industry (VdFw) for the past year is positive overall. Domestic sales of cider, fruit wine and other apple- and fruit wine-based beverages in 2020 totaled 104.1 million liters, just 0.5 percent below the previous year's result of 104.7 million liters. Industry sales actually increased from 114 million euros to 118 million euros during the same period. "Overall, the apple and fruit wine sector has come through the pandemic well so far," sums up VdFw managing director Klaus Heitlinger. "Depending on the company, the sometimes sharp drop in sales due to the closure of the catering trade and the cancellation of events has been largely offset - in terms of total industry sales - by rising sales in the food retail trade. However, the fact that gastronomy is reopening is also essential for our industry and urgently needs to be driven forward."

Cider achieved domestic sales of around 45.5 million liters in 2020, despite the lack of restaurant business, a slight increase of 0.7 percent year-on-year (2019: 45.2 million liters). Apple- and fruit wine-based beverages, including cider, continue on a growth trajectory, with sales volumes up 5.2 percent from 33.6 million liters to 35.4 million liters. As a result, this segment's share of the industry's domestic sales rose from 32 percent to 34 percent. Apple cider holds its own as the most important industry product with a 43.7 percent share of sales, posting gains over the previous year (2019: 43.2 percent).