2022 was clearly not a particularly exciting year for the Germans. “Only” 267.8 million liters of champagne, prosecco or sparkling wine were drunk, as the Federal Statistical Office found on Tuesday. So if there was ever really a danger that the wineries’ supplies would run out, as the head of the luxury group LVMH warned a year ago, then it was not the fault of the Germans. The Darß is not the Côte d’Azur and Dortmund is not Dubai.
Every German over the age of 16 drank just 38 glasses of “sparkling wine,” as the statisticians soberly call it. That makes about five bottles. Sounds like a lot – and it’s a little more than the year before. But due to the pandemic, 2021 was more of a year of sage tea and cough syrup. A look back ten years, however, shows how much Germans have lost their desire for sparkling wine: consumption has fallen by a fifth since 2012, when Germans still emptied 49 champagne glasses per capita.
However, the trend towards abstinence is also evident in other alcoholic drinks such as wine or beer. Market observers believe that the reason for this is not only concern for one’s own health, but above all the higher cost of living. When money is tight, Germans save primarily on enjoyment. However, according to a recent survey by GfK consumer researchers, more money is being planned for Christmas presents this year. So it’s possible that, despite everything, there are a few more bottles in it for the coming holidays.
The fact that the authorities know exactly how often the corks pop is due to a German peculiarity: the sparkling wine tax. Introduced in the Kaiser’s time to finance the expensive war fleet, it still flows into the somehow always cash-strapped federal budget today. It was around 352 million euros last year. That’s only 0.04 percent of total tax revenue and about half as much as the beer tax brings in – but every little sip counts.
It has not yet been officially determined how the Germans are currently in the mood for champagne and whether the recent wave of world crises and respiratory infections has further depressed the mood. As always, the data will not be available until next December. Until then, you can also follow the French writer and champagne lover Amélie Nothomb: She considers champagne not only to be the best-tasting drink, but also the most decorative. A glass not only distracts you from worries, but also from a red nose. In addition, says Nothomb, fine sparkling wine still tastes best in good company.
Madame Nothomb might therefore be a little reassured by looking at the long-term trend in the drinking habits of her Teutonic neighbors. Because anyone who looks not only at the last ten years, but also at the last 30 years, realizes that there are always fluctuations in German consumption. So although 2012 was a really good year for sparkling wine, in 2003 and 2004, for example, the thirst was significantly lower than in 2012. All in all, the stale realization remains: there is so little champagne, prosecco and sparkling wine as there is in the last two years, Germans haven’t drunk for 30 years.
So perhaps the Germans’ desire for sparkling things is simply over – and tax authorities and statisticians should reorient themselves. The drink that became a benchmark for local hedonism in big city bars in 2022 would be ideal: the espresso martini. It doesn’t cause heartburn, it’s at least as invigorating as a champagne and it also tastes like the Germans’ favorite drink: coffee! On top of that, the cocktail is also served in a martini glass – and visually it’s somewhere between a champagne flute and a champagne flute.