German women overtake men in wine consumption levels

Age, gender, social class and frequency are the four factors influencing wine consumption behaviour according to new research by an academic from Geisenheim University.  

Professor Dr Gergely Szolnoki said that women have now overtaken men in wine consumption in Germany, accounting for 56% of overall wine drinking, and 55% of its value. While men pay a little more for wine – an average of €5.14 per litre of wine versus €4.88 for women—women are paying more overall, at an average of €185.00 per year versus €175.00 for men.  

“Ten years ago the difference between men and women was much more marked than here,” said Professor Szolnoki speaking to Meiningers. “It is not just that women overtook men in pure volume, but also the types of wine they prefer have changed considerably.”  

Men have a preference for red wine, and are less likely to drink rosé, though these taste prference are slowly becoming more blurred.  

Social class also has an impact on the wine market, with Germany’s upper echelons consuming “significantly more wine” than everybody else.   Income levels also determines where people buy wines, with those on lower incomes  choosing their wines from a discounter or supermarket, while wealthier people buying from specialist retailers.

Overall, the “more you drink wine, the more you will buy in the specialist retail trade,” said Dr Szolnoki.   And it is the over 65’s who are most likely to splash out on wine, and the demographic who also buy the most wine.

“These are the consumers who used to go to the wineries and buy ex-cellar,” said Dr Szolnoki. “Unfortunately, these are quite old. Will a new generation follow them or not?” 

However, while the big spending older generation prefer German wines, younger consumers, aged up to 29, are more experimental and just as happy to consume German or imported wines.