The German wine market continues to show resilience, with Italy maintaining its position as the country’s leading supplier. According to the latest Nomisma Wine Monitor report, Italian wine exports to Germany surpassed €1 billion in value, securing a market share of over 40%. This performance comes despite a challenging economic environment in Germany, which remains the world’s fourth-largest wine market by consumption. In 2025, Germans consumed a total of 16.3 million hectoliters of wine. While overall volumes saw a slight decline, the total value of imports increased by 4.7% after several years of decreases. This trend suggests that German consumers are drinking less wine but are willing to spend more on higher-quality products.
Italian wines have benefited most from this shift. Exports of Italian PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) wines to Germany grew by 5.4% in volume and 4.2% in value compared to the previous year. The growth was driven by white wines from Veneto, red wines from Piedmont, and sparkling PDO wines other than Prosecco and Asti, all of which recorded increases in both quantity and value.
Prosecco remains the top Italian wine exported to Germany, although it experienced a slight decrease in value during 2025. In contrast, Asti faced significant challenges, with both volume and value dropping by more than 40%. Among product categories, still and semi-sparkling wines as well as large formats like bag-in-box showed positive trends. Bulk wine imports declined but remain important for the German market, primarily serving as base material for sparkling wine production rather than finished products. Despite the drop, bulk wine still ranks second in value among all import categories, highlighting Germany’s strategic importance for upstream segments of the Italian wine industry.
At ProWein, one of the world’s leading wine trade fairs held annually in Düsseldorf, optimism about the German market was evident among industry professionals. Edoardo Freddi International reported that 30% of meetings with new leads and prospects resulted in closed deals or advanced negotiations, often initiated with contacts met for the first time at the event. Overall, 60% of appointments involved new contacts while 40% focused on strengthening existing relationships, particularly in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Edoardo Freddi, founder and CEO of Edoardo Freddi International, noted that “the most significant aspect of this edition was the quality level of meetings despite lower overall attendance.” He emphasized that alongside consolidating existing partnerships, there were concrete new business opportunities—especially within European markets—confirming ProWein’s role as a key event for international wine business development.
European markets proved to be the most dynamic during this period, with Germany showing particular vitality. However, participation from U.S. and Asian operators remained limited due to ongoing geopolitical instability affecting international trade flows.
The data from Nomisma Wine Monitor and feedback from ProWein participants indicate that Italy’s wine sector has managed not only to withstand market pressures but also to find areas for growth within a changing landscape. The German market continues to be a crucial destination for Italian producers seeking both stability and new opportunities amid global uncertainties.
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