German bubbly enjoys sparkling sales in 2009

Dec 21, 2009, 11:36 GMT

Berlin - Germans it seems have been quick to shrug off worries about the global financial crisis with sales of sparkling wines reporting a surprise increase this year.

Even before the festive season moved into full swing, manufacturers of German sparking wine (Sekt) reported a bubbly 6.7- per-cent rise in sales in the year to October.

'We look at this year with satisfaction,' Walter Bischof, the spokesman for the German Sekt Manufacturers' Association told the German Press Agency dpa.

As a result of the data, which was drawn up by the market research group Nielsen, the association's members have entered the final runup to the Christmas and New Year celebrations on an optimistic note.

The trend of celebrating at home now means that an extra one or more bottles is likely to be drunk there in addition to those enjoyed in restaurants, said Bischof.

Despite the German economy being engulfed by its deepest recession in more than 60 years, the association expects world sales of Sekt to grow by 5 per cent for the whole of 2009.

Apart from more people celebrating at home, also driving the German Sekt sales has been a big increase in the different types of sparkling wine on offer.

'Five years ago rose Sekt only accounted for about 2 per cent of the sparkling wine market,' said Bischof. 'However, this year it will crack the 10-per-cent mark,' he said.

To an extent, German Sekt competes with Spanish Cava, Italian Spumanti and Prosecco with demand for premium German Sekt brands also performing well against French Champagne.

But the German Sekt Manufacturers' Association says that its members have been increasing their share of the domestic German sparkling wine market, which has now edged up towards 85 per cent.

However, price increases had cost the German Sekt makers sales in some foreign markets, the association spokesman said.