Württemberg-based cooperative Lauffener Weingärtner has seen wine sales volumes grow by 8.5% to 87,562 hectoliters in 2020, according to a media report.
In this period, sales amounted to €21.7 million, registering a 3% year-on-year growth.
The increased demand from food retailers' more than compensated for the decline in the HoReCa channel due to the pandemic, the report noted.
The cooperative's established brands Lauffener Weingärtner and Käsbergkeller Mundelsheim reported a 7% growth in volume and an almost 12% increase in value.
Performance In 2021
In the period between January to May of this year, the winemaker continued to see growth in sales.
According to managing director, Marian Kopp, higher-quality wines from the assortment are being bought disproportionately.
Kopp also emphasised on the success of its innovation 'Whyne - Wine meets Whisky' and the 'Lesestoff' series, which saw the addition of a rosé wine this spring.
However, the winemaker has warned of 'tight stocks' due to weather-related low harvest volumes last year and in 2019.
In France, frost damage could reduce wine production by nearly a third this year compared with recent years, farm office FranceAgriMer said in April, citing initial estimates from wine producers.
Production
Lauffener Weingärtner produces an average of around 12.5 million kilograms of grapes per harvest year.
With around 1,200 members, the cooperative comprises approximately 880 hectares of vineyards, of which 120 hectares are steep terraced slopes.
The co-operative markets 60% of its wine within Baden-Württemberg and 40% outside of Baden-Württemberg.
