‘Germany’s the world’s largest importer of wine; we have strong competition at home’ – German Wine Institute’s head of national & international marketing, Steffen Schindler, speaks to Global Drinks Intel – Part I

Last month, Global Drinks Intel editor Olly Wehring sat down in Düsseldorf with the marketing head for the Deutsches Weininstitut, Steffen Schindler (below), to hear how the German wine industry is bearing up in 2026. In part one of our two-part interview, Schindler guides us through some of the facts and figures behind both the trade organisation and its industry.What does the German Wine Institute do and what is its revenue model?The German Wine Institute is the national marketing organisation for 100% of Germany’s wine. Our position is both national and neutral. We can’t talk about one