Wine4You, People eat lighter food now and they drink lighter wines

Admittedly, per capita wine consumption in Poland pales in comparison with many other countries, but over the past five years, it has moved up from 3.5 to 5 litres a year. The market is also showing unmistakable signs of maturity: “People who previously drank medium-sweet wines, now drink off-dry or soft-dry wines and people who were drinking medium-dry now drink more dry wines. I now sell 95% dry wines”, explains Cybulski, whose roles in the past have included wine advisor to the Polish President. His company markets mainly to the Horeca trade and private customers, though Covid has led to a reshuffle in the marketing mix. “Before, we used to sell 70% to Horeca, now it’s more 55%, although ultimately our suppliers often do not lend themselves to other channels. You cannot sell Roederer Champagne in supermarkets”.

WINE4YOU.

A series of lockdowns and the financial implications of the pandemic have reduced his annual sales from around 650 000 to 500,000 bottles this year, but Cybulski is already seeing signs of improvement. His portfolio includes several categories that are trending well: “Perhaps the best-selling wines today are Italian wines, like Pinot grigio, Prosecco and Primitivo. Some Spanish wines offering good value for money are also performing well, as are easy-to-drink Chilean and Argentinian wines”. France, positioned at the higher end of the market, caters to good restaurants and its whites, such as Chablis, are delivering good results. “People eat lighter food now and they drink lighter wines. The climate is warming up in Poland, so people are drinking more whites. Rosé is growing but it’s still marginal, whereas sparkling wines are selling very well”. With Wine4You strongly focusing on enhancing knowledge among Polish imbibers, there is every likelihood that, going forward, wine will continue to gain traction in Poland.