Wine in Serbia

PRE-COVID-19 PERFORMANCE

Non-grape wine benefits from improved distribution in 2019

Growing from a low base and finding its way to many new consumers thanks to better distribution, non-grape wine was the fastest-growing category in wine in Serbia during 2019. The most popular is blackberry wine, enjoying a strong reputation of being good for health, especially the blood and heart.

Perceived as healthier, still red wine remains the most popular wine

Still red wine remained the most popular type of wine in Serbia not only because consumers like to drink it more than other types, but also due to the fact that still red wine is often purchased as a gift for many occasions, particularly for patron saint celebrations, which are important in Serbia. Also, the notion that red wine, when consumed in small quantities, is good for cardio-vascular health is still widespread among Serbian consumers.

Increasing popularity of small, family-owned wineries

Small, sometimes family-owned wineries have become increasingly popular and were also very strong in terms of market share in Serbia over the review period. The trend continued in 2019, and an interesting new player that has appeared at several wine fairs in 2019 was Eden Vinarija from Ranilovici.

2020 AND BEYOND

COVID-19 impact

On-trade volume sales of wine are expected to fall by 29% in 2020 in light of the impact of COVID-19. This compares to an expected 5% rise forecast for 2020 during research conducted in May 2019, ie before the spread of COVID-19.

Affected products within wine

Many consumers have seen their purchasing power severely affected by the COVID-19 crisis, with salaries cut significantly, leading to the prioritisation of spending. With the closure of hotels, restaurants and bars, the on-trade consumption of wine declined significantly in Serbia in 2020.

Recovery and opportunities

Wine sales in Serbia are set to recover with sizes returning to 2019’s normal by 2021. Constrained purchasing power going forward should drive off-trade sales of wine where prices are much cheaper than those in the on-trade channel.

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