The Sektkellerei Schloss Wachenheim AG, the German sparkling wine producer, has shown growth during the past 15 months primarily in export markets.

The Sektkellerei Schloss Wachenheim AG has presented its annual figures for 2007/2008, as well as those for the first quarter of the 2008/2009 business year. In the 2007/2008 business year, net value sales (plus 7,5 per cent to 302,5 million Euros) and volume sales both grew (by 0,3 per cent to 256,4 million bottles). However, company earnings (EBIT) amounted to only 10,2 million Euros (following on more than 18 million in the previous year), and corporate profits collapsed in the light of considerable investments and rising costs: down from more than 10 million Euros in 2006/2007 to a loss of 700.000 Euros. In the first quarter of 2008/2009, EBIT improved from 0,2 to 5 million Euros, and profits, too, are significantly up on the same period last year.

The main hopes of the company are currently pinned on export markets. Eastern Europe, in particular, showed above-average growth in 2007/2008 - net sales in this region increased by almost 17 per cent. (WF)