Imported wine consumption is down 28% so far this year, the spokesman for the Association of Foreign Alcoholic Beverages (Aprobex), Henry Hebrard, told Diario Libre. Wine sales for 2003 are expected to reach 336,000 cases, down from the 463,000 cases consumed in 2002. Hebrard said that many Dominicans are instead purchasing local brands, whose sales are up 6% from 749,000 cases in 2002 to 790,000 cases in 2003.
Consumers are also drinking much more domestically-produced rum. Rum sales are up by 753,000 more cases this year. Beer sales, nevertheless, have declined from 31,560,000 cases to 27,874,000, signifying more than a 10% drop in consumption. Those imbibing beer pay a 25% luxury tax, while consumers of rum pay 35% and those of whisky, 45%. Local breweries want the government to authorize a tax reduction in order to lower their retail prices. They argue that beer has much less alcohol than rum, wine or whisky.