HAMBURG (dpa-AFX) - After the two record years during the pandemic, profits before interest and taxes fell at the Hamburg-based wine trading group Hawesko while sales remained high. In total, 671.5 million euros were turned over last year, said CEO Thorsten Hermelink on Thursday. That was 1.3 percent less than in 2021, but 35 percent more than in the pre-Corona year 2019, he said. He put earnings before interest and taxes at 39.1 million euros - down from 53.1 million euros in 2021. The reason for the falling earnings, he said, was declining wine consumption at home following the pandemic, coupled with rising costs, the energy crisis and inflation. Hawesko is best known for its Jacques' Wein-Depot and Wein & Co chains./klm/DP/nas