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The main wine harvest in Germany has started unusually early due to the persistently sunny weather. On Thursday 25 August, the Nelles winery in the Ahr region brought the first Frühburgunder grapes into the cellar. According to the German Wine Institute, other wineries on the Ahr and in the Palatinate will follow in the next few days, and next week the main harvest with other early-ripening grape varieties such as Müller-Thurgau will begin throughout Germany. The last variety to be harvested will be Riesling from mid-September. In the past, the wine harvest traditionally started at this time.
The German Wine Institute (DWI) expects a quick and high-quality harvest, as the grapes are healthy and will reach a high level of ripeness. At the same time, the drought is causing very heterogeneous conditions in the regions. While older vineyards show vitality, young vineyards suffer, whose grapes also ripen more slowly. In addition, the berries have remained rather small and have little juice, which is why the DWI expects moderate yields. Together with the general increase in costs, this will be reflected in higher wine prices. Moderate rainfall in the coming weeks, however, could still have a positive effect on harvest volumes.
(al / Source and photo: dwi)
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