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In Lower Austria, the grape harvest of 2024 is overshadowed by the flooding disaster of mid-September. While in the areas around Vienna, the harvest could largely be completed before the prolonged rainfalls began on September 13, the main harvest in the Wachau only started this week. There, mobile flood protection prevented widespread flooding. However, many dry stone walls in the terraced vineyards collapsed under the pressure of the water masses.
According to Heinz Frischengruber, oenologist of the Domain Wachau****, many winemakers will have to rebuild two to three dry stone walls this coming winter. Due to the unstable soils, it is too dangerous to drive tractors on the terraces. Therefore, the grapes must be carried out of the vineyards almost everywhere. Winemakers in the steep slopes of the adjacent areas of Kamptal and Kremstal are also facing similar problems.
The quantity already reduced due to frost in spring and hail events in summer will become even smaller due to the necessary selections. However, Frischengruber generally expects a high-quality harvest. The cool nights and sunny, dry days even provided ideal conditions. Individual rain showers should not significantly impair the quality of the loosely clustered grapes. Insects such as wasps or cherry vinegar flies are not a major problem. However, especially for Riesling, quick action is now necessary to prevent botrytis infestation. The harvest in the top locations in the Danube region should be completed in the next two weeks.
(al / Source: own research)