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In these days the harvest time already begins in the Palatinate and Rheinhessen: First the grapes are harvested for Federweiß. In the other growing regions, the harvest of precocious varieties such as Solaris or Ortega for the popular speciality will also start soon, the German Wine Institute (DWI) announced.
The main vintage for winemaking is therefore expected to start in mid to late September, depending on the maturity of the grapes and the geographical location of the region. The early start of the harvest had already been announced after the early blossoming of the vines, which this year began as early as the beginning of May. Experience shows that the grapes are ripe for harvesting about 100 days after blossoming.
The developmental status of the vines so far has been "very satisfactory", writes the DWI. The heavy rainfall in August had replenished the water reserves in the vineyards, which had been completely used up in some regions by then. In some regions, however, such as the Rheingau, severe damage was caused by hail in some areas.
(uka / Photo: German Wine Institute)