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According to the German Wine Institute (DWI), the grape harvest has begun in many wine regions these days. The early varieties such as Frühburgunder, Sauvignon Blanc and Müller-Thurgau are being harvested these days. Late ripening grape varieties such as Riesling are expected to be ready for harvesting in mid to late September, depending on the growing region
Even if the grape hangings in the vineyards are very satisfactory this year, the yield situation could "not be more different" according to DWI. This is because the water supply for the vines is currently extremely heterogeneous, as the rainfall of recent months has been distributed extremely unevenly both regionally and locally. In younger plants and vineyards on soils with low water storage capacity, the grapes remain very small when there is a lack of water.
In Franconia, Saale-Unstrut and Saxony, late frosts would also have reduced the expected yields by up to 30 percent. There had also been some hailstorms which, although locally limited, had nevertheless caused considerable damage to the affected producers. Widespread sunburn damage to the grapes also reduced yields. A first cautious national yield estimate is based on a harvest volume of around nine million hectolitres, which should be roughly at the level of the ten-year average. However, a more precise forecast will only be possible in a few weeks when the harvest has progressed. (uka / photo: German Wine Institute)