Germany has recorded its smallest wine harvest in 15 years, the final estimate released on Tuesday from the German Wine Institute (DWI) showed.
This year’s harvest is expected to yield 7.3 million industry-standard hectolitres of grape must – even less than estimated about a week ago. Grape must is the freshly crushed juice used in the first stage of making wine. A hectolitre is equal to 100 litres.
The last time winemakers in Germany’s 13 wine-growing regions produced a smaller harvest was in 2010, with 7.1 million hectolitres, DWI spokesman Ernst Büscher said in Bodenheim in the west German wine-growing state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
This year’s yield is projected to be 7% lower than the previous year and 16% below the 10-year average of 8.7 million hectolitres.
Recently, the Federal Statistical Office had estimated a yield of around 8.2 million hectolitres for this year based on preliminary data.
Significant losses in top wine-growing regions
The sharp decline is primarily attributed to significantly lower yields in Germany’s four largest wine-growing regions: Rhine Hesse, Palatinate, Baden and Württemberg, Büscher explained.
“Smaller grape berries, below-average must yields and, above all, intensive grape selection following heavy rainfall in mid-September have led to an estimated 23% drop in harvests in Rhine Hesse alone, or nearly 600,000 hectolitres compared to the 10-year average,” he said.
Highly concentrated and fruity wines expected
However, some wine-growing regions that suffered severe late frost damage in 2024 are seeing better yields this year, Büscher noted. These include the eastern regions of Saxony and Saale-Unstrut, as well as the Ahr, which are reporting triple-digit percentage increases compared to the previous year.
Additionally, the Moselle and Franconia regions are expected to see slightly above-average harvest volumes this year.
All 13 wine-growing regions agree on the assessment of wine quality: Due to the exceptionally high ripeness of the grapes, the quality is considered “outstandingly good.”
“While the grape berries were often smaller this year, they were all the more aromatic, which is expected to result in highly concentrated and fruity wines,” Büscher said.
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