This week, winegrowers in many regions of Germany began the main grape harvest. Despite a labor-intensive year with a lot of rainfall, most are optimistic, said Ernst Büscher from the German Wine Institute in Bodenheim (DWI) to the German Press Agency.
The harvest of early-ripening varieties began last week in some cases, including Müller-Thurgau and Pinot Gris. Grapes for the production of sparkling wine were already harvested in healthy condition at the end of August.
In the very sunny period from mid-August to early September, the grapes developed very well, said Büscher. “The must weights are now at quality wine level everywhere and often even higher.”
However, the degree of ripeness of the individual grape varieties varies considerably this year depending on the location, viticultural conditions and growing area, said Büscher. The Burgundy grapes, for example, are already relatively well developed, particularly in the southern regions. The Riesling ripeness, on the other hand, is mostly still below the level of previous years.
Rain slows harvest
The mixed weather of the past few days with a lot of rainfall has slowed the ripening progress of the grapes somewhat. The main grape harvest has therefore started rather cautiously compared to the “turbo harvest” in 2023, which was shortened due to unpredictable weather. Many companies are still waiting.
“If the autumn weather is calm in the next few weeks, all the conditions are still in place for a high-quality vintage,” said Büscher. In his opinion, a change between warm days and cool nights would be perfect for the aroma development of the grapes.
2024 was a very labor-intensive year for the winegrowers. The heavy rain in the first half of the year led to strong vine growth, and the winegrowers had to cut leaves more often than in other years. In addition, some companies had to deal with the fungal disease downy mildew due to the humidity. The warm, humid weather was particularly challenging for organic winegrowers.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240911-930-229021/1
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