Start of the grape harvest for the first Federweißen

The harvested grapes of the robust Solaris grape variety were in excellent health and had a very good ripeness of over 80° Oechsle.

According to the German Wine Institute (DWI), the development of the vines is roughly on a par with the previous two years. The current very sunny weather is giving the development of ripeness another significant boost.

The grapes of early-ripening grape varieties, such as Solaris or Ortega, are generally used for the Federweißen The first grapes for sparkling wine production can be harvested as early as the end of August. The main grape harvest of varieties such as Müller-Thurgau is expected to begin mainly at the beginning of September. Riesling, which ripens later, should be ready to harvest in mid to late September this year, depending on the growing region.

2024 was a very labour-intensive year for the winegrowers. The exceptionally rainy first half of the year placed very high demands on keeping the vines healthy, as there was high infection pressure from downy mildew and powdery mildew. At the same time, the vines grew very well due to the good water supply, which resulted in intensive foliage work.

However, the majority of wineries have got the situation under control, so that the vineyards are predominantly in very good shape and can be expected to produce good quality at this point in time.

The situation is less positive in the regions affected by the late frost. In the two particularly hard-hit regions of Saxony and Saale-Unstrut, spring wine will be a rarity this year. There, a yield loss of around 70 to 80 per cent is expected across the entire cultivation areas.

The next few weeks will be decisive for the health of the grapes and the further course of the harvest. If it remains sunny and, above all, dry, nothing stands in the way of a good-quality 2024 vintage.