In the last issue of The Brief (did you get it?), we wrote about our impressions of this year’s harvest around Europe. We have the privilege to actually be on site in many of the wine regions and see for ourselves what is happening.
But it’s also interesting to hear the “official line” from different regions.
Germany has just published its assessment of the harvest in 2013, through the German Wine Institute. In short: “small but pretty good.” Here is their press release, which also contains some interesting numbers about the harvest volumes, ie size, of the different wine regions.
To put it in perspective, the German wine production is about 20% the size of the French production.
The press release from the German Wine Institute:
Vintage 2013: Good quality – quantity slightly below average
Despite this year’s weather conditions, German wine growers are satisfied with 2013 vintage qualities achieved. Harvest is nearing its end, and it seems that total quantity of harvested grapes will be slightly below expectations.
According to the latest estimates of Deutsches Weininstitut (DWI), only 8,4 million hectolitres of wine must will presumably be harvested this year throughout Germany. Yields would thus be down seven per cent compared with a year earlier and nine per cent lower than the ten-year average of 9,26 million hectolitres.
Harvest results, however, differ significantly in the individual vineyard areas depending on grape varieties and climatic conditions. In the regions Rheinhessen, Franken and Saxony, for example, average yields at prior-year’s level are expected.
Harvests in the Ahr and Saale-Unstrut region increased by 30 respectively 48 per cent and therefore reached average yields again after poor results in 2012. In the other regions, however, forecasts are significantly down compared with 2012 results, the Mosel region’s yields even being 25 per cent lower compared with the long-term average. This is why some wine-growing regions already announced price adjustments.
DWI managing director Monika Reule explained that due to unfavourable weather conditions during the blossoming period in June already Pinot varieties did not produce the desired quantity of fruit settings. In addition, quality improving reduction measures led to lower yields.
“Yet this year’s comparatively late moment of harvest influenced aroma development quite positively. Even young wines already have a very pleasant fruity note, and its moderate alcoholic strength perfectly fits to current market demands”, says Reule.
Forecast of wine must harvest volumes 2013 (as of 28 October 2013)
| Forecast of wine must harvest volumes 2013 (as of 28 October 2013) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| growing region | estimate 2013 hectolitres (hl) | compared to 2012 (%) | compared to 10-year average (%) |
| Ahr | 39,000 | 30 | -5 |
| Baden | 1,000,000 | -14 | -21 |
| Franken | 470,000 | +/- 0 | 6 |
| Hess. Bergstraße | 25,000 | -17 | -19 |
| Mittelrhein | 25,000 | -7 | -22 |
| Mosel | 670,000 | +/- 0 | -25 |
| Nahe | 290,000 | -6 | -15 |
| Pfalz | 2,100,000 | -11 | -6 |
| Rheingau | 200,000 | -13 | -17 |
| Rheinhessen | 2,600,000 | +/- 0 | 1 |
| Saale-Unstrut | 40,000 | 48 | +/- 0 |
| Sachsen | 20,000 | +/- 0 | 5 |
| Württemberg | 925,000 | -19 | -18 |
| Germany, total | 8,404,000 | -7 | -9 |
Source: German Wine Institute
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