Frost damage in Saale-Unstrut: 2024 wine harvest shrunk dramatically!

Frost damage in Saale-Unstrut: 2024 wine harvest shrunk dramatically!

In the Saale-Unstrut region, the wine harvest for 2024 was severely restricted by frosty nights at the end of April. The winemakers, who are part of the Freyburg-Unstrut winegrowers' association, only produced around 860,000 kilograms of grapes this year, which is significantly less compared to the around 2.5 to 3 million kilograms in normal years. Despite the difficult conditions, winemakers can report a high-quality harvest.

The frosty nights of April 22nd and 23rd were devastating for many of the vines' young shoots. Despite countermeasures taken in many places, such as lighting fires between the vines, most shoots did not escape the frost. “However, the few survivors are of the best quality,” explained a spokesman for the winegrowers’ association.

High quality vintage despite small quantities

The must weights of the grapes are consistently above 80 degrees Oechsle, which is an important quality criterion for wine production. The Oechsle degree is a measure of the sugar content in grape must and has a significant influence on subsequent alcohol production in wine. Due to this excellent quality, the 2024 vintage is classified as “very good, but very rare”.

The winegrowers still have a certain level of security because the warehouses are well filled thanks to the good harvest last year. This makes it possible to fulfill existing delivery contracts without major problems. The Freyburg-Unstrut winegrowers' association manages around 380 hectares of vineyards with more than 300 active winegrowers who are committed to this outstanding wine region. It remains to be seen how the wine situation will develop in the coming months. Further information can be found here.