Wein harvest in 2023: Dramatic decline in Saxony and on the Ahr!

Wein harvest in 2023: Dramatic decline in Saxony and on the Ahr!

An alarming year for the German winemakers who have to deal with sobering harvest numbers! With 7.9 million hectoliters, the wine harvest has collapsed at the lowest level since 2017. This terrifying forecast comes from the German Wine Institute, citing an estimate by the German Wine Construction Association. Compared to the ten -year average of 8.8 million hectoliters, this means a decline of around ten percent and even around nine percent less than in the previous year. An unfortunate year for wine production!

The reasons for this catastrophic harvest are diverse and dramatic. Late frosts, heavy rain, hailstorm and sudden change of weather have significantly impaired grape production. In the cultivation areas of Saxony and Saale-Unstrut, the earnings have dropped by an incredible 70 and 73 percent! The Ahr Region is also severely affected by the losses, which are 64 percent here. The Situation is not better in the Moselle region: the smallest harvest amount has been expected there for half a century after a massive hailstorm devastated in May.

frost and storms leave their traces

The effects are far -reaching: the quick change of weather conditions has broken sweet dreams of passionate tiny. While harvests in Rheinhessen and Pfalz only slightly go back (minus four percent) and Rheinhessen even a minimal plus of seven percent, the declines in the east and on the Ahr strike mercilessly. In the Franconian and Württemberg cultivation areas, the loss of yield is also noticeable, with minus 19 and 25 percent. Despite the dark forecasts, the wine lovers may hope for "extract -rich wines with pronounced minerality", which are produced in the berries by the long ripening phases and the aroma combinations.