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Night-time temperatures in many of Germany’s wine regions have dropped to -5°C in these two weeks, the Deutsches Weininstitut (DWV) reported.
The settlement said it was too early to assess the extent of the damage, but that some manufacturers were on the verge of losing most of their harvest.
This year, German vines are an average of two to four weeks advanced due to the warm weather of the last few months. Young shoots freeze and those that grow back may not be fertile.
In Franconia, “frost damage varies considerably from region to region,” writes DWV. The Franconian Winegrowers’ Association estimates that 50% of the region’s land area has been affected, albeit to varying degrees.
The vineyards of Ipsheim, in the south of Steigerwald, in Bad Kissingen and Karlstadt, were “particularly affected by the persistent sub-zero temperatures”, where attempts were made to protect the vines with antifreeze candles, DWV reports.
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Further north, the Eisinger Otto Keller vineyard in Baden suffered 99% damage due to night frosts of -2. 3°C. The Bischoff vineyard in Dietlingen estimates that a domain of about seven hectares suffered between 80 and 90% from frost.
Another winery, Hessische Bergstraße, suffered “massive damage”, especially in the Groß-Umstadt region, with night-time temperatures of -3. 4°C. According to the Eltville wine office, three vineyards around Groß-Umstadt are almost completely damaged.
The Moselle region is suffering: winemaker Peter Burens from Sarreburg estimates that around 70% of his vineyards have been affected.
Just Drinks has reached out to DWV for comment.
According to government data, wine production in Germany fell by only about 4% last year, affected by weather conditions.
According to figures from the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), wine and spirits production fell by 3. 9% to 8. 6 million hectolitres in 2023.
The company attributed last year’s decline to the weather. “Winemakers have faced difficult harvest conditions, which has been one of the factors in the decline in wine production,” he says.
Earlier this year, Germany recorded an increase in the price of its wine exports in 2023, but volumes declined, according to the German Wine Institute (DWI).
German wine exports amounted to €384 million in 2023, up 4% year-on-year.
However, the export volume decreased by 2% to 1. 15 million hectolitres.
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