Overview
- The national grape harvest is largely finished, with only small pockets such as Saale‑Unstrut still to be picked, DWI officials said Tuesday.
- The Deutsches Weininstitut’s first projection estimates the 2026 crop at about 20% below the ten‑year average of 8.7 million hectoliters, a shortfall that would make this the smallest harvest since 2010 if it holds.
- The Federal Statistical Office gives a higher figure of roughly 8.0 million hectoliters, about 4% below the 2020–2025 average, based on reports from roughly 400 voluntary on‑farm harvest reporters.
- Winemakers report smaller berries and reduced volumes after an extremely hot, dry summer but expect comparatively high quality because the heat concentrated sugars and acids, with older deep‑rooted vines faring better than younger plantings on light soils.
- Authorities caution that all numbers are preliminary and could change with late weather, pest or disease developments, and researchers say a rise in extreme‑heat years since 1988 makes such yield swings more likely in the future.