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Today, August 6th - and thus earlier than ever before - the official start of the 2018 grape harvest for Federweisser was announced in Lörzweiler in Rhine-Hesse. According to the German Wine Institute (DWI), the grapes harvested from the early-ripening Solaris grape variety were already exceptionally sweet with a must weight of over 90 degrees Oechsle. So far, the earliest harvest date was 8 August in 2007, 2011 and 2014.
Also in the Palatinate or in Baden the harvest for the autumn speciality will start in the next few days. In some cases, the first grapes for the production of sparkling wine are already being brought in at the same time, for which fruit acid is particularly important.
According to the German Wine Institute, the wine growers' associations are also expecting a particularly early start to the main harvest for varieties such as Müller-Thurgau or Frühburgunder this year, also nationwide, at the end of August. For the first time, this even applies to the northernmost German wine-growing region Saale-Unstrut. According to the DWI, later-ripening varieties such as Riesling or Pinot Noir should be ready for harvesting as early as mid-September this year instead of early October.
This development was initiated by the warmest April since weather records began, which already led to an early flowering. The very sunny summer has further accelerated the ripening process, so that the development status of the vines is currently about three weeks ahead of the long-term average.
Despite the drought, which has lasted for around eight weeks, older vines are still "surprisingly vital" thanks to their deep roots. However, especially on shallow soils and in younger vineyards, the plants have to be watered in the meantime because the water supply is almost exhausted.
(uka / Photo: German Wine Institute)