Germany, extreme hot summer ripens grapes faster and advances wine harvest several weeks

Germany's grape harvest has begun weeks earlier than ever recorded due to an exceptionally hot summer, according to the German Wine Institute. The record-early start to the harvest, expected in September, continues a trend of rising temperatures affecting grape ripening times and characteristics. Ernst Büsser, the institute's spokesman, stated that this is the earliest beginning of the harvest in all wine-growing regions, with some winemakers cutting short their vacations to capitalize on the early season.

Harvesting has already commenced in vineyards stretching from Saxony in the east to Lake Constance in the south, with both grapes for partially fermented young wine and sparkling wine, as well as first grapes for premium wines, already being picked. Büsser anticipates the main harvest to commence on a large scale in the first week of September, around one to two weeks earlier than recent years, and possibly completed by the end of September due to the rapid ripening caused by the hot, dry conditions.

The shift to earlier harvests coincides with the warm climate allowing growers to explore grape varieties better suited to warmer climates and even enabling viticulture in new areas. However, prolonged periods of heat and drought also present challenges, as higher temperatures can increase sugar levels, resulting in stronger wines with higher alcohol content and lower acidity that typically imparts freshness to German white wines.

Despite the early start, the overall harvest is projected to be below average due to smaller grape sizes resulting from the dry conditions, but significant rainfall in the coming weeks could hasten the harvest further.