2024 vintage with small quantities and good qualities - A look at the wine-growing regions

It is a vintage that literally came out of the cold: In many growing regions, the late frost damaged young shoots in April and the losses were immense in some cases. Frost-damaged vines usually form new shoots. However, these are not as fertile as the first shoots and led to different stages of ripeness of the grapes. This made the harvest more difficult after a year marked by a lot of rain, heavy foliage growth and intensive plant protection. For many winegrowers, it was one of the most labor-intensive years ever. They were rewarded with good to very good wine quality. The German Wine Institute (DWI) found out how the 2024 vintage developed in the 13 German wine-growing regions.

Ahr (531 ha)

If it weren't for the quality of the wine, many winegrowers on the Ahr would probably prefer to exclude the 2024 vintage. Due to the late frost and high infection pressure from mildew, the harvest in Germany's „red wine paradise“ slumped by 64 per cent year-on-year to 15,000 hectolitres. „The winegrowers who live in the Ahr valley have never experienced anything like this“, says Dr Knut Schubert, Managing Director of the Ahr Winegrowers' Association. Even in the year of the Ahr flood, from whose consequences the region is still suffering, even more was harvested. Now the cold during the nights of 22 and 23 April caused severe frost damage to the vines, particularly at higher altitudes, but also at lower altitudes, which were on average 14 days ahead in their development. The range extended from total losses to losses of around 30 per cent. Winegrowers fought against the cold with frost candles, others tried to give the vines a protective ice coat with irrigation - but comprehensive protection is not possible in the region, which is characterised by steep slopes, says Schubert. In the wet and changeable summer, high infection pressure forced the winegrowers to increase the number of applications. „There was not one completely dry week“, says Schubert. Deer and wild boar decimated some of the few grapes even further. The harvest was particularly poor for early varieties such as Frühburgunder. Pinot Noir, which grows on around 80 per cent of the area, yielded 35 hectolitres per hectare; in good years, one hundred hectolitres are possible. The Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling varieties harvested later performed better. And: „The quality is very good“, says Schubert. The weather changed in mid-September and the first half of the four-week main harvest was sunny and dry, which had an impact on the quality, as did the reduced number of clusters on the vines. An average must weight of 86 degrees Oechsle was recorded for Pinot Noir. „The 2024 vintage is a small, fine wine“, says Hubert Pauly, president of the Ahr viticulture. It has the prerequisites for powerful wines with fresh fruit acidity.

Baden (15,679 ha)

Baden, the warmest German wine-growing region, was also not spared by the frost in April, although the intensity of the impact varied. The regions most affected were in central and northern Baden, from Breisgau to Ortenau, and particularly dramatically in Kraichgau and Tauberfranken, according to Holger Klein, Managing Director of the Baden Winegrowers' Association. In the end, some wineries were only able to store 30 per cent of a normal vintage. The south got off better. The Markgräflerland thus experienced an almost normal year in terms of yield. The total yield is estimated to be 1.1 million hectolitres, 14 percent below the previous year's figure. This was also due to a difficult flowering period in which irrigation occurred due to cold. Mildew diseases were also a challenge for the winegrowers, who countered this with plant protection, but had to find the right time to apply it because of all the rain. „It was a very intensive, busy year“, says Klein. It was particularly stressful for the organic farms because the authorised products are not as effective. The „happy turnaround“ came at the end of August: The weather turned out to be sunny and mostly dry for longer, which according to Klein „took a bit of the tension out of the vintage“. The main harvest began earlier than expected after all the rain - in mid-September. The quality was very good, said Klein. „We will have wines with an intense fruit expression“, because despite the early harvest it was cool at night, which had a positive effect on the expression of the flavours. „And the alcohol content will be rather moderate.“ The acidity levels are somewhat higher than in the hot years, but still very pleasant. Burgundy varieties in particular benefited, with must weights of around 90 degrees Oechsle; late varieties such as Chasselas reached 75 to 80 degrees.

Franken (6,173 ha)

The year held several surprises for winegrowers in the winegrowing region Franken, both positive and negative. As Christoph Ruck from Weinbauring Franken e.V. reports, the late frost in April damaged vines that had budded particularly early due to the warm winter. Some farms were hit hard: according to viticulture president Artur Steinmann, they had to make do with 20 per cent of a normal harvest. Because the eyes of some damaged plants sprouted after some time, there were even two growth stages in one vineyard, which, according to Ruck, was somewhat difficult at the beginning of the season due to the amount of plant protection the winegrowers had to carry out. Subsequently, nature provided impressive proof of the vine's strength, as both generations „were almost on a par again“ towards the harvest, according to the expert. He explained this with abundant rainfall and good temperatures, and August in particular was „super good“. However, the winegrowers had a lot of extra work due to leaf growth and fungal diseases. The Silvaner coped best with the frost: Some wineries had achieved 80 hectolitres per hectare with the leading Franconian grape variety despite frost damage, while the average was 57 hectolitres per hectare, as with Müller-Thurgau. Bacchus achieved 52 hectolitres per hectare and other varieties 40 hectolitres per hectare. In total, an estimated 341,000 hectolitres of must were harvested, 19 percent less than in 2023. Nevertheless, Ruck speaks of a „quite good result“, with which one can be satisfied in view of the circumstances. This also has to do with the quality. The grapes experienced a ripening boost in the warm month of August before the cooler month of September promoted flavour ripening. Ruck summarises that the wines are very pleasant, have super fruit and great acidity and aroma. In terms of quality, expectations were exceeded," says winemaking president Steinmann. The 2024 wine could „be a really nice vintage“. As there were larger harvests in 2022 and 2023, the result will be easier to cope with, so there should be no overall shortage of wine in Franconia, says Steinmann.

Hessische Bergstraße (461 ha)

Frost, rain, plant protection, leaf pruning: the winegrowers in the Hessische Bergstra&l;e region had a lot to do before they could bring in this year's grapes and look forward to a good harvest. And not everyone was guaranteed a satisfactory harvest. The late frost in April hit the areas of Groß-Umstadt and Roßdorf in particular, which are known as the "Odenwald Wine Island" and are located a good distance to the north-east of the other wine towns on the Bergstrasse. During the devastating night of frost, 75 to 80 per cent of the vines in the Groß-Umstadt area were damaged, says Johannes Bürkle, chairman of the board of the Hessische Bergstraße winegrowers' association. On the Bergstraße itself, individual vineyards suffered some damage. The budding of the vines had already started at the beginning of April and therefore very, very early, which was not only a problem because of the frost, but also because of the frequent rain, „these were simply the best conditions for downy mildew“, says Bürkle. Plant protection therefore had to be applied earlier and earlier than usual. The foliage, which had grown vigorously in the rain, had to be cut more frequently and defoliated more often around the grape zone to keep it free and dry. „That was challenging“, summarises Bürkle. At the start of the harvest at the beginning of September, the weather was favourable for almost three weeks before the rain returned. The growing region, where Riesling is still the main grape variety, had to accept a six per cent smaller harvest compared to the previous year and produced 31,000 hectolitres. Bürkle is satisfied with the quality - even if the wines still have to be matured. „There will definitely be good wine again“, he says. The wines probably contain significantly less alcohol and are lighter because the vines have produced less sugar than usual. And: „Especially in terms of flavour, these are very, very nice wines.“

Mittelrhein (460 ha)

Fans of Rieslings from the Mittelrhein region can look forward to the 2024 vintage. The managing director of the local winegrowers' association, Dr Maximilian Hendgen, expects fruity wines with a good sweetness-to-acidity ratio and not too high in alcohol. This is actually what is currently doing well on the market.“ However, there will be less Riesling, the flagship of Germany's smallest wine-growing region, than usual due to the April frost. According to estimates, the harvest volume of 19,000 hectolitres is 14 per cent below the 2023 result. The sub-zero temperatures in the region, which is characterised by terraces and steep slopes, hit the hillside vineyards of the side valleys very, very hard, sometimes causing yields of up to 100 per cent, as Hendgen says. The steep slopes with a view of the Rhine, on the other hand, would „ve had nothing at all in many cases“. May, June and July were characterised by frequent rainfall, which constantly provided almost perfect infection conditions for downy mildew and required a lot of work due to plant growth and protection. On the other hand, the steep slate slopes on the Middle Rhine cope quite well with such conditions, the vines have a good drainage effect due to the high proportion of stone and warm up quickly, says Hendgen. „The grapes that survive the spring and summer can really deliver outstanding results in such locations.“ After a dry phase in August, it rained again in September, but because the grapes were loose-berried due to a dispersed blossom, there were no rot problems, unlike in 2023, and the harvest could proceed without stress until the rain came again in October. The Riesling coped relatively well with the wet weather, says Hendgen. We have seen a number of reports of perfectly ripe, healthy Riesling grapes with a must weight of 70 to 85 degrees Oechsle. The quantity of Burgundy varieties, which also reach 70 to 85 degrees Oechsle, is moderate to manageable. The result: „In terms of quality, the winegrowers are satisfied“, says Hendgen, „unfortunately many are not quite so satisfied in terms of quantity.“

Mosel (8,536 ha)

The smallest harvest in the last 50 years – with more effort than ever before: this equation is part of the wine year in the Mosel wine-growing region. The winegrowers not only had to contend with late frost, fungal diseases and poor vegetation, they also had to contend with hail. The fact that they are still happy in the end is due to the quality of the harvest: golden yellow and healthy grapes that, according to Moselwein e.V., are characterised by wonderful fruit flavours. „The quality is good, it is a Kabinett and Spätlese year“, says Henning Seibert, chairman of Moselwein e.V. As elsewhere, the vines had already sprouted vigorously when the April frost struck – particularly heavily on the Saar, Ruwer and in the Trier area, where in some locations nothing more or only a fraction of the usual could be harvested. Vineyards were affected all along the Moselle, especially in the side valleys. In many vineyards there were losses of up to 50 per cent, at least in parts. The disease pressure caused by the rain was just as much a challenge for the winegrowers as the vigorous vine growth. Many people on the Moselle do not remember such a labour-intensive and costly year. Due to the delayed development of the vines in many places, the harvest dragged on for around two months until the end of October. Due to the wet weather, early-ripening varieties such as Müller-Thurgau and Burgundy suffered large yield losses, while Elbling „recorded relatively good yields of 100 hectolitres per hectare on average and the later-ripening Riesling benefited from mild days and cool nights in September and October. Riesling, which covers 62 per cent of the vineyards in the growing region, mostly achieved must weights of between 70 and 80 degrees Oechsle, with values of 90 degrees being rather rare. Ansgar Schmitz, managing director of the winegrowers' association, expects a range from fresh quality wines to dry top-quality wines. A total of 510,000 hectolitres of must are expected, 30 per cent less than in 2023. Red varieties such as Spätburgunder and Dornfelder totalled around 30,000 hectolitres, less than half of the 2023 yield.

Nahe (4,250 ha)

Icy north-easterly winds caused an unusual distribution of frost damage in the vineyards on the Nahe in April. While the classic late frost locations in the deep valleys were often spared because the wind simply could not reach them, locations in the middle of the slope were generally very badly affected, according to Harald Sperling, Managing Director of the Nahe Winegrowers' Association. Winegrowers reported that this had almost never happened before. The late frosts hit vines that had sprouted earlier thanks to the warmth and good water supply, especially on the upper Nahe, between Oberhausen and Niederhausen, where temperatures were below zero for six days. The yields were up to 90 per cent, and even 100 per cent for some winegrowers, reports Sperling. The vineyards were „black“, „there was no more“. In the direction of Bad Kreuznach, the rainfall decreased. A rainy May was followed by the warm and humid months of June and July, during which the winegrowers had to protect the vines due to the threat of mildew infection. According to Sperling, it only became really dry in August, „which was a good thing“, because it rained again sporadically for the harvest in September and October, which led to a relatively slow grape harvest. According to initial estimates, the volume of grape must fell by 15 per cent year-on-year to 265,000 hectolitres. According to Sperling, however, the winegrowers are satisfied with the quality. There will be more quality wine than premium wine, the ratio is estimated at 80 to 15 per cent. „I think these are fresh, fruity types of wine, ultimately wines that are not too alcoholic“, says Sperling. Riesling, the number one white grape variety on the Nahe, has reached must weights of between 74 and 83 degrees Oechsle, Müller-Thurgau 69 to 76 degrees, but 90 degrees have also been measured, for example in Burgundy wines.

Pfalz (23,793 ha)

Winegrowers in the Pfalz also had to contend with capricious weather in 2024, but the overall losses were significantly lower than in many other regions, and many winegrowers are satisfied with the result. Although the frost hit two or three districts hard, the damage across the Palatinate was kept within reasonable limits, said viticulture president Reinhold Hörner. In addition, hail was less frequent than usual in Germany's second-largest wine-growing region: the hail defence system only managed five incidents, whereas Hörner said that up to 25 are normal.V., the cold then caused delays in May and June, before repeated periods of rain in the summer favoured downy mildew infections and made many plant protection applications necessary. According to Hörner, the expense was one and a half times the usual amount. In the Südpfalz, where the blossom started later than in the northern Mittelhardt, the harvest was a third less than in 2023. After the early harvest, which ended late in September due to a change in the weather, around 2.2 million hectolitres of grape must flowed into the cellars, four per cent less than in the previous year. The experts emphasise the quality of Burgundy from the south and Riesling from the north – and are reminded of „classic vintages“ from the 1990s and 2000s, „with fine fruity aromas and a fine acidity with low alcohol levels“. „The colourful red wines have a ripe and pronounced tannin structure“, says Prof. Ulrich Fischer from the Rhineland-Palatinate Service Centre ( Dienstleistungszentrum Ländlicher Raum Rheinpfalz). „The intense aroma shows the positive effects of a longer growing season that was not interrupted by stagnation due to drought.“ Hörner says it is exactly the right quantity for the market - „not too much and not too little“ and also in terms of flavour profile and typicity, what you can sell well. That's why they are happy all round, „everything fits“.

Rheingau (3,207) ha

The late frost has also left its mark on the Rheingau, but it has been comparatively „mild“. At an estimated 222,000 hectolitres, the grape must harvest was only one percent below the previous year's figure. The fact that the frost damage was not greater is also due to the shape of the landscape and the location on the Rhine. „In most cases, the topography really did allow the cold air to flow away, which was then transported away by the Rhine“, says Dominik Russler, Managing Director of the Rheingau Winegrowers' Association. There had been damage in 'classic frost locations' where the cold air had accumulated. There were hardly any complete outbreaks, but there was trickling in places during the almost two weeks of flowering. Regular rain demanded a lot of plant protection, which led to difficulties on steep slopes because it was sometimes not possible to drive properly, according to Russler. On the other hand, there were no problems with the water supply this time, so that everything „balanced out a bit“. According to Russler, there were hardly any incidents of botrytis until the onset of rain in mid-September. Before that, the Burgundy and other early varieties were harvested quickly and predominantly healthy, while the Riesling took longer to ripen. The grape variety, which covers around three quarters of the area in the Rheingau, was mainly harvested from October onwards and, according to Russler, mainly achieved Oechsle values of between 80 and 85 degrees and a normal or even higher yield, while the Burgundy varieties produced very low yields almost across the board, in some cases only half of what was expected. According to Russler, the Riesling grapes were very ripe and aromatic. He expects „very fruity wines, also very characterised by the terroir, with a good alcohol content“. With this type of wine, the soil and grape variety typicity can come out better. It is also a very, very balanced and above all very harmonious vintage in terms of fruit content. Conclusion: „Glück im Unglück.“

Rheinhessen (27,499 ha)

Rheinhessen is not only the largest, but also the only German wine-growing region to record an increase in the harvest this year. According to initial estimates, 2.58 million hectolitres of must were produced, seven percent more than in the previous year. However, the increase is due to the fact that the 2023 harvest was smaller due to hail damage in the Wonnegau region, says viticulture president Jens Göhring. Hail hardly played a role in Rheinhessen in 2024, but the April frost also affected the vines here in places, which were almost two weeks earlier due to the warm weather. According to the Dienstleistungszentrum Ländlicher Raum (DLR) Rheinhessen-Nahe-Hunsrück „ck, there was considerable damage in some places, with up to 100 per cent loss of yield“, particularly along the Rhine terrace and in the triangle between Bingen, Gau-Bickelheim and Ingelheim. Overall, however, the extent of the damage was quite manageable, said Göhring, and they got off relatively well. According to the DLR, during the flowering period in June, cold weather caused trickling and there were also ideal weather conditions for powdery and downy mildew. „It was important to stay on the ball with plant protection, you could not afford to make so many mistakes“, says Göhring. However, water and warmth also favoured the ripening of the grapes, which also suffered from sunburn in hot August. At the beginning of the main harvest, which ran from the beginning of September to the beginning of October, the must weights were slightly above average according to the DLR, which benefited the Burgundy varieties, before the September rain brought the Oechsle levels closer to the norm. Overall, the must weights were satisfactory and the yields very good, according to the DLR. Wines are expected to be fruit-orientated with moderate alcohol levels and a tangy acidity. „The vintage was actually very relaxed and the wines are super“, says Göhring.

Saale-Unstrut (853 ha)

In the northernmost German wine-growing region Saale-Unstrut, after a warm start to the spring, it was as cold as minus six degrees on the night of 23 April - with serious consequences for the vines, which had sprouted earlier than at any time in decades. The frost hit around 90 per cent of the vineyards and caused massive damage in many places. According to the winegrowers' association, the hope that a second budding in May would still allow half a harvest had to be revised downwards, as the grape set was low. In addition to the gloomy outlook, the heavy rain and warm, humid weather caused a lot of extra work due to mildew diseases, heavy leaf growth on the vines and varying degrees of ripeness within individual vines. When the harvest of the early varieties Pinot Noir, Ortega and Solaris began as planned at the beginning of September, spring white remained in short supply, as many winegrowers decided to use the few grapes for wine. The four-week harvest in the region, which is characterised by white wine, showed that fungus-resistant varieties in particular were better able to withstand the extreme weather conditions. Harvest losses ranged from 70 to 90 per cent and caused „considerable economic pressure“ on many farms. Overall, the estimated wine must harvest shrank by 73 per cent year-on-year to 13,000 hectolitres. Nationwide, this is the largest percentage decline. The volume corresponds to only around 20 to 25 per cent of a normal harvest, according to Andreas Clauß, vice-chairman of the winegrowers' association. The new vintage, which according to Clauß' reached must weights of around 80 degrees Oechsle and well above, could maintain the high quality level of previous years. „The young wines are developing well and have a distinctive fruit structure, which will give the wines a fresh, lively flavour“, it is said. Due to differences in ripeness and small quantities, more rosé wines than red wines were produced this year. Overall, high-quality wines are expected, which are characterised by the typical flavour profile of the region. However, wine lovers will have to hurry to get their hands on some when sales start in spring.

Sachsen (522 ha)

„One challenge followed the next." This is how the Managing Director of the Saxony Winegrowers' Association, Felix Hößelbarth, describes the current wine year in Germany's easternmost winegrowing region. It all started with the late frost, which in April damaged vines across the board on the steep and terraced slopes of the Elbe Valley and gave the winegrowers the smallest harvest in decades with an estimated 9,000 hectolitres of must: 70 per cent less than the previous year and around 20 to 30 per cent of a normal harvest. But: The quality of the grapes harvested was „very satisfactory“, said Hößelbarth. According to him, the vines had already started budding in March due to the warm spring and already had ten to 20 centimetre shoots when the ice cold hit. „That's what made the frost so dramatic.“ After about twelve days, the first "new" shoots could be recognised from the eyes in some of the damaged plants. From the second half of June onwards, powdery mildew and downy mildew had to be combated in a warm and humid phase, and later the cherry vinegar fly became noticeable. Because it was warmer than average from June to August, the grapes of the second generation were able to catch up in their development. A heatwave from the end of August to 8 September with night-time temperatures of no less than 22 degrees accelerated grape ripening, but also led to rapid acid degradation. The harvest of the early-ripening varieties therefore began at the beginning of September, much earlier than initially expected due to the frost damage. From 8 September onwards, cool and damp weather ensured better aroma development and a balanced acid content, but also accelerated the harvest. In most vineyards, the harvest was already completed by the end of September, in some vineyards by the end of October. According to Hößelbarth, the "big losers“ of the frost were varieties such as Dornfelder and Traminer, „there was nothing hanging at all in some places“. Burgundy had coped with the frost „moderately well“ and Riesling had still provided a little yield. It is interesting that the new PIWI varieties still achieved 40 to 50 per cent of a normal harvest. Very good, fresh, fruity, aromatic wines are now expected, as is the case with white wines in the northern growing regions.

Württemberg (11,392 ha)

After a late frost of unprecedented proportions in the Württemberg growing region, Trollinger could emerge as the „winner“ of the 2024 wine year. This is the view of Dr Hermann Morast, Managing Director of the Württemberg Winegrowers' Association, when considering the variety. „I believe that this year there will be many wines made from Trollinger grapes that meet customer requirements to the maximum by offering a beautiful fruitiness, a light colour and at the same time a moderate alcohol content,„ said Morast. In general, we are very satisfied with the quality of the grapes harvested, for which we initially had to expect the worst. Between 21 and 26 April, the frost caused damage in half of the growing area, which varied in size from region to region and even resulted in the total loss of the harvest. This extent of damage was unheard of, says Morast, who says that the budding was extremely early. In the weeks after the frost, thanks to good conditions, compact grapes with above-average sized berries grew, but powdery and downy mildew made themselves felt in the warm and humid conditions, which forced the winegrowers to take action and once again pushed the organic farms to their limits. After a hot August, the harvest began around 10 September and ended quickly due to rain. The harvest results varied greatly, with estimates suggesting that the total volume shrank by a quarter to 614,000 hectolitres compared to the previous year. As far as the leading grape variety Riesling and other white wines are concerned, he is confident that very fruity, but above all mineral wines can be expected, said Morast. We can also look forward to very high-quality red wines, such as Lemberger, which has a very positive colour expression. „I believe that here, also due to the small quantities, we have not only produced in line with the market, but also above-average quality.“ In the case of Trollinger, there are qualities that "make you sit up and take notice“.