After the extremely dry, sunny summer, winegrowers in this country are expecting top quality wines, but also a comparatively small total harvest.

Winemaker Simone Gutting from the Mohr-Gutting winery harvesting the first grapes of the year

According to an initial forecast by the German Wine Institute (DWI), the nationwide yield is expected to be around 20 percent below the ten-year average of 8.7 million hectoliters.

Smaller harvest than in previous years

Although final harvest estimates are not yet available from all wine-growing regions, it is becoming clear that the 2026 vintage will be even smaller in volume than the two previous vintages. The 2025 vintage (7.7 million hectoliters) and the 2024 vintage (7.8 million hectoliters) were already significantly below the long-term national average.

The age of the vines and water availability are crucial

Yields varied considerably within the regions, depending on the age of the vines and the water retention capacity of the soils. Older vines, in particular, have adapted to the increasing drought in wine-growing regions in recent years and, thanks to their deep roots, survived this year’s drought remarkably well. Younger vineyards and those on lighter soils, on the other hand, visibly suffered from the water scarcity. They had to be irrigated where possible.