The Mosel river twists through the Mosel valley in Germany. Credit: Valery Shanin / Shutterstock

Germany’s wine harvest is forecast to be almost 5% lower this year, according to federal estimates.

Winegrowers in Germany are expecting a 4.9% decline in wine must this year compared to 2023, Destatis, the country’s federal statistical office said.

Germany’s wine makers are expected to harvest 8.26 million hectolitres of must, down from just under 8.7m hl last year.

The six-year average between 2018 to 2023 was 8.91m hl, meaning 2024’s harvest is expected to be 7.3% lower.

Destatis said a rainy spring in Germany had encouraged fungal diseases including downy mildew in some parts of the country. Germany has also seen late frosts, hail, storms and heavy rain this year.

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According to the agency’s estimates, which date from 20 September, just under 60% of the expected harvest will come from Germany’s largest wine-growing regions of Rheinhessen and Pfalz.

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Rheinhessen is forecast to see a 7.1% rise in harvest volume but, elsewhere, several regions are set to see yields fall, including in Mosel, which is expected to see a 30.7% decline.

Some 68.4% of the harvest will be white must. Destatis is forecasting a 3.1% drop in the harvest volume of Riesling.

In 2023, Germany exported just under 1.2 million hectolitres of wine, down 2% on a year earlier. However, the value of the country’s wine exports rose, increasing 4% to €384m.

Germany exported more wine year on year in the first quarter of 2024 despite ongoing pressure in the US, its largest market.

Volumes rose 9% in the opening three months of the year, with Germany shipping 283,000 hectolitres of wine, according to the Deutsches Weininstitut industry association.

The value of export sales also grew 9%, reaching €92m ($98.3m).