The German Wine Institute issued a press release with regard to the 2021 vintage in the 13 German wine regions, which I am re-issueing here, coupled with pictures from visits of producers during recent ombiasy wine tours by Annette Schiller.
Thebest month forwinegrowersin the 2021 wine year was not May, but September. With plenty of sunshine and cool nightsin manyregions, September brought a conciliatory endto a season that was clearly different from the three previous years and reminded many of the time before climate change. While heat and drought had characterised the vintagesfrom 2018 to 2020 and ensured an early harvest,this yearcoolness slowed down growth, and frequent rain madeit extremely challenging formany vintners to keep downy mildew under control. September then made up for a lot: it promoted ripeningand ensuredthat the must weights were appealing. This meant that grapes could be harvestedwhose quality satisfiedthe producers and promise good wines-with less alcohol than in previous years, but no less aroma.
According to the latest estimate, the harvest volume nationwide was 8,733,000 hectolitres, three percent above the previous year's figure and only slightly below the ten-year average. However, there were major differences in the individual wine regions.
The German Wine Institute (DWI)has askedrepresentativesfromthe 13 German winegrowing regions how the 2021 vintage has developedintheir area.
Ahr,563 hectares
After the devastating flood of the Ahr on the night of July 15, one thing was certain for the wine producers:they absolutely had to secure the new vintage, which ripenedrelativelyunscathed onsteepslopes and terraces in "Germany's red wine paradise", because: "The liquidity of the businesses was in the vineyards and no longer in the wineries", says Dr Knut Schubert, managing director of the AhrWinegrowers'Association. The harvest,withwhich many volunteers helped,varied widely: Those who had done the immense foliage work properly before the flood still achieved "a relatively good result" just below last year's level, Schubert says of thevintners who grow their own grapes. Others had losses of upto 50 percent.Adding to the woes,fungal diseaseswere prevalentin the Ahr regionas elsewhere throughout Germany.However, good weather in September had a positive effect on the quality of the vintage, which is estimated at 35,000 hectolitres (2020: 39,000). This reduced totalalsoreflects the60 hectaresthatcould not be harvested due to the flood. According to Schubert, Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder), which accounts for 85 percent of theyield, benefited from the weather. The winemakers, who had workedhard to prepare their cellars, were pleased with the quality. "The winegrowers here expect a fruity, powerful wine. It will also have a pleasantacidity and lessalcohol, which was always a problem in the three previous years," he said. They are anticipating"a really special vintage, also in terms ofmeeting theirexpectations forhigh quality".
Baden,15,812 hectares
Baden is considered Germany's warmest growing region, butdespite its heterogeneity,around Easter there was little sign of it in the southern parts of Markgräflerland, Kaiserstuhl, Tuniberg, Breisgau and Ortenau: late frosts and icy winds caused damageof up to 80 per centtothe youngwet budsinsomevineyards. Afterwards, frequent rain,accompanied bylocalhail in Markgräflerland,spurredfungal growth in many places. After a lot of work, however, the vintners were able to enjoy a beautiful late summer with cool nights, which benefited the development of thewhite wine aromas. The total amount of must was an estimated 977,000 hectolitres, eleven per cent below the previous year's figure and 20 per cent below the ten-year average. "It really was a verystressfulyear for the winegrowers, but with good results if you look at the qualities, especially wheregrapeselection wascarefullycarried out," says the vicemanagingdirector of the Baden Winegrowers' Association, Holger Klein. Like others, he feels reminded of a vintage before climate change. The white wines havecertainlybenefited. "We can expect fresh, fruity and rather light white wines", which are more moderate in alcohol and "tend to have aslightlyfresher acidity than last year". The quantity of red winesproduced is even lower, which ispartlydue to therigorousselectionof grapes when harvesting. The market can be served,butsupplemented with"more from the very good previous years," says Klein.
Franken,6163 hectares
Wine expert Hermann Mengler describes the season in Franconia as follows: "A vintage that required an enormous amount of effort during the vegetation period, with aforgivingautumn and an ideal September.”After a cool and wet May, the vines took off in June and really "caught up", also in terms of leaf growth. Frequent rainfostereddowny mildew andthuscreateda lot of work. A beautiful and dry September, however,placatedthe winegrowers, 80 percent of whom grow white wine. All grape varieties ripened well and, unlike the hot previous years, there was a nice, long harvest, says Beate Leopold from the Franconian Winegrowers'Association. It is estimated that 480,000 hectolitres of wine must were harvested-79 percent more than in the frost-beaten yearpriorand twelve percent more than the ten-year average. The average must weight was 84 degrees Oechsle-which isquitesatisfactory for such a year, says Leopold. And because the harvest was in the cooler period, the aromasarevery pronounced and the acidityis alsoa bitstronger. It was a year forbase winesto make sparkling, rosé wines and white wines-with less alcohol but more flavour, says Mengler, head of theSpecialistAdvisoryService forCellarManagement andCellarTechnologyinthe district of Lower Franconia. Accordingtohis information, many wineries are also speculating on ice wine.
Hessische Bergstraße,463 hectares
"All's well that ends well" could be the motto of this wine year on the Hessische Bergstraße. In Germany's smallest winegrowing region around Bensheim, cool and changeable weather in spring slowed down budburst, and at thebeginning of flowering in mid-June the plants were 16 to 20 days behindthe previousyear. Abundant rainfall until August allowed downy mildew to flourish and "concerns about the health of the grapes" grew, according to Otto Guthier, chairman of the Hessische Bergstrasse Winegrowers' Association. The dry September brought a turnaround for Riesling, Pinot Gris(Grauburgunder)andother varieties: ripeness progressed and at the main harvest in October the vintnerswere gracedwith "very appealing must weights", the average was 83 degrees Oechsle. The estimated must harvest of 32,000 hectolitres was eight percent below last year'sbountifulfigure, but still five percent above the ten-year average. Overall, "quality and quantity are very pleasing", says Guthier. "The first white wines are tasting aromatic and fruit-forwardwith a livelyinterplayoffruitandacid." In addition,thereisamoderatealcoholcontent.Inviewofthecapriciousweather,the winemakerscould be "absolutely satisfied" with the 2021vintage.
Mittelrhein,465 hectares
In the Middle Rhine region with its steep slopes, many winegrowersare pleased with the significant increase inyieldsthis year. Although a cool spring slowed down vine growth and fungal diseases flourished, an estimated 36,000 hectolitres ended up in the cellars in this Riesling-dominatedregion-35 percent more than in 2020 and 30 percent more than the ten-year average-although the yields varied greatlybetweenwineries.In terms of overall percentage growthamongstthe 13 German regions, theMittelrheinis in second place behind Franken. In addition to the intensive work of the winegrowers,a sunnySeptember, which brought up to 45 percent more sunshine hours than the average, contributed to theabundant harvest. "If we are honest, September and October also saved the harvest in terms of weather conditions," says Gerd Knebel, managing director of the Mittelrhein Winegrowers' Association. The Riesling, which coped well with the cool ripening conditions,attainedmustweights between 80 and 90 degrees Oechsle. There were signs of elegant, aromatic white wines with adistinctiveacid structure, "very good" and "lively, fresh, fruity wines" with rather moderate alcohol values, "justas the market demands," said Knebel. Mostwinemakersare very satisfied withbothyield and quality.
Mosel,8689 hectares
Theprimesouth-facing vineyards on the Mosel were able to build on old successes this year. While it was often too hot and too dry for them in previous years, they were "particularly favoured" in the significantly cooler and wetter wine yearof2021, according totheMoselwein
Association. This was reflected in the must weights. Riesling, the dominant grape variety, reached 95 degreesOechsle in good sites, while the majority of the harvest was between 70 and 90 degrees. In the region, which is characterised by steep slopes and has a white wine share of 90 percent, mostwine producersratethe aroma of the grapes very positively and expect predominantly fruity andrefreshingwines. "Overall, a fine, clear vintage typical of the Mosel is expected with a lot of minerality,"statesHenning Seibert, chairmanofMoselwein.The alcohol levels are also somewhat lower here. The success of the harvest varies greatly. While some brought in a very good harvest, others faced totallossdue to fungal diseases. There were also differences in the varieties:lessRiesling, Pinot Noir(Spätburgunder)and Dornfelder were harvested, while Elbling, Auxerroisand Pinot Blanc(Weißburgunder)yielded good quantities. Thanks to‘noble rot’ (Botrytis cinerea fungus), thereis also a chance for some late-harvestnoblesweet (Beerenauslese)wines. The total yield is estimated at 781,000 hectolitres-six percent less than last year, but five percent above the ten-year average.
Nahe,4230 hectares
Even though it rained often in many places this wine year, it wasn’t enoughin some places on the Nahe, at least in October. Harald Sperling, managing director of the NaheWinegrowers'Association, reports thatseveralwinegrowers brought water to their vineyards thatmonth because of the renewed drought. After the dry years of 2018 to 2020, the water supply has thinned out. For a long time, things had looked different this year.Coolness and rain made the vintage a "late bloomer", according to Sperling, and the vintners also had to contend with diseasepressure. According to the association, there were "winerieswith totallossdue to mildew and those with almost no infestation, as well as all levels in between". A warm and dry Septemberallowed the grapes to ripen, slowed downthe fungalspreadandwas propitious for the harvest. The harvest volume was finallyestimatedaround 288,000 hectolitres, ten per cent less than the previous year and the ten-year average. And what can one expect? "When it comes to white wine, good, fruity wines with a distinctiveyetwell-buffered acidity stand out,"says Sperling. In addition, he says, the must weights are good and the wines are not too alcoholic. "These are wines tobeenjoyed," he concludes.
Pfalz,23,721 hectares
In the Palatinate, Germany's second-largest winegrowing region, the harvestthis year was also very varied. "With regard to the amount of yield, the term“envious autumn”was seldom asapplicableasitwasin2021,"saysviticultureexpertJürgenOberhoferfromthe Dienstleistungszentrum Ländlicher Raum (DLR)Rheinpfalz.Good tovery good yields were offset by isolatedinstances oftotallossdue to downy mildew. In June, the work in the vineyards increased due to heat and rain. "Those who did not succeed in taking systematic action had to put up with sometimes severe yield losses," says Reinhold Hörner, president of thePfalz Winegrowers'Association. From August onwards, the weather normalised and there was a "very positive harvest". The estimated must volume is 2 230 000 hectolitres, three percent less than in 2020 and one percent more than the ten-year average. One can look forward to "great wines", saysthe firstchairman ofPfalzweinAssociation,Boris Kranz. For him, "often low alcohollevels, a well-integrated acid structure anddistinctiveprimary fruit aromas" are characteristic of the vintage, which can be expected to produce fresh, lively, light wines. According to Oberhofer, the "winning grape variety of the vintage" is Riesling. The main grape varietyof the Pfalzbenefited the most in Germany's largest Riesling-growing region-"mainly because of climatic conditions like weused to havebefore climate change".
Rheingau,3200 hectares
Difficult, but ultimately less difficult than feared-that's how the wine year went in the Rheingau, according to Andrea Engelmann, the managing director of theRheingauWinegrowers'Association. Thereasonhere was also downy mildew, whichkeptcausing"diseasepressure"until September. "It has never beensoextreme in recent years," says Engelmann. There were totallossesespecially with Merlot, which, however, only grows on about 0.5 percentof the vineyardsbetween Hochheim am Main and Lorch. The wine producers also had the problem thatfor a long timethe acidity of the berries was high, and at the same time a lot of foliage, which is involved in acid degradation and grape ripening,was lost due to the fungus. Finally, the sunny September brought about a turning pointin the Rheingau. That is why there are now good quality winesin the cellar and "all in all" they are satisfied with the vintage. Riesling, which accounts for 80 percent of the region's production, benefited from the fact that the harvest was three to four weeks later than in previous years.Engelmann described the winesas having"a fine bouquet". An estimated 220,000 hectolitres of must were harvested-four per cent less than last year and three per cent more than the average of the past ten years. A few vintners also harvested noble sweet specialities, and somehaveleft grapes hanging for ice wine, Engelmann reports.
Rheinhessen,26,943 hectares
In retrospect, the winegrowers consider it a stroke of luck that the vines in Rheinhessen sprouted later than usual this year, because the shoots in Germany's largest winegrowing region were spared the night frosts in April. "In the three previous years, these temperatures would have led to considerable losses because the vines had already sprouted in April," says Andreas Köhr from theSouthRhineland-PfalzFarmers' and Winegrowers' Association. In other respects, too, the wine-growing year stood out from the three hot and dry previous years, for example because of thediseasepressure caused by the wetness, which caused "significant damage" in somesitesandvineyardsdespite control measures. Overall, Rheinhessen came off well, said Köhr.The late start of the harvest in mid-September compared to previous years was also afortunatecoincidence, because beautiful September days contributed decisively to the fact that they were able to harvest "a very appealing vintage". Ripening in the coolnights produces fruity wines that offer a wide spectrum of aromas even with moderate alcohol content, saysKöhr. In addition, there is a fresh acidity, "one of the characteristics of German white wines, and that comes out much better this year than in the three years before". About 2,590,000 hectolitres of must were harvested, one per cent more than in 2020 and four per cent more than the ten-year average.
Saale-Unstrut,819 hectares
While many winegrowing regions in Germany were able to take their time with the harvest this year, the Saale and Unstrut regions had to hurry. After abundant rainfall in August, some grapes had burst open. In order to harvest healthy grapes, the harvest was brought forward by seven to ten days, reports Hans Albrecht Zieger, president oftheSaale-UnstrutWinegrowing Association inGermany's northernmost wine region. "We would have liked to wait another week, but then we would have run the risk of the quantityplunging evenmore." It sufferedanyway because in February frost downto minus27 degrees causedconsiderable damage to vines, especially around Freyburg. Where the frost did not hit, there were relatively good yields, also because the rain in August increased the grape weight. According to estimates, 38,000 hectolitres of wine mustwasproduced, 27 percent more than in the previousfrost-stricken year, but 15 percent less than the ten-year average.In terms of quality, the vintage is predominantly in theQualitätswine range, the later varieties, such asPinot (Burgunder)and Riesling, are also at the Prädikat wine level. "The vintage also allowed forpremium wines,"says Zieger. The wines’fruitis expressedbeautifully and they are veryvariety-typical,reflecting thekeyaromas very well. "They are fine, filigree,leanwines with abeautifulfreshness, which issupported by an animating acidity," he sayswith a viewto white wine and rosé.
Sachsen,496 hectares
"Istillthink we got offrelativelylightly," says Felix Hößelbarth, deputy chairman of the Sachsen Winegrowers' Association, summing up the vintage. In Germany's easternmost wine-growing region, downy and powdery mildew were also rampantdue to the wetweather, and later there werealsoproblems with grape rot. At times, they were even afraid of losingthe entire harvest to fungal disease, says Hößelbarth. The fungus-resistant grape varieties-such as Cabernet Blanc, Souvignier Gris, Johanniter and Solaris-were the only ones that produced normal to good results. Theycontributed tothe fact that theharvest in the Elbe Valley,producedan estimated 22,000 hectolitresof wine must,whichturned outto befive percent better than in the frost-plagued previous year. The ten-year average was missed by only two percent. The cellarsare relatively full despite the adverse weather conditions, says Hößelbarth, who assesses the year "on balance as good". Wine lovers can look forward to good quality wines. "We have beautiful aromas again, thewinesare fresher that are maturing in the cellars, not quite as opulent, but more elegant"-unlike in the three hot and dry previous years.
Württemberg,11,424 hectares
In Württemberg, the overall damp and cool weatherthroughoutthe year allowed for a later harvest, whichwas particularly beneficial for the amount ofwhite wine harvested, says the managing director of the Württemberg Winegrowers' Association, Dr Hermann Morast. The white must yield increased by 44 percentincomparisonto the previous year, twice as much as the amount of red grape must harvested.The total harvest volume increased by an estimated 34 percent to 1,000,000 hectolitres compared to the previous year, which was marked by drought.Among the white wines, the winegrowers were particularly pleased with the quality of the main variety, Riesling. Consumers could look forward to typical Rieslings, which, unlike in previous years, havemoderate alcohollevelsand a fresh fruit acidity, according toMorast. Overall, very fruity, easy-drinking white wines with exciting aroma profiles are expected. However, 2021 was also a year of red wine, which grows onaround two thirds of the area under cultivationthere. The leading grape varieties Trollinger and Lemberger also have less alcohol and are therefore somewhat leaner, but still complex. According to Morast's assessment, onecanexpect "rather more filigree, fruity red wines with asubtleacid structure". Because of the dry days and cool nights during the harvest, the red wines also have a complex aroma profile.
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