The 2025 vintage in the 13 wine-growing regions

The Pinot varieties and red wines in particular appear to be the winners of this year's vintage. However, the harvest volumes vary greatly from region to region, depending on the grape variety and climatic conditions. The German Wine Institute (DWI) reports on how the 2025 vintage developed in detail in the 13 German wine-growing regions.

Ahr (533 ha)
In the Ahr Valley, the German red wine paradise, the winegrowers were lucky on the one hand, but on the other hand they had to struggle with bad luck this year. Wild boars devastated the Pinot Noir vineyards on an unprecedented scale and caused considerable damage, as Hubert Pauly, President of the Ahr Winegrowers' Association, reports. "But that was the only downer," says Pauly.
Overall, the region, which according to Ahrwein e.V. is considered the largest closed red wine-growing region in the world, experienced a „dream autumn“. The quality of the grapes was excellent, and the harvest volume also gave the winegrowers confidence - especially after the region was hit by a devastating flood in 2021. While late frosts and fungal diseases had reduced the must yield in 2024 to only 16,000 hectoliters, an estimated 39,000 hectoliters flowed into the cellars this year - an increase of 144 percent compared to the previous year and eight percent above the long-term average. 
The harvest began in mid-August with the Pinot Noir, which, according to Ahrwein e.V., reached a must weight of around 100 degrees Oechsle. Lukas Sermann, chairman of the association, reported on small berries with a high skin content, which promise aromatic, structured wines - also a result of natural trickling during flowering. In addition, cool nights, moderate rain in July and low mushroom pressure have created optimal conditions for a promising vintage. The vineyards were in the best condition, and the harvest could be completed quickly in stable weather. An elaborate selection was hardly necessary, and isolated rainy days at the end did not affect the quality.
„Fruity wines with intense colour“ is what Pauly has in mind, particularly with regard to the red wines, from which Blanc de Noir is often produced on the Ahr– especially from the leading grape variety Pinot Noir. The wines show harmonious fruit flavors and are very distinctive, says Pauly, who speaks of a real dream vintage in terms of cellar work and quality.

Baden (15,454 ha)
Larger than in the previous year, but still well below the long-term average: This is how the 2025 grape must harvest turned out in the Baden wine-growing region. After late frost and fungal diseases had caused yield losses in 2024, this year it was mainly heat and drought that affected the vines, especially in the phase from mid-June to mid-July. As early as the end of August, it became apparent that it would not be a great year in terms of quantity. The clusters were okay, but the berries were quite small, loose-berried and thick-skinned," Holger Klein explains, Managing Director of the Baden Winegrowers' Association. The firm berries were difficult to press and yielded less juice - one reason why the harvest volume is below the long-term average. According to estimates, around one million hectolitres of must were brought in, five per cent more than in 2024, but 15 per cent less than the ten-year average.
The winegrowers were very satisfied with the quality of the grapes, which looked like something out of a picture book until the rain in September. The main harvest officially began on 9 September and was completed after around three weeks - partly because many varieties ripened at the same time. Despite the rainfall, good grape material was harvested, especially for the sparkling wine base wine, which was already produced before the main harvest from perfect material. Overall, Klein expects fruity white wines with a moderate alcohol content and balanced acidity, which have a very good aroma thanks to the cooler night temperatures. Pinot Blanc did particularly well, both in terms of quantity and quality. The otherwise high-yielding varieties Müller-Thurgau and Gutedel produced rather moderate yields due to smaller berries. According to Klein, the quantity is in line with the market and the quality gives hope for a promising vintage.

Franken (6,128 ha)
In the Franconian vineyards, as elsewhere, there was a lot of activity in the first weeks of September. The harvesting machines ran day and night – sometimes he saw four or five in a vineyard, the President of the Winegrowers' Association Artur Steinmann remembers the harvest, which took place in record time. "The winegrowers knew that it would rain after September 21", he says, and that's why they wanted to bring in what they could beforehand. Those who made it on time could look forward to excellent grape qualities. The winegrowers are very satisfied with the vintage. "We have fantastic wines all along the line," Steinmann sums up. Red wines in particular benefited from this: "They have an intense colour and ripe tannins." The white wines also impress with their special quality thanks to the low yields.
The winegrowers were surprised by the yield, which was significantly lower than expected. With an estimated 432,000 hectoliters, it exceeded last year's harvest, which was marked by frost failures, by 38 percent, but is only five percent above the long-term average. Franken also had to struggle with the drought. Although the water supply was secured at the beginning of the year, in May and June the winegrowers had to irrigate their young plants due to a lack of rain. The rain in July was a blessing for the vineyards, Steinmann states, they have recovered "super". Another hot spell in August was followed by cool nights, which ensured good aroma development in the grapes. In the first weeks of September, rain initiated the rapid start of the main harvest, which was largely completed at the end of September. Steinmann speaks of a "cooler vintage" with fresh white wines that impress with tangy, lively fruit acidity and beautiful aromas. Silvaner, the leading grape variety in Franken, in particular, has fresh, ripe acidity, intense fruit and mineral depth – favored by the rain. The Riesling, on the other hand, with its thin berry skin, reacted more sensitively to the humid conditions and had to be selected more strongly.

Hessische Bergstraße (456 ha)
In the Hessische Bergstraße growing region, the particularly early must weights have forced winegrowers to harvest early this year, as is the case everywhere. According to Johannes Bürkle, chairman of the board of the Winegrowers' Association, this ultimately produced „absolutely top“ must qualities.
The harvest of the grapes for the sparkling wine base wine began in the penultimate week of August, as Bürkle reports. The sugar content of the berries was so high that a later harvest would have resulted in too high an alcohol content in the finished sparkling wine. As other varieties also already had high must weights, the regular harvest started immediately afterwards - and it was very, very slow. From mid-September, repeated rains led to an increased risk of rot, while many varieties ripened at the same time.
While self-marketing wineries on the "Vordere Bergstraße" (part of the Hessische Bergstraße) had already finished harvesting on 25 September, some of the cooperatives took their time until mid-October – also due to weather-related breaks. Nevertheless, mid-October is also an early time, Bürkle says. "In the past, it sometimes took until November for the Riesling harvest. The quality of the musts is "completely fine," reports Bürkle. The must weights were in the upper range, some Riesling lots even had well over 90 degrees Oechsle. This year, therefore, one can also expect stronger wines. The grapes were aromatic, especially the aroma grape varieties such as Muscat, Gewürztraminer, Scheurebe and Red Riesling showed intense fruit aromas - favored by the high sugar content. Red wines harvested early also benefited and promise full-bodied wines. "There is certainly a quite decent red wine year", Bürkle summarizes.
The Riesling, the main grape variety of the Hessische Bergstraße, was harvested last "by tradition" – and had to be selected more strongly due to the onset of rain, which reduced the harvest volume. Overall, the wine must harvest is estimated at around 27,590 hectolitres – 15 percent more than in the previous year, which was marked by late frost, but eleven percent less than the ten-year average.

Mittelrhein (451 ha)
According to Dr Maximilian Hendgen, Managing Director of the Middle Rhine Winegrowers' Association, the 2025 harvest in Germany's smallest winegrowing region, was early, stressful and fast due to the heavy rainfall. There was a clear north-south descent in the growing region, which is characterized by steep slopes and terraces and stretches from Bingen to Bonn. The southern part between Trechtingshausen and Boppard was significantly more affected by the rain than the northern area between Leutesdorf and Bonn. There, the maturation of the grapes started later and the drier conditions led to a very good autumn with healthy, highly ripe and aromatic grapes - also for Riesling, which accounts for around 70 percent of the area under cultivation on the Middle Rhine. The yields were decent to slightly above average, especially for the Pinot varieties.
In the southern part, however, the situation deteriorated rapidly from the second decade of September. In the warmer vineyards along the Rhine, a rush and strong selection was required, which resulted in significant volume losses for the wineries that harvested until the beginning of October. „It was a particularly strenuous harvest this year because we hardly had any dry phases in September“, Hendgen says. The rain made the steep slopes slippery and made it difficult to use the machines. Many farms recorded losses of 20 to 30 per cent or more – especially in Riesling.
Despite these challenges, an estimated 23,000 hectolitres of must were brought in. Although this result is eight per cent below the long-term average, it exceeds the previous year's yield, which was affected by extreme weather conditions, by 44 per cent.
The qualities brought in are very good, emphasizes Hendgen. This year, the region offers everything the market demands - from fresh, fruity Kabinett to full-bodied Auslese. Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir as well as other early varieties such as Müller-Thurgau showed consistently good results. Riesling also achieved very good must weights of between 80 and 85 degrees Oechsle, in particular warm sites such as Bopparder Hamm even 90 degrees and more. The acidity values were well integrated, the ripeness convincing - the best prerequisites for a successful vintage.

Mosel (8,445 ha)
After the smallest harvest in 50 years in the previous year, the 2025 vintage in the Mosel growing region saw the earliest start and the fastest end of the harvest. This was due to heavy rainfall in September, which according to Moselwein e.V. „hit a promising vintage in the last few metres“. In late summer, the vines were still in excellent condition – at the end of August, ripeness was around two weeks ahead of the previous year's level. The onset of rainfall showed a clear descent in its distribution. „The further down the Mosel you came, the drier September was“, Dr Maximilian Hendgen, Managing Director of the Moselle Winegrowers' Association explains. Coupled with warm temperatures at times, the rain was unfavourable for the health of the grapes, especially for Riesling, which grows in over 60 percent of Mosel vineyards. Many wineries reacted with a very early start to the harvest, which was seamlessly followed by a „turbo harvest“, as many grape varieties were ripe at the same time. Pinot varieties and Riesling for sparkling base wine and Kabinett were harvested as early as the first half of September. The main Riesling harvest began around 19 September, reaching must weights of between 70 and 95 degrees. While the early varieties as well as Pinot and Elbling produced very good yields with high ripeness and good grape health, there were major differences in Riesling. Vineyards that were affected by frost in 2024 produced good yields with medium ripeness this year. In other sites, on the other hand, yields were often below average with very good ripeness values. The steep slopes in particular had to be heavily selected, which in some cases led to losses of 50 to 75 per cent.
Despite all the challenges, estimates show that around 780,000 hectolitres of must were produced on the Mosel - an increase of 52 per cent compared to 2024 and eleven per cent more than the long-term average. This makes the Mosel one of the few German wine-growing regions that harvested more in 2025 than the ten-year average. In terms of quantity, it was „a good, normal autumn“, Hendgen said, and the quality was consistently satisfactory.

Nahe (4,234 ha)
"It has never happened before that a winegrower can go on holiday during the autumn holidays," Harald Sperling, Managing Director of the Nahe Winegrowers' Association says. But this year, after one of the earliest and fastest harvests ever, almost all the grapes had already been harvested at the beginning of October. This was possible and necessary due to the advanced ripening of the grapes and heavy rainfall in the last decade of September.
Previously, according to the Service Centre for Rural Areas (DLR) Rheinhessen-Nahe-Hunsrück, favourable weather conditions - sufficient rainfall, slightly above-average temperatures and a warm, dry August - had ensured good grape harvesting and healthy berries. The expectations for quantity and quality were correspondingly high. But while the must weights had already risen significantly at the beginning of September and the harvest of grapes for grape juice, sparkling wine base wine and bulk wine began early, the must yield fell short of expectations in many cases.
Additional challenges such as local hail and yield losses due to late frosts as well as intensive grape selection in some cases also had an impact on the quantity. The final harvest estimates were revised downwards twice in the fall and, at 246,000 hectoliters, they are three percent below the previous year and almost 21 percent below the long-term average. However, the industry is very satisfied with the quality. Especially those who managed to harvest before the heavy rain on September 23/24 were able to harvest perfect grapes. The must weights were sometimes in the three-digit range – a promising indicator for the vintage. The wines are fruity, with a distinct varietal aroma and a well-integrated acidity. According to Sperling, the winegrowers are satisfied all along the line, not only with the Riesling, but also with the Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc as well as with the red varieties. Sperling looked optimistically at the vintage: "We can also look forward to the Pinot Noir and Dornfelder."

Pfalz (23,787 ha)
Very good quality, but surprises in terms of quantity: This is how the 2025 vintage will be remembered by many winegrowers in the Pfalz. In Germany's second-largest wine-growing region, the estimated wine must harvest of 1,850,000 hectolitres is 17 per cent below the previous year's figure and 18 per cent below the long-term average. According to the regional wine promotion organisation Pfalzwein e.V., only a few producers expected this. One of the main reasons for the lower quantity were smaller berries.
According to Bernhard Schandelmaier from the Dienstleistungszentrum Ländlicher Raum (DLR) Rheinpfalz, this is due to dry phases during the cell division phase. The smaller berries led to concentrated flavours and high must weights, but also to a lower volume. Another vintage phenomenon: All grape varieties ripened at the same time, which experts attribute to the sufficient water supply during the ripening phase and the vitality of the vines, as well as the faster ripening process in the heat. As early as mid-August, early varieties reached must weights at the quality wine level, and because the Oechsle levels rose rapidly, many wineries began harvesting early varieties for Federweißer (new wine) at the end of August, followed by Pinot varieties for sparkling wine production. "Autumn came surprisingly quickly and faced winegrowers with major logistical challenges," says the first chairman of Pfalzwein e.V., Boris Kranz. The harvest ended on 23 September - earlier than ever before.
This did not detract from the quality. "The grapes were exceptionally healthy and the harvest promises excellent wines", Kranz said. He expects a vintage with structure, finesse and ageing potential. Winegrowers who started in good time were able to bring the best quality into the cellar", Reinhold Hörner, President of the Palatinate Winegrowers' Association stated. The red wine will be particularly good, he expects a "great" vintage. Winegrowers who were not ready by mid-September found themselves in the rainy season, which required more grape selections and forced them to harvest the highly ripe grapes quickly.

Rheingau (3,180 ha)
In the Rheingau, the Riesling harvest began earlier this year than at any time since records began in 1955. According to the Rheingau Winegrowers' Association, this is due on the one hand to climate change, which is already causing the vines to germinate and cause the flowers to appear earlier and earlier, but on the other hand to the fact that winegrowers had to act quickly this year due to the predicted rain to bring healthy grapes into the cellars. The first growers began harvesting early-ripening varieties around 20 August. The Geisenheim Research Centre even harvested Solaris grapes in the first week of August, according to Dominik Russler, Managing Director of the Winegrowers' Association. Those who were early could bring in the grapes before the rain, which began in mid-September.
Although the rainfall led to yield losses, many farms were still able to harvest mostly healthy grapes thanks to good preparatory work in plant protection and foliage work. According to Russler, the pressing rate was low due to smaller and pithy berries. Drought stress was only registered at one station. "But sometimes you just have to say: We work with nature, and that's how it is." According to estimates, 179,000 hectolitres of grape must were harvested, eleven percent less than in the previous year and 17 percent less than the long-term average. While the Pinot grapes remained stable in terms of volume, the Riesling was ten to 15 percent below the long-term average.
The Rheingau is very satisfied with the quality of the grapes, as there had been an above-average amount of sunshine and warmth until the rain. „Everything pointed to a really great vintage “, Russler says. „What I have tasted so far are great, fruity, well-structured wines, which in the basic Riesling range represent exactly what the market wants.“ According to the expert, it was also possible to cover all qualities for the wines in the top wine sector. Excellent Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese and even Trockenbeerenauslese with values of well over 200 degrees Oechsle "were registered in pleasing quantities"

Rheinhessen (27,671 ha)
Rheinhessen was the region that suffered the greatest yield loss this year. An estimated 1,930,000 hectolitres of wine must flowed into the cellars in Germany's largest wine-growing region, 26 per cent less than in the previous year and 23 per cent less than the ten-year average. According to DLR Rheinhessen-Nahe-Hunsrück, hopes for a large harvest were dashed by pithy berries with low juice yields and often looser, smaller grapes. The winegrowers were rewarded with the quality of the grapes, which were still very healthy at the beginning of September – before the rains started – and in many ways had the potential for an exceptional vintage. The dry August contributed significantly to the particularly good state of health despite very advanced ripening. "The grapes have not been so healthy for a long time," sums up the Schutzbund Rheinhessen. "Blessed are those who started the harvest early," Rheinhessenwein e.V. quotes the President of the Winegrowing Association Jens Göhring, who is at odds with the quantity, but is happy about white wines typical of aromas and "super mature Dornfelder red wines". According to the DLR, the vines were well supplied with water until May. The subsequent drought ended at the end of July with heavy rainfall and localised hailstorms. The first ripeness measurements on 18 August surprised with very advanced must weights, the main harvest began at the beginning of September „extremely early“ and demanded a „brilliant final spurt“ from the winegrowers, as early and late varieties ripened at the same time.
The rain, which began in mid-September, contributed to the time pressure. Grape varieties with compact grapes and thin-skinned berries, such as Riesling, had to be selected more often. At the beginning of the second decade of September, the main harvest was often already over. The winegrowers can look forward to an excellent harvest," says the protection association. "The result is aromatic and harmonious musts and wines that are of excellent quality even during fermentation and in the young wine phase." The vintage shows a lot of potential, especially for red wines.

Saale-Unstrut (858 ha)
While some wine-growing regions started the grape harvest earlier than ever before this year due to high must weights, the winegrowers in the northernmost German wine-growing region Saale-Unstrut postponed the start of the harvest once again after a first attempt. On September 15, they started mainly with new wine (Federweißer), but then took a break. "It didn't really get going again until September 22/23," reports the president of the winegrowers' association, Andreas Clauß. One reason for the late start was the initially unconvincing must weights of the popular Müller-Thurgau and Bacchus varieties. The harvest lasted - interrupted by breaks in the rain - until 20 October. Looking back, the winegrowers are nevertheless "absolutely satisfied".
The new robust grape varieties performed particularly well. They impressed with very good grape health and high must weights. We were able to keep them healthy until the end," said Clauß. In contrast, standard varieties such as Müller-Thurgau struggled with health in October. The cherry vinegar fly played a role in the red wine varieties, which is why they had to be harvested in good time. "All in all, it was a normal, good autumn," Clauß sums up.
In terms of must weights, many of the new, robust varieties, which according to Clauß have a significant influx in the growing region, achieved very good values of up to 100 degrees Oechsle and above. Otherwise, Riesling and Pinot Blanc „were quite normal“ between 80 and 90 degrees.
"All in all, there will be somewhat leaner and easy-to-drink wines, really typical, fruity Saale-Unstrut wines", Clauß expects. Regarding the harvest volume, the Saale-Unstrut region recorded an increase by a remarkable 129 percent to an estimated 39,000 hectolitres compared to the previous year. In 2024, late frosts caused great damage, so that only 17,000 hectolitres of must were harvested. Compared to the ten-year average, this year's yield in the growing region is nine per cent below average.

Sachsen (529 ha)
After the frost-related slump in harvest volumes last year, Saxon winegrowers are pleased with an estimated 30,000 hectolitres from the 2025 vintage, a significant increase compared to the ten-year average. It was a "pretty quiet year", the head of the winegrowers' association Felix Hößelbarth reports, who remembers the 23rd vintage. Overall, the vines enjoyed a good mix of rainy and dry phases and showed good growth. Although the late-ripening varieties received a rainy period in the second half of September, everything remained within the normal range, according to the chairman. However, the year was not without its challenges. The cherry vinegar fly, which likes cooler, humid weather and was also rampant in the Saale-Unstrut region, showed a strong presence this year and in some places strongly attacked the early-ripening red varieties, according to Hößelbarth.
Riesling is increasingly struggling with climate change because it does not cope well with the wet weather in the ripening phase. After the harvest, which lasted from the beginning of September to the second week of October, the Pinots and Traminer grapes stood out with good quality. The grapes were healthy and showed beautiful aromas, says Hößelbarth. Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris reached Oechsle values of 85 to 90 degrees. The new, robust grape varieties had also shown their strengths again and reached a healthy ripeness. He cites Souvignier Gris, Cabernet Blanc, Sauvitage and Sauvignac as examples. “The new wines are exactly what we want," Hößelbarth explains. Fresh, aromatic and with a lively acidity - so that they are really fun and bring excitement to the glass without having too much alcohol. This type of wine is exactly what the region stands for and we were able to produce it excellently again this year."

Württemberg (11,179 ha)
In Württemberg, grapes that ripened largely undisturbed by hail and disease were impressive and would have looked like paintings in August, Dr Hermann Morast, Managing Director of the Württemberg Winegrowers' Association says. “I cannot remember that we have ever had such visually beautiful grapes. “Since the water supply and the temperatures were right and the leaves of the vines were very strong, the ripening progressed quickly. In some cases, the must weights rose by nine degrees Oechsle in a week, according to Morast. "That's outrageous." The harvest began at the beginning of September and became hectic at the end due to the many varieties ripening at the same time and the rain. "Many companies were finished after a maximum of three weeks," Morast says.
However, thanks to investments in grape processing and grape management, it was possible to cope with the quantities, which were smaller than expected. Although the estimated harvest of 720,000 hectolitres exceeded the previous year's frost-damaged harvest by six per cent, it was still 22 per cent below the ten-year average. Across all grape varieties, it was significantly lower than predicted at the end of August, with Trollinger even falling across the board, according to Morast. The reasons: A dry spell in June hit the still small berries in the cell division phase, which is why they remained smaller, but in some cases very outstanding quality could be expected, such as in Riesling, Trollinger and Pinot Gris. This is because the ingredients and flavours are concentrated in the berries and it was possible to bring this potential from the vineyard into the cellar. „We have incredibly fruity young wines“, Morast summarises.
The red wines are very intense in colour, the Lemberger also has a certain storage capacity due to its high must weight. Thanks to healthy grapes, wonderful, delicately fruity rosés could also be produced. The leading white grape variety, Riesling, impressed with its fresh fruitiness this year. All in all: A vintage that, according to Morast, has maximum potential, will be available soon and will definitely be fun to drink.