Environment & Climate

Germany starts main grape harvest earlier than ever recorded

An exceptionally hot and dry summer accelerated ripening, causing a decades-long shift toward earlier picking to reach a new milestone.

Updated Aug 28, 2026 · 14:30 UTC1 reports

The short version

Germany's main grape harvest has begun earlier than ever recorded, starting roughly one to two weeks earlier than in recent years and four weeks earlier than 30 to 40 years ago.
The German Wine Institute attributes the early timeline to an exceptionally hot and dry summer that caused multiple grape varieties to mature simultaneously.
While growers anticipate high-quality, healthy grapes and rich red wines, overall yields are expected to be below average because of smaller fruit size from the drought.

The German Wine Institute announced on Friday, August 28, 2026, that the main grape harvest has started earlier than ever recorded across all of Germany's wine-growing regions.[Deutsche Welle]
The main harvest is about four weeks earlier than it was 30 or 40 years ago, continuing a long-term trend of earlier ripening driven by rising temperatures.[Deutsche Welle]
Because many grape varieties are maturing at the same time, the harvest is expected to proceed very quickly and could wrap up by the end of September.[Deutsche Welle]
Growers expect a below-average total yield because dry conditions during the summer left the grapes smaller than usual.[Deutsche Welle]
While warmer temperatures allow German growers to cultivate new varieties, prolonged heat and drought also threaten to reduce fruit acidity and raise alcohol levels by inflating sugar concentrations.[Deutsche Welle]

The final volume and pace of the harvest remain dependent on weather conditions, as significant rainfall in the coming weeks could speed up the process even further.[Deutsche Welle]