Wine is now grown in 13 German federal states. Data from the Federal Statistical Office shows that white grape varieties are becoming increasingly popular.
Wiesbaden (dpa) – In Germany, wine is now grown in all federal states with the exception of the city-states.
Overall, winemakers cultivated wine grapes on 103,180 hectares last year, 994 hectares or 1.0 percent more than in 2009, as the Federal Statistical Office announced on Friday. The largest wine-growing area was in Rhineland-Palatinate with 64,524 hectares, the smallest in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with 6 hectares.
White grape varieties are enjoying increasing popularity. The acreage increased from 2009 to 2020 by 4,057 hectares or 6.2 percent to 69,418 hectares. There was growth in particular for the gray burgundy (Ruländer), white burgundy and white Riesling. In addition, internationally important grape varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, which originally comes from the Loire Valley, are more widespread than in 2009.
In the case of the red grape varieties, however, the area under cultivation has decreased by 3,063 hectares or 8.3 percent to 33,762 hectares in the last eleven years. The decline was particularly pronounced for the Blauer Portugieser, the Müllerrebe (black Riesling) and the Dornfelder. At the same time, internationally important grape varieties such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, which originally come from the southwest of France, are on the advance. The increasingly earlier flowering in Germany allows the vines to grow more time and the berries to ripen earlier, explained the Wiesbaden authority. The varieties are therefore now fully ripe in some places in Germany.
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