VDP.Harvest 2026
A Review

2026 was a remarkable year. Remarkably early, remarkably swift, and above all, remarkably good. The new vintage is now resting in the cellars of our VDP.Estates, rewarding them with smaller yields but grapes of exceptional quality. Despite their impressive concentration, the young wines display an almost astonishing lightness, underpinned by a freshness of acidity that is particularly striking given the summer heat. We are already looking forward to the coming months, as these promising young wines develop into outstanding, expressive examples of German wine at its finest.

Our members share their insights into what made the 2026 vintage unique in their respective regions.

Anyone who works with nature knows that every winegrowing year brings its own distinctive characteristics and opportunities. Increasingly, the question is no longer whether the weather will present winegrowers with extraordinary challenges, but rather what form those challenges will take. In some regions, the 2026 growing season began as early as late March. Once again, it was a year of extremes, with hailstorms, drought and heatwaves putting wine estates to the test.

At the same time, the vintage rewarded winegrowers with exceptionally healthy, high-quality grapes that could be harvested with very little need for sorting. This once again highlighted the importance of learning from previous years, continuously refining vineyard management practices and building the long-term resilience of vineyards in the face of a changing climate.

A promising start, thanks to ample winter rainfall, laid the foundations for the vintage. Early budbreak, followed by exceptionally early and even flowering in many regions, drew comparisons with legendary vintages such as 1959. The hot summer brought prolonged dry spells, before welcome rainfall in August offered relief to many winegrowers. However, severe weather was not entirely absent this year: Localised hailstorms caused significant damage, particularly in the Southern Palatinate and Kaiserstuhl. While some estates saw only individual vineyard sites affected, a small number suffered a complete loss of their harvest.

Looking back on the 2026 growing season, it was above all the vines that proved reliable. Their remarkable resilience and adaptability demonstrated just how much they can achieve, even under challenging weather conditions. The key lies in well-suited vineyard sites, deep-reaching roots and, not least, the careful vineyard management practised by winegrowers.

The fact that the harvest turned out so well in many regions under these circumstances gives every reason for optimism, even as increasingly extreme weather events are likely to present wine estates with further challenges in the years ahead.

VDP.President Steffen Christmann recently summed it up:

“We are living in a new normal, with the harvest now regularly beginning in late August. When I was growing up in the Palatinate, it was perfectly normal for the harvest to start in early October and continue into November. Today, everything has shifted forward by five to six weeks. But we winegrowers have adapted and know how to work with these warmer conditions. Thanks to their deep roots, most vines have also suffered very little from the drought. This makes the 2026 vintage a close relative of the outstanding 2025. Ultimately, as much as we may regret it out of concern for climate change, the old saying still holds true: ‘Low water levels in the Rhine, great wine.’ What began as hope for a good vintage has now become certainty.”

“2026 saw the earliest harvest on record. It is a truly distinctive vintage. The grapes are remarkably concentrated, and the quality is outstanding. The wines will be approachable early on, yet also have exceptional ageing potential.

Of course, in a year like this, it might seem as though climate change isn't such a bad thing after all. But when the growing season begins so early year after year, the risk of frost damage becomes an ever-greater concern. Nevertheless, we are delighted with this vintage and the remarkable depth and concentration that are already beginning to emerge.”

Simona Kruse, VDP.Weingut Burggarten

“In Franconia, as in many other regions, we experienced the hottest and driest summer our estate has ever seen. The harvest was exceptionally early: Many estates began picking in August and had finished by September 14, or September 18 at the latest. That is remarkably early.

Nevertheless, we are extremely pleased with the outcome. The grape quality was fantastic. We harvested perfectly ripe, exceptionally healthy grapes with moderate yields. Despite the hot conditions, most of the wines will have moderate alcohol levels. We couldn't be happier with how the harvest turned out.”

Sebastian Fürst, VDP.Weingut Rudolf Fürst
 

“We are extremely happy with the 2026 vintage – far happier than we had anticipated during the summer. Unlike in previous years, fungal disease pressure was virtually absent, and the grapes developed rapidly but steadily. This allowed us to harvest everything at the right time, without undue pressure, and at optimal ripeness.

We are particularly pleased with the balance of acidity, sweetness and aromatics. Although yields are around 30% lower – due to the weather conditions and the resulting smaller berries – these have rewarded us with wonderfully concentrated juice. Of course, conditions vary along the Middle Rhine's 100-kilometre stretch, but many of my fellow winegrowers share this experience. Together, we can now look forward to a truly outstanding vintage.”

Johannes Müller, VDP.Weingut Matthias Müller

“Across the Mosel, Saar and Ruwer, we are very pleased with the 2026 vintage. Although the summer was very warm, the vines had sufficient water throughout the growing season. You could see this in the leaves, which never curled up but remained lush and green – a wonderful indicator of the vines' healthy condition.

Of course, yields are generally lower this year, but that doesn't concern us. Quality matters far more, and in that respect, the vintage has been exceptionally generous. We were able to harvest the full spectrum, from VDP.GUTSWEIN and village wines to wines from VDP.GROSSE LAGE vineyards, as well as Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese. This is undoubtedly a vintage that wine lovers can look forward to with great pleasure!”

Dorothee Zilliken, VDP.Weingut Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken

“The new vintage is shaping up to be absolutely outstanding. Beautiful, small-berried grapes in perfect, healthy condition. It's one of those years when harvesting is a real pleasure. The weather is just right, the grapes are just right, and they're bursting with flavour. I truly believe this is going to be a very, very good vintage!”

Caroline Diel, VDP.Weingut Schlossgut Diel

“In the Pfalz, we experienced a very early harvest due to abundant sunshine and low rainfall. Thanks to the experience gained in recent years, the estates were well prepared for these conditions. In the Mittelhaardt, harvesting got into full swing in mid-August, while in the Southern Palatinate it began later, as differences in topography and rainfall led to slower ripening.

Overall, the harvest was a real sprint for every estate – only those with a strong team and well-organised logistics could keep everything running smoothly. One particularly positive aspect was how few problems we encountered in the vineyards: perfectly healthy grapes, excellent ripeness and stable acidity levels. Limited water availability posed a challenge, especially for young vineyards and vines growing on lighter soils. Nevertheless, Riesling coped remarkably well with the conditions, and we also saw exceptional results with Pinot Noir. All in all, it is a very good vintage.”

Franz Wehrheim, VDP.Weingut Dr. Wehrheim

“The picking season started earlier than ever before. In the Rheingau, harvesting for sparkling wine began as early as August 15. The quality was fantastic, although yields were initially somewhat lower due to the limited juice content of the grapes. Despite the dry conditions throughout the year, the grapes remained perfectly healthy, with no signs of disease – everything looked picture-perfect.

We are now bringing this harvest to a close with great satisfaction. The vintage could be compared to 2015, as the warm growing season has given us beautifully concentrated, ripe grapes while acidity has remained remarkably stable. These are ideal conditions for wines with exceptional ageing potential, particularly those from our classified vineyard sites. I am already looking forward to seeing how the wines develop in the barrels and tanks.”

Mark Barth, VDP.Wein- und Sektgut Barth

“Rarely have I felt so relaxed by mid-September. That alone shows just how special this harvest has been for us. We began picking on August 11 – earlier than ever before in our history. After such a dry growing season, we had been wondering how our vineyards would cope and how much fruit the vines would ultimately produce.

Now we can say with certainty that we have been pleasantly surprised by both the health of the grapes and the yields. Quantities are not particularly large, but they are far from disastrously low. Despite the drought, the grapes show remarkable balance, with vibrant tension and beautiful fruit character. The must weights are only slightly higher than in other years. Everything comes together beautifully, telling the story of this extraordinary vintage.

We are now enjoying the second half of September and watching with excitement as fermentation slowly progresses in the cellar. Every time we taste, we learn a little more about the wines: Where is this vintage heading? What story does it want to tell us? We are incredibly curious to discover what other surprises this exceptional vintage still has in store for us.”

Johannes Hasselbach, VDP.Weingut Gunderloch

“The 2026 harvest has now come to an end in both Saxony and Saale-Unstrut. It was the earliest harvest we have ever started, although picking began a little later in Saxony. What both regions have in common is that we harvested exceptionally small berries with remarkable extract concentration – just the kind of fruit that makes a winegrower's heart beat faster. At the same time, it was also one of the smallest harvests we have ever brought in.

The last Riesling grapes were picked in the first week of October, allowing us to complete the 2026 harvest remarkably quickly in both Saxony and Saale-Unstrut.”

Björn Probst, VDP.Estate Schloss Proschwitz

“The 2026 harvest is now complete almost everywhere, and we, along with our fellow winegrowers, have every reason to celebrate an outstanding vintage. The quality is exceptional across the board, from VDP.GUTSWEIN to VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS. Thanks to our rich soils, which have excellent water-retaining capacity, the vines coped remarkably well with the drought. Acidity levels are moderate, and yields are slightly below average. All in all, from the growing season to the final result, this vintage has been a dream come true.”

Felix Ellwanger, VDP.Weingut Jürgen Ellwanger