Franconian winemakers report the earliest harvest and meager yields

Franconia's winemakers have picked their grapes from the vines so early in a year and faster than ever before: However, this year there is a rather meager yield - an average of 55 hectoliters per hectare. The year before it was 72 hectoliters, in 2024 it was around 57.

The ten-year average is 66.9 hectoliters. According to the Franconian Winegrowers Association, drought and extreme heat take their toll on the grapes - and this is also reflected in the harvest quantity. Prices are likely to remain stable despite all the challenges.

Turbo maturity

From flowering to harvest, the average time from 1971 to 2000 was around 102 days. This year there were only around 85 days in between - climate change is ensuring earlier and earlier flowering and accelerating the development of the grapes.

The area under wine cultivation in Franconia extends roughly from Bamberg to Aschaffenburg. In total, there is a productive vineyard area of ​​around 5,800 hectares - 200 hectares fewer are planted than in the previous year (as of August 1, 2026).

At 89 degrees Oechsle, the must weights are slightly higher than last year, when an average of 87 degrees Oechsle was measured, as the association in Nordheim am Main (Landkries Kitzingen) announced. Degree Oechsle is a unit of measurement for the weight of unfermented grape must.

Price increases cannot be implemented

According to the information, the approximately 2,800 winegrowers in Franconia are in difficult economic times. The price war, especially with foreign producers, is enormous, consumers are very concerned about money and are also saving money on wine - only four out of ten wine bottles emptied nationwide are from Germany. At the same time, energy and personnel costs continued to rise. But passing this on to customers is currently not possible, said an association spokesman.

Those who look after guests in addition to wine production are usually better off. Winemakers earn around 15 times as much from wine tourism as they do from wine sales, Daniel Heßdörfer from the Institute for Viticulture and Oenology at the Bavarian State Institute for Viticulture and Horticulture recently explained.