German '02 Vintage Outstanding and Large

MAINZ, Germany -  A year-end report by the Deutscher Weinbauverband (German Grape Growers Association) confirms an above average volume of production and high quality grapes in every quality level of German wines.

Preliminary figures estimate the 2002 harvest at 10.8 million hectolitres, a 19 per cent increase over the 2001 harvest of 9.1 million hectoliters.  The harvest yield is also approximately 7 per cent higher than the average for the past 10 years.

The 2002 wines in the cellar have a pronounced fruitiness growers attribute to favourable growing season, and relatively cool weather during the harvest that combined to foster a slow, cool fermentation in the cellar.

Must weights are above average in the 2002 vintage and there is a good supply of riper Prädikat (QmP) wines - wines with higher fruit flavour concentration and intensity to produce Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese wines.  And for the first time in many years, polar temperatures in Germany in the second week of December, resulted in Eiswein being harvested in all regions and in the same week by producers who took the risk to leave grapes to freeze on the vine.

Ideal harvesting conditions in Germany gave way in mid-October to wet and variable weather conditions in many parts of Germany that forced many growers to put the 2002 harvest temporarily on hold.  However, grapes remained healthy and continued to ripen thanks in part to quality-oriented practices by producers in the vineyards that included stringent pruning and selective harvesting practices.

In the cellar, although grapes were plump, higher pith content resulted in less juice extraction.  Values for fruit acids and extracts were above average and the red wine varietals in the 2002 vintages are producing German red wines that are deep in colour.

Armin Göring, Director of the Deutsches Weininstitut in Mainz says:  "This years large and quality wine harvest is just what is needed to meet the ongoing renaissance of German wine drinking at home and abroad.  For Canadians, wines from the 2002 vintage are expected to arrive in the market by the fall."