Germany`s Vintage 2005

The young white wines already show balance, strength and pronounced fruit. They have great potential and reflect the classic profile associated with the unique character of German wines.

Particularly growers in the Mosel and Rheingau regions benefited from very sunny weather in late autumn that enabled them to harvest considerable quantities of Beeren- and Trockenbeerenauslese. Wine-growers throughout Germany are especially pleased with the red wines of 2005.

They have everything a good red needs: lots of color, depth of flavor, and a long finish

The overall success of the 2005 crop was due to an exceptionally sunny year (particularly during the growing season), timely and sufficient precipitation, and the crowning touch of a "golden" October.

According to the German Weather Service, the collective number of sun hours recorded from March through October exceeded the long-term average for an entire year. This enabled the grapes to ripen about two weeks ahead of schedule. Statisticians of the state of Rheinland-Pfalz also confirm "unusually high quality levels" in 2005, particularly for the important varietals Riesling and Dornfelder.

Below-average Yields

The overall size of the crop was smaller than expected. According to Armin Göring, the 2005 crop (nearly 9 million hl) is 11% less than the previous year and 7% below the ten-year average of 9.6 million hl. Since cellar stocks are virtually depleted, this prognosis is not particularly promising for many growers. Precipitation during the growing season was generally better in Baden and Württemberg than in the more northerly regions. As such, yields in the south are approximately the same as in 2004.

The chart below provides a regional and national overview of harvest yields in 2005. The data was compiled by the German Wine-growers’ Association/Bonn and is accurate as of 27 November 2005.