Rhine region initiates Rieslinglese harvest
The 2023 Riesling harvest in the Rheingau region has started earlier than usual, with the first grapes being harvested at the end of August. This early start is an unusual occurrence that has caught many winemakers by surprise.
The early Riesling harvest in Eltville, Rheingau-Taunus district, marked the beginning of this year's early harvest. The unusually early harvest started about three weeks before the long-term average, due to the early ripening of grapes and favorable conditions before heavy rainfall at the end of the previous week.
Winemakers in the region were taken aback by the early start of the Riesling harvest. However, some, like Katharina Bausch from Weingut Bausch, have provided explanations for this phenomenon. Katharina attributes the early start to the early flowering of the Riesling grapes.
According to a winemaker's rule of thumb, the harvest begins 100 days after the start of flowering. This year, the early flowering caused the Riesling harvest to begin earlier than the usual timeframe, which is from mid-September to mid-October.
The early Riesling harvest in the Rheingau is still part of the overall early harvest in the region. This early harvest may influence the overall wine industry in the region, potentially impacting the quality or quantity of the wine produced.
The exact reason for the early flowering of the Riesling grapes is not specified in the article. However, the early Riesling harvest is an indication that climate change may be affecting the wine industry, causing grapes to ripen earlier and harvest seasons to shorten.
As the early Riesling harvest continues, winemakers in the Rheingau region will closely monitor the quality and quantity of the wine produced to determine the full impact of this unusual occurrence on the wine industry.
