Germany's 2011 vintages hit by frost

A recent frost in parts of Germany could severely impact Germany's harvest this year as night time temperatures dipped as low as -5C on 3-4 May. The German Wine Institute said it was too soon to assess the impact on the 2011 vintage but local reports in Franken suggested that up to half the crop will be lost in some areas and in a few cases losses might be as high as 90%. Some are comparing the situation to the 1981 vintage.

Early varieties such as Dornfelder have been particularly badly affected, with Pinot Noir (locally known as Spätburgunder) also suffering damage. Predominantly it is vineyards located in low-lying areas that have been hit due to the cool air accumulating in the valleys. German producers had been hoping for a bumper crop this year, following 2010’s smallest harvest for 25 years which has restricted supply and driven prices up.