The vineyards in Germany are becoming whiter: after hitting a low in 2006 (when white grape varieties made up 63.1% of the area), the share of white varieties has steadily increased, reaching 68.8% in 2023. This includes a growing number of fungus-resistant Piwi varieties (3%). This data comes from an analysis of the nationwide vineyard survey by Destatis, published by the German Wine Institute (DWI). The second-largest increase among all varieties was seen in Souvignier Gris, a fungus-resistant variety, with 183 ha/450 acres newly planted. It was surpassed only by Grauburgunder, which added 278 ha. Chardonnay came in third (+181 ha).
Overall, white Burgundian varieties are trending: Grau-, Weissburgunder, and Chardonnay make up half of the top six varieties, with a small amount of Auxerrois bringing the total area for white Burgundian varieties to nearly 18,000 ha. Riesling remains the most important variety, cultivated on about 24,400 ha.
The share of red varieties decreased by 1% from 2022 to 2023. Spätburgunder remains the leading red variety with about 11,500 ha. Contrary to the trend, the vineyard areas for international varieties like Merlot (+47 ha to 933 ha), Cabernet Sauvignon (+19 ha to 502 ha), Syrah (+16 ha), and Cabernet Franc (+12 ha to 129 ha) have slightly increased.
Losses for the Middle Rhine region
There have also been changes in the ranking of the largest wine-growing regions. Due to a loss of 6 ha of vineyard area, the Mittelrhein region has fallen to the bottom of the ranking with 460 ha, just below the Hessische Bergstraße (461 ha).