Moselle Harvest

Many private winemakers were already harvesting their grapes by the end of August, something that has never happened before on the Luxembourg Moselle. "One can clearly see that it is getting earlier and earlier," said Jeff Konsbrück, the new president of the Independent Winegrowers' Association. He used to head out to harvest in the middle of September. Back when his father was still planting the vineyards, the harvest always used to begin around 20 September, after the Riesling Open. That festival now falls right in the middle of the harvest.

The 2026 vintage promises excellent quality, Konsbrück added. The sweetness of the grapes and the analytical data confirm it, with the balance between malic and tartaric acidity optimal at roughly one third to two thirds. Ten days into the harvest, the private winemakers are looking on with real confidence towards the end of the season, which should wrap up around 17 September.

30-40% yield losses

The winemakers of the Vinsmoselle cooperative started work in the vineyards on 3 September. The heatwave has left conditions extremely dry, meaning the harvest will come in well down, with losses of 30% to 40%. The grapes carry less juice, are less compact and less plump. Due to the heat, however, sugar levels in the grapes are very high this year, and the dry summer meant disease pressure was very low.

The last time the harvest started so early was in 2003, when the cooperative's winemakers had also gone into the vineyards on 3 September. Twenty or thirty years ago, harvesting only started after 20 September, and in some cases the vines were only picked at the very end of the month.