Germany’s vineyards tilt further toward white wine

The shift toward white wine continues in Germany, where growers are planting less red and more white as consumer tastes change and health concerns shape demand, according to the German Wine Institute. White wine now accounts for 70% of the country’s vineyards, up from 63% at the start of the 2000s, said Ernst Büscher, a spokesman for the institute in Bodenheim near Mainz.

Büscher said red wine is increasingly seen as heavier and higher in alcohol, while buyers around the world are looking for lighter, fruitier wines. That trend has helped many German producers in export markets, especially in countries such as China, where German white wine is gaining ground even as red wine loses appeal. He said younger consumers there often prefer white wine, despite red’s traditional association with luck and prosperity.

Germany had about 102,000 hectares of vineyard area in 2025, roughly 1,300 hectares less than the year before, Büscher said. Most of that decline came in Baden-Württemberg, where about 800 hectares were lost. The drop also reflected the region’s relatively high share of red wine production.

Across the country, the decline in vineyard area over the past year hit red varieties harder than white ones. Red grapes fell by 791 hectares, while white varieties declined by 539 hectares. In Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse, white wines remain dominant overall, with Riesling still one of the most important grape varieties in those states.