2026-08-21
Saxony’s wine industry expects to produce about 2.6 million liters of wine from the 2026 harvest, roughly 10% less than last year but still above the long-term average, according to the Saxon Winegrowers Association.
The forecast was released as the wine harvest season opened on Thursday at the state winery Schloss Wackerbarth in Radebeul, where growers traditionally begin picking early grape varieties. The association’s chairman, Felix Hößelbarth, said the first grapes to be harvested were Goldriesling, followed by Solaris, which the winery uses to make its young Federweisser wine.
Based on the association’s estimate, Saxony’s output would be down from about 2.89 million liters in 2025, a decline of roughly 289,000 liters. The figure is an early regional forecast for Saxony, not a final harvest result and not an estimate for Germany as a whole.
Hößelbarth said 2026 should still be considered a good wine year for eastern growers. He attributed the outlook in part to rainfall that continued through June, which helped vineyards in Saxony and the Saale-Unstrut region. As a result, he said, dry conditions later in the season have weighed less heavily on yields there than in western German wine regions, where larger crop losses are expected.
Even so, growers in Saxony have also seen signs of stress from this year’s weather. Hößelbarth said the berries are noticeably smaller than usual. He said the high number of sunny days should support strong aromas in the wines, while recent rainfall arrived in time to benefit later-ripening grape varieties.
The association said the crop outlook also reflects changes in vineyard management as producers adapt to a warmer and less predictable climate. Hößelbarth said drip irrigation has become standard rather than exceptional when new vineyards are planted. He also pointed to the use of newer cultivation methods and grape varieties as part of the sector’s response to changing weather patterns.
While the harvest outlook remains favorable by historical standards, growers are also facing a more difficult sales environment. Hößelbarth said wineries are seeing more cautious buying behavior from consumers, with retailers placing smaller orders and restaurant demand weakening. He said Saxony’s producers are still in a relatively stable position because supply and demand remain broadly balanced in the region.
Direct sales are becoming more important for local wineries, he said, especially through wine festivals and events held at vineyards and farm estates. According to the association, both attendance and sales at those events have been rising, giving producers another outlet as broader market conditions soften. The region is preparing for open winery days later this month, followed by wine festivals in Radebeul and Meissen in September.