The middle of August sees the start of the grape harvest in Germany.
The first grapes to be picked are mainly Solaris, from which Federweisser is made. It has has an alcoholic content of 9-10 % and has only just started to ferment. Federweisser is traditionally served in the vineyards with Zwiebelkuchen, which is similiar to an onion quiche, but both wine and quiche can also be purchased in supermarkets.
The harvest for the real wine of this year’s vintage begins at the end of August and there are festivals to celebrate in almost every town and village with a Wine Queen as the figurehead and a procession on the Sunday afternoon. The town of Wininngen on the River Mosel hosts the oldest wine festival in the country and has an impressive firework display on the last day.
The following are links to the event calenders for the nearest winegrowing areas, but please note the information is in German only.
River Moselle: Mosel Veranstaltungskalender Mosel 2023 (mosel-weinfeste.de)
River Ahr: Wein-Events (ahrtal.de)
In the Pfalz Region: Pfälzer Weinfeste und Kerwe Termine 2023 (pfalz-weinfeste.de)