German Wine Output Seen Little Changed in 2013 as Whites Rise

(Bloomberg) - Germany’s wine production, Europe’s fourth-biggest, is estimated to be little changed this year as rising output of whites such as Riesling more than makes up for a lower volume of reds, the government statistics office said.

The 2013 vintage is forecast to increase to 9.11 million hectoliters (241 million gallons) from 9.08 million hectoliters in 2012, Statistisches Bundesamt wrote in a report on its website today.

Germany is Europe’s second-largest wine importer behind the U.K., with inbound shipments worth 2.47 billion euros ($3.4 billion) in the first half of 2013, according to data from the International Organisation for Vine and Wine.

White wine from grapes including Riesling, Mueller-Thurgau and Silvaner may increase to 5.71 million hectoliters from 5.55 million hectoliters, according to the statistics office. The volume of reds may slide to 3.4 million hectoliters from 3.53 million hectoliters.

Germany’s red wines include those from grapes such as pinot noir, locally known as the Spaetburgunder, and Dornfelder.

The volume in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany’s biggest wine region, may slip to 5.92 million hectoliters from 5.99 million hectoliters, as output of whites rises to 4 million hectoliters from 3.89 million hectoliters and red-wine volume slips to 1.92 million hectoliters from 2.1 million hectoliters.