German wine-growing businesses are getting bigger

01.07.2021

The concentration process in German viticulture continues. As reported by the German Wine Institute (GWI/DWI) on the basis of surveys by the Federal Statistical Office, the number of businesses cultivating vineyards fell by 20 percent in 2020 compared to 2010 to 15.151 businesses.

In contrast, the area under vines has grown slightly by three percent to 99,854 hectares. On a nationwide average, a wine-growing company in this country cultivated 6.6 hectares, which corresponds to an increase of 29 percent compared to 2010. Small businesses with less than 0.5 hectares of vineyards are not included in the statistics.

Professionalization of wine-growing businesses

As DWI managing director Monika Reule explains, the vineyards of the abandoning businesses are being taken over by successful companies. "This development is accompanied by an increasing professionalization of the wine-growing businesses", emphasizes Reule.

In relation to the individual federal German states, the number of wine-growing businesses in Rhineland-Palatinate has fallen by an above-average 30 percent since 2010, whereas it remained constant in Bavaria (Franken) and even increased slightly in the eastern federal states.

According to 'Destatis' surveys, around 10 percent of the total German vineyard area (9,579 ha) was farmed organically by 921 companies in 2020. This corresponds to an increase of 21 percent in the number of businesses and 27 percent in terms of area since 2016.

Number of wineries and vineyards in Germany in 2020

	number of businesses/estates ≥ 0,5 ha		vineyards in hectar (planted)
	2020	2010	2020	2010
Deutschland	15.151	19.046	99.854	96.714
Rheinland-Pfalz	6.501	9.276	63.606	63.321
Baden Württemberg	6.464	7.568	25.465	23.507
Bayern	1.529	1.540	5.920	5.348
Hessen	415	480	3.478	3.413
Sachsen-Anhalt	86	75	701	559
Sachsen	83	64	408	335
Saarland	12	18	89	90
Thüringen	11	8	78	87
Nordrhein-Westfalen	4	6	19	27
*andere*	37	-	88	-
source: www.destatis.de