For full details of our coverage of the excellent 2016 vintage in Germany, see this guide.
Taken on 13 October in the Abtserde vineyard in Westhofen, Rheinhessen, this close-up of one of Klaus Peter Keller's Riesling vines demonstrates perfectly this winegrower's view of the 2016 harvest: on the left, the bunch destroyed by downy mildew thanks to the rainy spring and early summer; on the right, the healthy open bunch that has ripened beautifully in the perfect late-summer and autumn weather. As Keller explained, 'What seemed at first to be quite a problem turned to our advantage. Mildew reduced the crop by 10-15% so that the rest of the grapes are more concentrated with more intense flavours. Like an early green harvest done by Nature.'
