By Aleks Zecevic
Wine Enthusiast Writer at Large and reviewer of wines from Austria, Germany, France (Alsace, Jura/Savoie, Vin de France), Armenia, Czech Republic, Moldova, Serbia, Slovakia and Turkey.

Germany is easy to overlook until you’re clinging to a cliff above the Mosel, sipping something that crackles on the palate. 

Riesling still rules, razor-sharp and alive. But Pinot Noir has muscled into the spotlight and Silvaner’s playing a hell of a supporting role. Natural wine showed up late—but it’s here now: pure, honest, unmistakably German. Tradition runs deep, but reinvention is never far behind.

The wines don’t always come easy. Precision may be the national cliché, but terroir sets it apart. It’s something you feel more than taste. Often austere at first, the right bottle at the right time is lightning in a glass.

Because of the climatic and geographic nuances within Germany’s 13 winemaking regions, it pays to know where to look. Most regions cling to the country’s west, where rivers, like the Rhine and Mosel, carve steep, cinematic vineyards. Just two—Saale-Unstrut and Sachsen—stray eastward, where wine feels like a whispered rumor. From the cliffs of the Mosel to Baden’s sun-drenched hills, this isn’t a greatest-hits kind of place. It’s a scratchy, unique mixtape filled with deep cuts and unusual bottlings that will delight experienced and new drinkers alike. 

Weather Report

Germany still gets to call itself cool-climate, which is a rarity in a world on fire. The country’s continental setup means cold winters, hot summers and just enough chaos in between to keep winemakers on edge. 

For decades, ripening was a gamble. Hence, the vines hug the rivers—the Rhine, Mosel and Ahr—where steep slopes soak up sun and catch reflections off the water. 

However, in the late 1990s, climate change flipped the script. Suddenly, ripeness wasn’t the issue. Now it’s frost, hail, mildew, heat and even drought. 

2024 was brutal—frost decimated Mosel parcels in the spring after bud break and yields swung wildly. But winemakers are hopeful. What’s left could be stunning.

Often austere at first, the right bottle at the right time is lightning in a glass.

aleks zecevic, Wine Enthusiast Writer at Large

The 2023 vintage came in hot, literally. It was the fastest harvest in recent memory, with fruit racing toward ripeness. Yields were down, but the wines are focused, fruity and full of energy. 

A dry, disease-free season marked the surprisingly generous 2022. The wines are ripe, charming and easy to enjoy.

Then there’s 2021: wet, wild and borderline biblical. Floods devastated the Ahr, but a golden autumn saved the rest. The wines are lean, sharp, built to last—and test your patience.

Trend Report

Germany is in the thick of a wine revolution. Over the past decade, dry Riesling has taken center stage, overtaking the sweet styles that once defined the country’s global image. Pinot Noir is rising as Riesling’s red counterpart, and the natural wine movement in the country is shaking up tradition in its own unfiltered way.

These shifts are part of a broader move to spotlight Germany’s remarkable terroir, letting grapes speak with clarity: sharp, mineral and deeply expressive. 

Producers certified by the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP) are leading the charge, introducing the Grosses Gewächs (translation: “Great Growths”) classification for dry wines from Grand Cru vineyards. Rebholz, Peter Lauer, Christmann and Peter Jakob Kühn are standout examples. These wines are layered and built for the table.

Most Grosses Gewächs Rieslings from VDP estates are released young and often feel that way. Made conservatively, many block malolactic fermentation, which would soften acidity, and see generous sulfur additions that slow evolution. These wines demand time. Five years is a minimum. Ten is the sweet spot, when structure and tension finally settle into something transcendent. A few exceptions—Odinstal, Schätzl and occasionally Schnaitmann—drink well sooner.

Meanwhile, natural wine has quietly fueled the dry wine revolution. With little to no sulfur, winemakers avoid residual sugar to prevent refermentation, pushing them toward dry styles by default. France, Italy and Austria led this charge for decades, but Germany has only recently joined. 

In the hands of Rudi Trossen, Brand Brothers, Piri Naturel, Jakob Tennstedt and Shadowfolk, the wines are raw and transparent, letting terroir do the talking. Without interrupting malolactic fermentation, these bottles are softer, easier in their youth, but never flabby. It’s a quiet rebellion, reshaping the landscape.

While Riesling dominates, Spätburgunder is catching fire. Once overlooked, German Pinot now commands respect. The cool climate gives it an edge; the best growers give it soul. It’s no longer just Huber and Fürst. In the Ahr, Bertram-Baltes and Meyer-Näkel lead the way. Piri Naturel brings vibrancy in the Nahe. In Baden, Wasenhaus and Enderle & Moll craft reds with nerve and depth. And don’t skip the Mosel, which can produce some of the most ethereal Pinots on the planet, like the ones from Jonas Dostert.

Futurecast

The future of German wine is exciting. Dry Riesling will continue to be the flagship, but more balanced, as growers keep pushing limits. Pinot Noir will undoubtedly become more of a focal point. They’re only beginning to hit their stride, but the way things are going, Burgundy’s Pinot reign may not last forever.

Germany is taking its time with natural wine, ensuring the movement develops with the same precision that defines its wines. Don’t be surprised to see more small producers popping up, experimenting with old and new techniques to craft wines that feel as alive as the land itself.

Silvaner’s shedding its workhorse past, with producers like Dominik Held, Stefan Vetter and Zenthof-Luckert giving it real depth. Chardonnay and Weissburgunder shine on limestone. Sekt is shaking off its cheap-and-cheerful past. With tighter rules and better farming, Germany’s sparkling wine could soon stand tall next to Champagne.

Below, you’ll find a list of top bottles from Germany’s key regions—dry Rieslings with cutting minerality, Pinots that prove German reds are here to stay and natural wines pointing to where things are headed. And yes, there’s something for those with a sweet tooth, too, as no one does dessert wine better.

Mosel

Germany’s crown jewel, the Mosel is Riesling country, where off-dry and sweet styles shimmer with grace, and dry versions crackle with the tension of slate soils. The slate—gray, blue and red—reflects light like cut glass, catching the sun off the river. Pinot Noir, ethereal and rising, is the region’s quiet muse. 

In the Terrassenmosel, winemaking flirts with madness—Madame Flock and Julien Renard’s eccentric bottlings mix with classics from Knebel and Heymann-Löwenstein. Rudi Trossen, a pioneer of natural wine in the region, sets the tone for many, while Florian Wecker of Jus Naturae, Petra Kujanpää of Shadowfolk and Jakob Tennstedt make some of the most compelling natural wines—not just in Germany, but beyond.

Franken

Franken feels like an elegant secret, tucked away in Germany’s heart. Here, Silvaner isn’t just a grape—it’s a story, pure and unadorned, with the limestone earth speaking through every bottle. 

Shell-limestone dominates the central district, while heavier gypsum and keuper soils shape the wines further east, near the Steiger Forest. The rotund bocksbeutel bottle, with its old-world charm, mirrors the wines: classic yet timeless. 

Stefan Vetter, Andi Weigand and 2Naturkinder let the wine speak with their minimalist approach. Zenthof-Luckert leads on the classic wine front, especially with Silvaner. And then there’s Rudolf Fürst, producing some of Germany’s most legendary Pinots—wines that’ve been setting the standard for years.

Rheingau

Rheingau is where tradition and precision collide. Here, Riesling wears the crown with quiet grace. The banks of the Rhine river shape the vines, where slate and gravel soils give structure to the wines, and steep slopes capture the sun’s warmth. 

Robert Weil and Schloss Johannisberg are well established for the classic style, while Peter Jakob Kühn, the biodynamic pioneer, leads the way for the new guard. His apprentice, Alex Saltaren, offers a fresh take of what the region can be. Eva Fricke’s wines pulse with energy. It’s a conservative region, great for those who prefer the classics.

More German Wine Coverage

• These 6 regions bring out the best in German wine.
• Get to know the vast world of German white wines.
• 12 ageworthy German wines to add to your cellar.
• A guide to the great vineyards of Germany.