The Siebengebirge in the south of Bonn is the only designated wine-growing region in North Rhine-Westphalia. There the winegrowers are in the middle of the harvest. The traditional grape Riesling always comes last. Good quality and quantity are expected.
Königswinter (dpa/lnw) - In the Siebengebirge near Bonn, the local winegrowers are in the middle of the grape harvest. Expected quantity and quality looks good. "It just mustn't rain all at once," said Markus Uhe, wine expert at the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture. The winegrowers are already through with the first varieties, such as the Frühburgunder. The main grape variety in the only designated wine-growing region in North Rhine-Westphalia is Riesling, which is the last to be cut from the vines.
The dry summer hardly caused any damage to the vines. "Old stocks have deep roots," said the expert from the Chamber of Agriculture. Some of the roots reach 15 meters into the ground, so that the plant can supply itself with water even in dry summers.
In Bad Honnef and Königswinter, four winegrowers cultivate around 20 hectares on the slopes of the Rhine. The Siebengebirge is located at the northern end of the Middle Rhine growing region. According to the Chamber of Agriculture, there are even 25 wine producers in NRW.
