An industry group says German winemakers are on track for their biggest grape harvest in nearly 20 years after a long, hot summer that shriveled many other farmers' crops.
The German Wine Institute said this week that, with the harvest 95 percent complete, it expects winegrowers to produce 1.07 billion liters (280 million gallons) of wine must, the pressed grape juice that is one of the first steps in wine making.
That's 23 percent above the last decade's average and the biggest harvest since 1999.
The institute says it expects good-quality wines to emerge from the hot summer, with fruity whites and full-bodied reds in prospect.
Germany sees biggest wine harvest since 1999. Pexels
For farmers who don't tend sun-loving vines, it has been a difficult year.
The German government is compensating thousands of farmers whose harvests have suffered.
The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) released statistics earlier this year about wine production and consumption.
The group reports that global wine consumption in 2017 was 243 million hectolitres.