Trade and exports 22 September 2026

German Riesling exports hit record €780 million in 2025, driven by US and Asian markets

German wine exports achieved a record value in 2025, with Riesling accounting for almost half of total export value. The US remains the dominant market, but South Korea and Japan are growing fastest as Asian interest in German Riesling accelerates.

Key facts

Total export value (2025) €780 million — a new record, up 9% on 2024

Top export market United States (32% of total value), followed by United Kingdom and Japan

Fastest-growing market South Korea (+28% YoY); Japan (+19%); China recovering after 3-year dip

Premium segment Spätlese and above now represent 38% of export value despite 12% of volume

Key variety Riesling accounts for 48% of total German wine export value

Why now?

German Riesling spent much of the 1980s and 1990s struggling to shed its association with cheap, sweet Liebfraumilch-style wines. The rehabilitation has been steady: the VDP association of top producers, younger winemakers embracing dry styles, and the international wine press\'s recognition of producers such as Egon Müller, Joh. Jos. Prüm and Dönnhoff have all contributed. Climate change has also helped — warmer vintages produce Mosel Riesling that is more accessible to palates accustomed to fuller wines, without losing the variety\'s fundamental freshness and structure.

The premium segment — Spätlese, Auslese and above — is growing faster than the overall category. This mirrors a broader trend in fine wine toward understanding wine structure and seeking wines with genuine ageing potential. Riesling\'s high natural acidity, which can feel sharp young, becomes one of its greatest assets after 5–15 years in bottle, when it evolves into complex, honeyed, mineral wines of remarkable depth.

Source: Deutsches Weininstitut (DWI) (export statistics 2025, published September 2026). Last updated: 2026-09-22. Corrections via the contact form.

Questions

About German Riesling.

Why is German Riesling becoming more popular internationally?

Several factors are driving German Riesling's international resurgence: climate change has lifted ripeness and reduced the very high acidity that made classic Mosel Riesling inaccessible to many consumers; a generation of younger winemakers (particularly in the Mosel, Rheingau and Nahe) are producing fresher, more food-friendly styles; and dry Riesling (Trocken) has gained significant traction among sommeliers and wine professionals who previously overlooked Germany for food-pairing wines. The variety's natural combination of acidity and aromatic complexity — typically unreplicable in other regions — gives it a clear identity in a crowded market. See the Riesling guide for a full breakdown of the variety and its regions.

What do the German wine classification terms mean (Kabinett, Spätlese etc.)?

Traditional German wine law classifies wines by must weight at harvest (the sugar content of the unfermented juice) — a scale called the Prädikat system. From lowest to highest ripeness: Kabinett (lightest, often off-dry, elegant), Spätlese (late harvest, richer, off-dry to medium-sweet), Auslese (selected bunches, rich and sweet), Beerenauslese (individually selected overripe berries, very sweet), Trockenbeerenauslese (shrivelled botrytised berries, extremely concentrated, rare), Eiswein (ice wine — frozen grapes). Crucially, these terms describe must weight at harvest, not the residual sugar in the finished wine: a Spätlese can be fermented dry (Trocken) or left off-dry, so you need to check residual sugar separately. See residual sugar.

What is the difference between Mosel and Rheingau Riesling?

Both are premium German Riesling regions, but the styles differ meaningfully. Mosel Riesling (from the steep slate slopes along the Mosel, Saar and Ruwer rivers) is typically lighter in body, lower in alcohol, intensely mineral, with piercing acidity and delicate fruit — often with a petrol note in older wines. Rheingau Riesling tends to be fuller-bodied and richer, with more body and weight — the warmer conditions produce a more powerful style that suits ageing. The Rheingau was historically considered Germany's most prestigious region (Schloss Johannisberg was a First Growth equivalent). Other important Riesling regions include Pfalz (richer, warmer), Nahe (mineral, aromatic) and Rheinhessen (Germany's largest region, most commercial).

Why do German wine labels seem so complicated?

German labels combine several systems simultaneously: region, village, vineyard, producer, Prädikat tier, and sometimes the Grosses Gewächs (GG) or VDP classification. The proliferation of information reflects the extreme site-specificity of German wine culture — a great Mosel Riesling from Bernkasteler Doctor is entirely different from one 2 km away, and the label system tries to communicate this. The VDP (Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter — an association of top producers) introduced a simplified four-tier classification in 2012 (Gutswein, Ortswein, Erste Lage, Grosse Lage) to give buyers a clearer hierarchy. See how to read a wine label for general label navigation.