Other wine-growing regions have vineyards called Hell. Saxony doesn’t have anything like that—but it does have a vineyard called Paradise. And this despite the terroir being hellishly steep in places—up to 60%—which means winemakers (m/f/d) really need to have the agility of mountain goats. But “Paradise” can also be flat, up in the upper reaches. The selection of grape varieties is correspondingly diverse in this approximately 5.6-hectare vineyard, most of which is managed by Schloss Wackerbarth (the other, smaller part belongs to the Paradiesberg winery, which I visited in 2015). On the steep slopes, the Wackerbarths grow Riesling and Traminer; on the one-hectare flat area, they grow Goldriesling. And that’s where the harvest for the 2026 vintage began today.
The start of the harvest is only slightly earlier than the average of recent years, as Till Neumeister, head viticulturist at Schloss Wackerbarth, reported: “Compared to last year, we’re a week ahead of schedule. In the very hot and dry year of 2018, for example, the harvest began 14 days earlier, on August 6.” It was still hot, however—and notably so early on, specifically in mid- to late June (with peak temperatures of 41.7 degrees in Diesbar-Seußlitz on the Thonberg)—and dry as well during that period. The vines, however, handled it well. A little experience also comes into play, as the always cheerful and modest Till Neumeister adds: “With the right measures, we’ve helped our vines cope with the current weather conditions. These include, in addition to targeted irrigation of our young vines, individually tailored soil cultivation, and meticulous care of the canopy.” All in all, the conclusion at the start of the harvest is: “Our grapes are currently in very good condition and are healthy.”
